Round 13
Sydney Roosters 64 d. North Queensland Cowboys 30

2007 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Roosters blast Cowboys off the park in record romp
Sun June 10, 2007
The Sydney Roosters have recorded their highest since 1935 when they routed the North Queensland Cowboys 64-30 at Aussie Stadium last night with rookie winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall scoring three tries.

In 1935 the Roosters twice scored more than 64 points in a match when they defeated premiership newcomers Canterbury 87-7 and 65-15 with Rugby League legend Dave Brown leading the way on both occasions scoring a premiership record 45 points in the 87-7 romp and crossed for six tries in the 65-15 onslaught.

The Roosters have struggled for points this season and the 11 tries last night with all five outside backs getting in on the scoring act would have impressed under seige coach Chris Anderson who has been copping flack from all circles in recent times.

Anderson has had to face the fire with Josh Lewis, Jamie Soward and Nigel Plum all being released mid season, much to many fans disgust. Anderson has showed in the past that he's prepared to let go unhappy players who don't have their 100% heart and attitude into the club. Anderson in 1995 when coaching at the Bulldogs released Jarrod McCracken on the eve of the Finals and as a result the Bulldogs went from disjointed to Premiers in such a short space of time.

The Roosters last night turned on an attacking treat with young halfback Mitchell Pearce the star of the show. Pearce is only 18 and has been placed under plenty of pressure this year, all of it unwarranted and some of it unavoidable. Pearce is always going to be compared to his father Wayne Pearce who enjoyed 11 great seasons at Balmain where he played for Australia and captained New South Wales. The other pressure and criticism has stemmed for Pearce taking the places of Roosters supporters favourites Soward and Lewis. Anderson made the decision that Pearce was the best long-term option of the three players and has invested plenty of faith in him.

Pearce's kicking game and organisation was the key ingredient to the Roosters success last night and the outside backs had a field day with Pearce supplying them with good services and his kicking game was absolutely pinpoint accurate.

Kenny-Dowall was one young player to have a field day scoring a hat-trick of tries with the final one being a 90m intercept. His two previous tries came from a well directed kick by Pearce into the corner with Kenny-Dowall winning the race for the ball right on the edge of the deadball and sidelines and he also crossed over outwide as the Roosters got the overlap.

It didn't start too well for the Roosters as Matthew Bartlett crossed over in the 10th minute going through weak defence from Craig Wing and Ashley Harrison.

The Roosters struck back with Wing pouncing on a Pearce grubber as Matt Bowen was wishing the ball to go dead. Moments later the Roosters gained the lead when Amos Roberts crossed for his first try of the season.

Bowen's brilliance was on show in the 20th minute when a good kick from Harrison appeared to have jammed Bowen in the corner only for Bowen to slice through and than a great right foot step on Roberts saw Bowen cross for a magical length of the field try.

The Roosters gained the upper hand scoring three tries in six minutes through Anthony Tupou from a perfectly timed Pearce kick, John Williams running onto an excellent Craig Fitzgibbon pass and the first of Kenny-Dowall's hat-trick to lead 28-12.

Steve Southern crossed just before half-time to get the Cowboys back into the match trailing by 10 at the break.

Sam Perrett extended the Roosters lead just after the break following use good use of the ball and Shane Shackleton crossed over for the Roosters to lead 40-18 after 50 minutes.

Bowen kept the Cowboys alive in the match when a brilliantly worked move from the scrum opened up the ball for Bowen who packed in at lock to score.

Joel Monaghan crossed for the Roosters best team try of the night in the 57th minute when excellent hole running and support play saw Monaghan cross over under the posts. Shane Tronc responded for the Cowboys in the 62nd minute to keep the Cowboys within three converted tries, but an error from Tronc put the match firmly in the Roosters grasps when a poor pass was swooped upon by Monaghan who raced 35m untouched to score with 14 minutes remaining.

Kenny-Dowall scored two final tries to rub salts into the Cowboys wounds and what would prove to be the highest score by the Roosters in 73 years and the second highest score conceded by the Cowboys in their short history.

The Cowboys are sitting nicely in 3rd position, but have now been thumped twice without the services of champion halfback Johnathan Thurston. The losses against the Eels and Roosters exposed the over reliance the Cowboys have on Thurston. While Thurston may not be a great defender he is the drive, force and backbone behind everything they do in attack and defence with Bowen providing the individual brilliance. Bowen was at his best against the Roosters, however without Thurston the rest of the team went to water.

The Roosters were missing Braith Anasta, Nate Myles and Anthony Minichiello on State of Origin duty, so they weren't exactly at full strength either. The victory is a confidence builder for the Roosters as they know they can score points and a good haul of points is all a teams attack needs to fire on a consisntent basis.

Considering that Sydney has been gripped with torrential weather since Wednesday night, the skill level and ability to keep the ball alive from both the Roosters as a team and Bowen individually deserves all the praise and plaudits that comes their way.

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