NRL 2022: James Tedesco, Daniel Tupou shine as Sydney Roosters defeat Cronulla Sharks 36-16

The Roosters handed Craig Fitzgibbon’s Sharks a mid-season reality check with one of their best wins of the season, highlighted by a stellar performance by skipper James Tedesco.

Roosters life member achieved just about everything you can in rugby league, both as a player and an assistant coach.

The apprentice was no match for the master as Trent Robinson’s Roosters handed the fast-finishing Sharks a mid-season reality check with one of their best wins of 2022.

After weeks of patchy form had everyone questioning their premiership credentials, the Roosters did what no other team has done this season and left the Shire with the two competition points thanks to a 36-16 win that didn’t do their dominance justice.

It means they are level with Cronulla with seven wins heading into the State of Origin period and within touching distance of a spot in the all-important top four.

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Daniel Tupou scored the first two tries for the Roosters against the Sharks. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

This was touted as a showdown between Robinson and Craig Fitzgibbon, his right-hand man who helped him for so many years as the Roosters dominated the NRL for nearly a decade.

But experience won out as Robinson’s tactical nous picked apart Cronulla’s weaknesses on the edges with James Tedesco putting in a perfect performance just in time for the Origin opener.

And as scintillating as their attack was, it was the Roosters’ defence that had Robinson banging on the glass in the coach’s box when they repelled set after set on their own line and then marched 100 metres to score a dazzling four-pointer through Jared Waerea-Hargreaves in the second half.

“I thought overall was really good,” Robinson said. “It got close there, but we had some outstanding goal-line defence that we had to do for six or so sets in that second half.

“I thought our style of play was really clear.”

BLUE RIBBON PERFORMANCE

While the Roosters have been up and down, Tedesco has been consistently brilliant and was at his best on Saturday night.

The skipper popped up everywhere in the first half, finishing the opening 40 minutes with 122 metres, two try assists and a try to take his scoring streak to five games.

It’s just what Blues coach Brad Fittler will want to see less than two weeks out from Game One at Accor Stadium, while his club coach was just as chuffed following a five-star offering in Cronulla.

“I get to see it a lot from him … the incredible nature to stay in the moment,” Robinson said of Tedesco. “He worked hard during the week. It’s probably as intense as he’s been during the week at training.”

James Tedesco was in fine form for the Roosters. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

REALITY CHECK

Sharks fans will be pleased with their side’s first half of the season, but there have been some worrying signs in the past couple of weeks that have seen their scintillating attack suddenly look a little blunt.

They had more than 60 tackles inside the 20 against Canberra at Magic Round and only managed two tries. On Saturday, they had 28 plays inside the Roosters’ 20-metre zone before they finally scored, albeit from long range.

In that same period, the Roosters raced in five tries even though they’d only had four play the balls in Cronulla’s 20.

It points to an element of predictability in their attack as they look to shift to Siosifa Talakai on the left too often and too early, while they’re definitely missing Jesse Ramien’s aggression on the right.

They were able to pile on 16 points in the second half, including a dubious try to Cam McInnes that looked to be very close to a knock-on, but it was all far too late.

“I’m really happy with a lot of things we’re doing (this season),” Fitzgibbon said of his side’s start to the year. “We’re lacking the consistency. The top few teams are looking the same each week when they take the field, and we haven’t done that.

“We’re still working at it.”

Nicho Hynes remains in the mix for a spot in the Blues Origin squad. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

IN THE NICHO TIME

Nicho Hynes didn’t have his best game on Saturday but he’s still probably done enough to earn an Origin debut.

Fittler has spoken about the importance of having guys who can cover multiple positions given the prevalence of injuries and head knocks that can force major restructures in the backline.

That bodes well for Hynes who can play fullback or in the halves, and has shown over the past two seasons that he has the temperament and the skill to handle the big stage.

“My priority right now is getting the review done and learning all the lessons that we got from tonight,” Hynes said. “I’ll be grateful for the opportunity and I’d love it, but I’ve got to worry about getting back in there, recovering and seeing how we go.”

Worlds collide for Immortal Rooster

-David Riccio

Craig Fitzgibbon became a Rooster by signing his first contract at a small pub in the heart of the Sutherland Shire.

At the Heathcote Inn, former Roosters coach Phil Gould and ex-CEO Bernie Gurr sipped on schooners of VB and said cheers, as the young forward hitched his future to the tricolours.

With the stroke of a pen at a roadside pub deep in Sharks territory, Fitzgibbon began a 20-year journey to become one of the greatest Roosters of all-time.

It was three days after Fitzgibbon had lost the 1999 grand final with St George-Illawarra, where he had played from the bench in the controversial penalty-try loss to Melbourne, that the trio met at the pub set back from the busy Princes Highway.

At 16, Fitzgibbon had left school to work for Quiksilver at their wetsuit factory near his home on the NSW south coast. He was earning $400 making wetsuits when a $10,000 contract to play in the lower grades for Illawarra was offered.

Hardworking and tough, the backrower who loved surfing caught a wave all the way to first grade, with his NRL debut in 1998.

Craig Fitzgibbon started his NRL career at the Dragons, but signed on with the Roosters after St George and Illawarra merged. Picture: Gregg Porteous.

When St George and Illawarra merged in 1999, he was told fellow backrowers Wayne Bartrim, Darren Treacy and Lance Thompson were ahead in the pecking order and therefore, the club was only willing to extend him for 12 months.

The Roosters saw something else and at the pub, signed the goalkicking backrower to a three-year deal.

“From a footy sense it was the right call. I’m not bitter about it. I got lucky choosing the right team. And it’s still paying dividends today,’’ Fitzgibbon said in a podcast with Tristan K’Nell last year.

At the Roosters, Fitzgibbon achieved every possible goal, both individually and as a team, that a footballer can aim for.

Without doing his honour roll of achievements justice, Fitzgibbon became a Roosters Life Member, who played 228 games for the club, won the 2002 premiership and Clive Churchill Medal, before moving into coaching at the Roosters in 2012, first under Brian Smith, before becoming Trent Robinson‘s right-hand man in 2013.

Together, they won three premierships, four minor premierships and three World Club Challenges.

Roosters life member achieved just about everything you can in rugby league, both as a player and an assistant coach.

After 21 years, Fitzgibbon’s two worlds will finally collide, when his Sharks host Robinson’s Roosters at PointsBet Stadium on Saturday night.

The two clubs sit as close on the NRL ladder as how the two coaches explain their still tight relationship. Little separates them with Cronulla two points ahead on 14 points with the Roosters on 12 points.

However, Robinson was quick to draw a line in the sand just 24 hours out from the game when asked when the moment was, that he knew Fitzgibbon had the traits to become an NRL coach.

“This isn’t personal, I’ll wax lyrical about him another time, but not the day before we play them — and he’ll understand that,’’ Robinson said. “We’re focused about the way we want to play and not about the personal interest in the game.

“He’s one of my best mates and that’s not going to change wherever he’s at.

Trent Robinson and Craig Fitzgibbon remain close mates but insist their focus is on the game. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“But we’ve got a game and we want to play well against the Sharks.

“You’ve got to separate the personal bit from the professional bit.

Fitzgibbon was also reticent to spend any more than four questions on tackling Robinson and the Roosters.

“It’s impossible for me to ignore my history at the Roosters, to be standing here as the coach of the Sharks, I wouldn’t be able to be here, if it wasn’t for the opportunity that the Roosters afforded me,’’ Fitzgibbon told the Saturday Telegraph.

“I learned so much (from Robinson) it’s very hard to put into one category.

“Without Trent’s guidance and knowledge I wouldn’t be here. He knows what I think of him. We’re incredibly close, I’ll never be able to thank him enough.’’

After the Sharks’ round one loss to the Raiders, it was Robinson who was quick to pick up the phone to Fitzgibbon.

They speak most weeks, more about life than football, and they did again last Tuesday.

The Sharks have improved under the leadership of Craig Fitzgibbon, but he says it will still be a challenge to beat the Roosters. Picture: Getty Images.

“We’ve had our conversation at the start of the week, we’ve got that over and done with and we’ll get on coaching our teams and going for the victory,’’ Robinson said.

Fitzgibbon also gave his old boss Nick Politis a call this week.

“We knew we couldn’t hold him back from becoming an NRL coach, he’s a good bloke and he deserved not to miss the opportunity with Cronulla,’’ Politis says of Fitzgibbon’s decision to join the Sharks.

“He’s doing what I thought he would.’’

Expected from the longest-serving chairman in the NRL, Politis couldn‘t resist adding with a smile: “He’d be nervous though, taking on the Roosters.’’

Having shared everything from adjoining seats on long-distance plane flights, grand final-winning game plans and tears in both joy and defeat, there is nothing either man doesn’t know about what either side will bring tonight.

“We’re in that point of the season, for us, we know what their style is now and we want to be at our best tomorrow night and take that on,’’ Robinson said.

The Sharks leadership group know what the game means to Fitzgibbon and will make sure the team are ready for the emotional clash. Credit: NRL Images.

Fitzgibbon said of the Roosters: “knowing them and stopping them are two completely different things.”

It’s not just in his focus area of defence — currently an 84-point better side in the area of conceding points compared to this time last year — Fitzgibbon has had rapid impact on the mentality of the Cronulla players.

On a night focused on celebrating Indigenous Round, Andrew Fifita’s 200th Sharks appearance and Ronaldo Mulitalo’s 50th game, the leadership group hasn’t forgotten what is at stake for its new coach.

“A few of us in the leadership group understand how big it is and we’ll make sure we get around the boys (before kick-off) and have the group up for him,’’ Sharks half Nicho Hynes said.

Andrew Fifita added: “It doesn’t matter if you’re a coach or a player, you always want to get one over your former club. We’ll be doing everything we can for that to happen for Fitz.’’

Originally published as NRL 2022: James Tedesco, Daniel Tupou shine as Sydney Roosters defeat Cronulla Sharks 36-16