The Sydney Roosters travelled to Netstrata Jubilee Stadium to face the St George Illawarra Dragons for the second time in 2023 on Friday evening in an Indigenous Round blockbuster.
Brown Becomes Rooster #1216
Front rower Nathan Brown delivered an impressive 54-minute effort off the bench in his first NRL appearance as a Sydney Rooster.
The two-time NSW Blues representative played a heavy hand in his side’s second try of the evening, sending James Tedesco through a gap with a masterful inside-ball before the skipper handed it off to Luke Keary who completed the play.
Brown produced a strong 105 run metres, three offloads and 22 tackles across his two stints.
Captain Ignites Comeback
With his side trailing 14-0 early in the second half, Easts Skipper Tedesco stepped up to provide the Red, White and Blue an attacking spark.
Tedesco Dominates Against Dragons
He crossed for their first points of the evening, leaping to grasp onto a fifth-tackle pass out of dummy half from Brandon Smith, grounding the ball untouched.
He broke through the Dragons’ defensive line again just three minutes later, running 25 metres while evading the scrambling defenders before sending Keary over.
Keary and Tedesco Combine
Tedesco rounded out the evening with 200 run metres, two tries and 11 tackle breaks, proving his ability to lead through actions.
Middle Forwards Firing
The Roosters’ big men brought plenty of heat to the engine room, supplying a spirited effort in the tense, physical contest.
Starting forwards Lindsay Collins and Victor Radley took care of business on both ends of the park running for over 100 metres each and making a combined total of 61 tackles.
The star-studded interchange bench also packed a punch, with Nat Butcher and Angus Crichton accumulating well over 200 run metres between them, Butcher also impressed defensively, making a strong 35 tackles in his 56-minute stint.
The likes of Radley, Lodge and Collins made a deal of bone-rattling tackles that helped swing momentum back in favour of the Tricolours as they clawed their way back into the contest.
Keary Crosses for Double
Five-eighth Luke Keary stepped up at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, crossing for his second double of the season in a brilliant attacking performance.
Keary Doubles Up
The first try came as he charged down the middle of the field following a line break from Tedesco, backing up to conclude a slick play through the middle as he carried Talatau Amone over the line to score.
He crossed the stripe again just eight minutes later in spectacular fashion, selling a dummy to break through the line before fending off Tyrell Sloan to race away and score in the corner, putting Easts in front for the first time.
Tedesco Produces Miracle Play
Trailing by two points with five minutes remaining, Tedesco knew the team needed a massive play to reclaim the lead and he provided.
Skipper Steps Up
After Mosese Suli jumped to retrieve a Keary bomb, the Captain snatched possession away from the centre just three metres out from his own line, demonstrating incredible strength to fend and spin out of a three-man tackle, miraculously planting the ball on the stripe.
Robinson & Tedesco: Round 12 Press Conference
With the game heartbreakingly snatched away in the dying embers, the Roosters will look to reset as they move into a bye round.
