James Tedesco stars with two tries as Roosters edge Sea Eagles on the Central Coast

LIFE with Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco at the Sydney Roosters has got off to a winning start but let’s not get carried away just yet.

James Tedesco scored a double on his club debut for the Roosters

UPDATE: TRENT Robinson has shot down suggestions the Sydney Roosters’ new look spine

will take time to gel after life with Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco got off to a

winning start.

A second half double to Tedesco in the space of five minutes saw the Roosters fight

back from trailing 22-16 at halftime to run out 28-26 winners over Manly.

In a seesawing match that finished five tries apiece, the Sea Eagles had an

unbelievable start.

Ball playing lock Jake Trbojevic played a significant hand in three tries in the opening

10 minutes to lead 16-0 before the Roosters had even touched the ball.

Young powerhouse centre Latrell Mitchell showed he’s only going to go from

strength to strength this year with two first half tries.

James Tedesco scored a double on his club debut for the Roosters

But it was Tedesco’s spectacular second half chip and chase try that had Roosters fans

chanting the name of their new recruit.

Plenty of people including respected commentator Matthew Johns have said the

Roosters would struggle to live up to pre-season premiership favouritism in 2018

because of key changes to their spine.

But Robinson was adamant after last night’s performance that was not his concern

heading into round one against the Wests Tigers.

“I have heard a lot about combinations this week and how it is a linear progression

based on time and I don’t believe that,” Robinson said.

Cooper Cronk was solid without starring in his first hit out for the Roosters

“I think you can see people that have played for years that don’t have good

combinations, and guys that work hard enough and train hard enough and get it very

quickly.

“And I think that is what we want to see.

“I don’t think it is about time as in weeks and months.

“I think it is about time you spend together, time on field, the time that you think

about your combinations away from here.

“That is how you improve your combinations.

“We expect to accelerate quickly on that. Not at the speed that I think people are

talking about.”

Cronk played 52 minutes last night and as Robinson said “put his influence on the

team around his control of the game” when the team was behind to lead them back

into the match.

Tedesco also started the match with limited opportunity but he made the most of his

chances after the break.

Tedesco chased through to swoop on a Jake Friend grubber kick close to the line in

the 50th minute.

And just minutes later he spotted Tom Trbojevic out of position and came up with a

play that highlighted his class, speed and football IQ.

“People call it talent but it is not talent,” Robinson said.

“The guy works on that sort of stuff.

Jake Trbojevic was outstanding for Manly in the tight loss

“He knew where Tom Trbojevic had left early, gone over to the left.

“And he read the play.

“You get to understand why the guy comes up with those plays, because he works at

that stuff.”

The other interesting point for Roosters fans was that Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

started the match on the bench with Siosiua Taukeiaho playing prop and first choice

goal kicker ahead of Mitchell.

Waerea-Hargreaves was initially not going to play but Robinson conceded the fight is

now on for all the middle forwards to see who gets the starting spots for the first

round.

Robinson pointed out that Taukeiaho kicked at 89 per cent for Tonga in the World

Cup and “goal kicking is a pretty important one for us”.

For Manly, the lost the game but may have come up with an answer to a question

we’ve been asking all summer.

Following Blake Green’s departure to the Warriors, young five-eighth Lachlan Croker

was talked up as the player who would have to take the pressure off Daly Cherry-

Evans.

But last night Jake Trbojevic showed what a valuable player he is to this team.

In his first game back from a pectoral injury suffered in Australia’s opening game of

the World Cup, Jake really stole the show in the first half with some superb ball

playing that brought back memories of the way locks used to play decades ago.

Tom Trbjoevic was also a powerhouse in the first half but came up with some errors

in the second.

Akuila Uate also finished with a double while centre Brian Kelly had some classy

touches.