Look, you've got to hand it to the Warriors. They came to Auckland with a game plan, spotted a vulnerability in the Roosters' right edge, and they went after it with real intent.The result was a 42-18 loss for Sydney in Daly Cherry-Evans' highly anticipated debut.
Now here's the thing about that opening loss: it wasn't just the scoreline that should worry the Roosters faithful heading into round two. The manner in which the Kiwis picked apart that right edge, particularly the defensive combinations around the halfback, suggested something more structural is amiss. Neither Cherry-Evans nor his defensive partners—especially centreRob Toia, who has been omitted with a foot injury, meaning Junior Pauga comes into the centres—were able to stem the tide.
At 37 years old, Cherry-Evans was always going to need time to adjust to his new club's defensive systems. That's a reasonable expectation. But the margin of the loss, and the specific points of failure, suggest this week's challenge againstSouth Sydney at Allianz Stadium in round two could be even more punishing.
The Rabbitohs arrive with one of the most dangerous left-edge combinations in the competition.The arrival of David Fifita and Latrell Mitchell's shift to left centre promises to unleash a lethal attacking edge. And that's not just hype.Alex Johnston leads the way in the try-scoring stakes with 210 as he edges closer to the legendary Ken Irvine's all-time record of 212 tries—a record he could break this very round.Walker will pull the strings as the dominant left-edge half, while Alex Johnston rounds out the unit on the wing and is just two tries short of Irvine's all-time record.
Here's what makes this prospect particularly troubling for Cherry-Evans and the Roosters: Souths don't just attack on the left. They're structured to overwhelm.David Fifita was superb for the Rabbitohs while Keaon Koloamatangi, Cameron Murray, Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker also stood tall in their round one win. Mitchell, especially, has returned to a position where he was once regarded as the best centre in the world. He won back-to-back premierships in that position at the Roosters in 2018 and 2019.
The Roosters will need more than just encouraging words from their senior players.Connor Watson said the Roosters need to do better regardless of who is playing, while Angus Crichton acknowledged it's a whole new system and that Cherry-Evans will face a long adjustment period to understand the tactical nuances. Fair point from both. But intent and preparation are different things from execution against an opponent as sharp as Souths.
Fair dinkum, if the Roosters are to notch their first win of the season, they're going to need their halfback and his defensive partners to sort out what went so badly wrong in Auckland. Because Souths won't show the same mercy the Warriors did. And Johnston is only two tries away from immortality.