Roosters sound spectacular finals warning, when they hang onto the ball

---

At first it was tough on the eyes. Then it was a sight for the sorest of them.

The Roosters have already proven they have pretty and gritty in their kitbag this season. A 42-8 Sunday afternoon disposal of North Queensland was exactly what Trent Robinson’s side needs more of - wins in the bank any way, any how.

The Roosters celebrate a try for Connor Watson. Credit: Getty Images

With Mark Nawaqanitawase intercepting with one hand one minute, then James Tedesco polishing off a try with seven passes and kick the next, the Tricolours were never in trouble at Allianz Stadium.

The Roosters second-half flair made up for the ugliest of opening stanzas, when 14 mistakes from both sides, three penalties and four ruck infringements made for especially tough viewing.

With eight tries and a comprehensive trouncing of the sliding Cowboys, the Roosters locked up seventh spot on the ladder, turned a negative points differential the right way around and now enjoy a bye-week rest as their reward.

The only blights on their afternoon, five-eighth Sandon Smith coming off when the match was won with a knee issue he picked up grubbering for Tedesco in the best four-pointer of the afternoon, and Siua Wong suffering what is suspected to be MCL damage when he was he caught in awkward tackle.

Both will undergo scans on Monday.

Coach Trent Robinson revelled in both the Roosters free-wheeling play and the continued emergence of youngsters Hugo Savala, Salesi Foketi and Benaiah Ioelu as they did it, particularly when the ball was in play for seven straight minutes to start the second half.

“The freedom that these guys [have], they just know that someone’s going to be there without having to look, or call,” Robinson said.

“There’s an intuition there and that’s the ultimate style of footy... to be a really good team you’ve got to be able to play that footy. We’re still working towards that but we’re pushing towards as much live [play] as we can. We’re happy to play stop-start as well, but we want to play live as well.“

Tedesco added: “It’s so enjoyable to watch... It’s going to be scary in the next 2-3 years how good these guys are going to get.”

In retrospect, the stroll Lindsay Collins took through North Queensland’s goal line defence in the fourth minute really did tell us what was coming. Even if it was followed by a slew of errors - so many of them unforced - by both sides.

Eventually, the Roosters hung onto the Steeden long enough for Sandon Smith to grubber it into the waiting arms of his namesake and centre Billy.

Siua Wong is injured in the first half.Credit: Getty Images

A 12-0 lead became 18 a minute later when Ioelu’s clearing kick took a wicked bounce into the arms of Rob Toia and Connor Watson dotted down, with nothing bamboozled Cowboy Scott Drinkwater could do about it.

Braidon Burns’ shove through the Roosters left-edge defence gave North Queensland brief respite and hope of turning around the home side’s 18-4 halftime lead.

When the Tricolours hung onto the ball though, they were no chance. Billy Smith’s second try was the first of four in 10 minutes.

Nawaqanitawase’s pocket-picking of a Tom Dearden pass was the most impressive play of the match. Until a minute later when the Roosters forwards strung together endless passes and offloads from the halfway line for Tedesco to finish off a fine team try.

Daniel Tupou latched onto a crossfield kick as is his wont, and not until Murray Taulagi crossed with 15 minutes to play did the Cowboys fire back.

The Roosters responded late with another spectacular effort featuring a Nawaqanitawase break and touchdown, with a Toia grubber and audacious bat-back in-field by Savala in between.

Todd Payten’s side is in freefall after conceding 138 points in their past three games and the coach will consider wielding the selection axe, acknowledging bluntly that “we got bullied. It was men against boys.”

The Roosters though, they’re on the rise. Had they managed another four points themselves, they’d be ahead of Cronulla and into sixth place.

Such is the congestion of an NRL ladder distorted by two competition points for each of the three byes each team has, only six points separate the fifth-placed Broncos and last place.

With a bye, then the Tigers and Dragons before Sam Walker’s expected return from a broken thumb, things are suddenly looking reasonably rosy for the Roosters. Provided, as always, that they hang onto the ball.

That’s full-time at Allianz Stadium, where the Roosters have run away with a 42-8 victory over the Cowboys.

Doubles for Mark Nawaqanitawase and Billy Smith helped lead the team to victory, but an all-round great effort from a team full of Origin players who are backing-up from Wednesday, and rookies who have stepped up this season.

Full-time: Roosters 42, Cowboys 8

Mark Nawaqanitawase gets his second try of the night, thanks to an amazing effort from Hugo Savala, who launches across the sideline to flick the ball back in field.

Good scramble from the Roosters as we near full-time.

Roosters 42, Cowboys 8 with five minutes to go

I think it’s too little too late for the Cowboys, as Murray Taulagi goes across in the corner.

That takes the Roosters lead back down to 30 points.

Roosters 38, Cowboys 8

The Roosters should have another try, but Hugo Savala loses the ball across the line.

That would have taken the Tricolours past the 40-point mark, but it wasn’t meant to be.

The Cowboys need to regroup now, there’s still so much time left in this match.

Roosters 38, Cowboys 4 with 19 minutes to go

The Roosters are playing with so much freedom now, and they’re finding points from every set.

Even after the Tricolours run into some road blocks on the right edge of the field, they reset and go again.

This time it’s Benaiah Ioelu who sends a cross-field kick to Daniel Tupou on the left edge, and the veteran winger knows what to do.

Beautiful football from the Roosters, who look like they’ll put 50 on the Cowboys before full-time.

Roosters 38, Cowboys 4 with 21 minutes to go

This is getting ridiculous from the Roosters.

The Cowboys just can’t keep up with the speed of the play-the-ball from the Tricolours, with Sandon Smith and James Tedesco linking up for another Roosters try.

Momentum carries Tedesco across the line after he scoops up a Smith grubber, and the conversion is easy for Smith.

Roosters 34, Cowboys 4 with 27 minutes to go

Yep, the Roosters could run away with this one.

Mark Nawaqanitawase manages to snag an intercept and run 35 metres to score his 10th try of the season.

Tom Dearden tries to throw a cut-out pass to Jeremiah Nanai on the outside, but ‘Marky Mark’ is too quick, and takes the intercept to score despite the best efforts of Zac Laybutt.

Roosters 28, Cowboys 4 with 28 minutes to go

It’s the Roosters with the first points after a gruelling start to the half from both sides.

It’s the ball-playing of James Tedesco that puts Hugo Savala through the Cowboys defensive line, before he shifts the ball to Billy Smith on the outside who goes across for his second try of the night.

That might be the end of the Cowboys tonight. I can see the Tricolours building on that momentum and running away with the game.

Roosters 24, Cowboys 4 with 32 minutes to go

We’re into the final 40 minutes at Allianz Stadium, where the Roosters hold a 14-point lead.

The Cowboys were getting into more of a rhythm towards the end of that first half, and I can see them giving the Roosters a run if they manage to get the first try in this second half.

But if the Tricolours score first (and early), they might just run away with the game.

Roosters 18, Cowboys 4

Roosters captain James Tedesco.Credit: Getty Images