The moment of magic in Sydney Roosters’ demolition of the hapless North Queensland Cowboys

The history books will say James Tedesco scored. But what happened prior to the Roosters captain crossing the line was a maze of short passes, offloads and changing angles that lit-up Allianz Stadium. WATCH IT HERE

Even during dreary mid-year games when a bunch of heavy-legged players have flown back from across the continent, and the mistakes are flowing faster than Ashley Klein penalties, a moment of rugby league magic can break out from nowhere.

Case in point: mid-way through the second half of the Roosters’ demolition job on the Cowboys at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

The history books will say James Tedesco scored. They don’t draw pictures in history books, but they should. A maze of short passes, offloads, changing angles, and players desperate to be involved.

Finally, Sandon Smith kicked as he bore down on Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater, and Tedesco scooped it up to score.

Of the 13 Roosters players on the field at the time, eight of them touched the ball. Benaiah Ioelu handled it twice. The four outside backs didn’t get involved, and neither was Spencer Leniu, who was 40 metres away receiving medical attention in back play.

It won’t be the try of the NRL season, nor might it be the best team try of the season, but it’s every reason why the Roosters are firming as a finals threat. Who could have said that a couple of months ago?

James Tedesco was on the end of a classic team try. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Either side of that in the 42-8 drubbing of a capitulating Cowboys – yielding four tries in 10 second-half minutes at one stage – there was a little bit of the sublime and the ridiculous.

Rugby union convert Mark Nawaqanitawase inexplicably kicked infield on zero tackle as he roared downfield after Murray Taulagi deflected an intercept attempt.

Afterwards? Nawaqanitawase then took his own intercept from State of Origin No.7 Tom Dearden to race 38 metres to score, and later scored another freakish try, which can largely go down to Hugo Savala nearly levitating across the sideline and slapping the ball back in for his winger.

And so it went on.

Daniel Tupou stood in almost half a field of open space and Ioelu couldn’t even believe his luck, looking up and kicking to the rangy winger as a play which was about to break down showed just how broken the Cowboys defence was.

Despite all the hysteria earlier in the year about how the mighty had fallen, the condensed and crazy NRL ladder now reads: Broncos fifth, Roosters seventh, Panthers eighth.

ORIGIN TOLL WORTH IT

While Trent Robinson asked all five of his Origin stars to back up as the Roosters hover on the fringes of the top eight, Cowboys coach Todd Payten hedged his bets. Dearden and Jeremiah Nanai played, Reece Robson and Reuben Cotter rested.

And two of Payten’s best middle defenders would have come in handy when Queensland prop Lindsay Collins strolled through to open the scoring inside five minutes off a neat Salesi Foketi pass.

The Roosters’ lead quickly ballooned to 18-0 when Billy Smith pounced on a grubber from namesake Sandon, and the outstanding Connor Watson then benefited from a bizarre sequence of events with North Queensland No.1 Scott Drinkwater completely bamboozled by a bouncing kick from Benaiah Ioelu, the type of turn Shane Warne would have been proud of.

Robert Toia picked up the ball as Drinkwater lost his feet, shovelling the ball to Watson for an easy run to the line, helping the hosts to an 18-4 half-time cushion.

Siua Wong didn’t return to the field after suffering a knee injury. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

WONG TACKLE DOESN’T END RIGHT

It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies for the Roosters though with Siua Wong limping from the field with a knee injury after a tackle from Cowboys utility Karl Lawton.

As Wong wrestled with Griffin Neame, Lawton dived low from the side of Wong, buckling his knee in the process.

The Tongan international lay on the ground in severe discomfort, but neither Origin referee Klein or the bunker found reason to penalise the incident.

Robinson was fuming earlier in the season when he lost Nat Butcher to a serious knee injury after a tackle from Penrith premiership winner Mitch Kenny.

Sandon Smith also left the field with a minor knee complaint and wasn’t risked for the last quarter with the Roosters well in control.