Senior Roosters James Tedesco and Brett Morris have praised the side after mounting a famous comeback against the Sharks and stated their excitement ahead of the Round 6 match against the Melbourne Storm this Friday night.
Down 18-4 midway through the second half, the Tricolours managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with an emphatic final 20 minutes, and while the two competition points were well deserved, captain Tedesco says that his side can't afford to have a slow start against the Storm.
“Our start wasn’t great," Tedesco admitted.
"We spoke about that – we can’t start like that against quality teams – we’ve done that twice now but we’re really proud of how we came back, fought and got the win and we stayed positive the whole game.
"Our talk was really good halfway through that second half, the fightback was outstanding. We were missing a lot of our leaders, and for a lot of our young guys to stand up was pleasing.
Down there it’s always tough, we’ve got a lot of leaders out but we’re going to have to step up and really dig it. It’s going to be a challenge for us but we’re looking forward to it. We’re ready to go again this week.
James Tedesco On playing the Storm this week
“Obviously we’ve got a number of injuries but anyone who steps up into our team is going to do a great job. That’s how we train – everyone that trains is doing it at a high quality and is ready to step up when needed."
“We were off the pace and the Sharks caught us there," Morris added.
"But it was nice in the second half that we could play the footy that we wanted to and lay that platform.
"It’s obviously still early in the season and we’re still building but to come away with the win and come from behind it’s always nice to get those wins."
Steggles Try of the Week - Round 5
As the side has aimed up through a dogged period of injuries which has seen plenty of chopping and changing to Trent Robinson's line up, both veterans were full of praise of the less experienced members stepping up, particularly halves pairing of Sam Walker and Drew Hutchison.
“He just plays footy," Tedesco said of Walker.
"He probably didn’t have the best first half but he came out in the second half and just played footy, set up some tries and some of those passes show how skilful he is.
"He just backs himself. It’s so good to see and you couldn’t tell he’s just an eighteen-year-old who’s played two first-grade games."
“Drew’s been doing really well," Morris said.
"He’s been in the system for a couple of years and knows that role really well. He’s a no-nonsense player, he goes out there, he makes his tackles, gets the boys around the park and gets the job done.
"Whilst he doesn’t get the same response as Sammy did on the weekend, we in the side know what he’s capable of and he’s done a great job the last couple of weeks."
Taking on the Melbourne Storm on Friday night in the Victorian capital in what will no doubt be one of the games of the season, both Tedesco and Morris say the Roosters are ready for the challenge against their southern rivals.
Round 6 Media - Brett Morris
“It’s always a tough challenge," Morris said.
"The contests we’ve had of late have almost been barbaric with the way we’ve gone about our business. Both teams are playing some good footy at the moment and it’s going to be a good contest.
"It’s going to be exciting for the fans to watch this one."
“It’ll be our biggest challenge yet," declared Tedesco.
"Down there it’s always tough, we’ve got a lot of leaders out but we’re going to have to step up and really dig it. It’s going to be a challenge for us but we’re looking forward to it. We’re ready to go again this week.
“It’s always a game where you have to step up and lead by example."
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