Roosters Cup victory lays solid platform

 

Roar Guru

By Alan Nicolea, 22 Feb 2010 Alan Nicolea is a Roar Guru

Tagged:

 Brian Smith, Foundation cup, NRL, Rugby League, Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers

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The Sydney Roosters 28-10 win over the Wests Tigers in yesterday’s Foundation Cup not only continued the chooks dominance of the event, but it also signalled the beginning of a new era under coach Brian Smith – and the signs look encouraging.

Although the Roosters are yet to lose a Foundation Cup match to the Tigers, the performances have been ordinary to say the least, with the main struggles coming in attack.

Yesterday’s win however could have potentially marked the end of the Roosters woes with the football in hand.

Playing in their first competitive match together, the understanding shown between Mitchell Pearce and Todd Carney bodes well for a big turn in fortune for the chooks come the start of season 2010.

Pearce looked in control for the first time in many moons, setting up all of the Roosters four tries in a confident display of astute passing and kicking.

The former Origin halfback produced a lovely short ball for forward Anthony Cherrington to score, while he also set up Shaun Kenny Dowall in the corner with an accurate cross field bomb in the first half.

Whilst Roosters fans would have been delighted with the first half showing, their optimism reached new heights in the second stanza.

Having played fullback for the entire first half, Carney was finally thrust into the five-eighth position, and it was here where the former Canberra Raiders star made his biggest statement.

The 23 year old combined with Pearce to score his first try in Roosters colours barely five minutes into the second half.

Carney was instrumental in the Roosters next four pointer, making a break and then offloading the ball for Pearce to pick up and send winger Sam Perrett crashing over for a 26-6 lead.

Carney finished up with a 16 point haul in a performance which would have delighted new coach Brian Smith.

Despite Carney’s apparent growth in influence playing in the halves, Smith is still content with thrusting the Goulburn product into the fullback position in future matches.

Whilst his performance in the custodian role against the Tigers was promising, Carney will have to raise his game a whole new level when he confronts Jarryd Hayne in next week’s trial against the Parramatta Eels, let alone in the season opener against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The way Carney and Pearce performed in the second half against the Tigers should just reinforce the fact the Roosters are a far more dangerous attacking unit with those two in the halves.

With their defence still a cause for concern, one feels the Bondi Junction club will have to score many points this season to overcome the majority of their opponents, let alone Premiership fancies such as the Dragons, Eels and Bulldogs.

That is why it is essential both Pearce and Carney are allowed to build on their performance against the Tigers, in a bid to give the Roosters the best possible chance of erasing last season’s woeful wooden spoon showing.

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