Record to rampant Roosters
THE Sydney Roosters have fired a warning shot at their NRL rivals, flogging Manly 56- 24 yesterday in their equal-highest score against the Sea Eagles at Lottoland.
The Roosters ran in 10 tries to three in their best attacking performance of the year to ram home their spot in the competition’s top four.
The result means they are just two points behind ladderleaders Melbourne, St George Illawarra and South Sydney with a comparable for- andagainst after their biggest win of the season.
With a host of former players watching for Golden Eagles day, the thumping was the first time Manly have conceded a half century at the ground since July 2004, and their worst defensive effort since Canterbury also beat them 56- 24 in 2003.
It also marked their fifth consecutive loss at Lottoland, the first time they have dropped so many games at the ground since early 2004.
The Tricolours tore through the Sea Eagles in the first half, breaking their line eight times in the opening 40 minutes with Daniel Tupou making light work of them on the left and Blake Ferguson scoring twice on the right.
Ferguson did so almost on one leg, struggling with a left ankle injury for the majority of the first half before recovering after the break.
Centre Latrell Mitchell also bagged a double, his first coming from a perfectly placed Cooper Cronk cross- field kick and his second when he bamboozled two defenders.