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Tedesco's ton up as Roosters thrash Titans

3 minute read

Sydney Roosters captain James Tedesco has scored a hat-trick and reached 100 NRL career tries as his team claimed a 44-16 NRL win over Gold Coast in Mackay.

JAMES TEDESCO.
JAMES TEDESCO. Picture: Tony Feder/Getty Images

Sydney Roosters captain James Tedesco reached a century of NRL tries as the Tricolours heaped more misery on struggling Gold Coast with a 44-16 win in Mackay.

The Roosters fullback scored a hat-trick and made 10 tackle breaks on his way to 226 running metres in the eight tries to three victory at BB Print Stadium on Saturday.

Wingers Daniel Tupou and Joseph Suaalii also scored doubles as the Roosters ended a two-game losing run in emphatic fashion.

"I'm happy with my game," Tedesco said.

"I think tonight was probably our best team performance and I was just on the back of that.

"Our forwards laid a good platform. Our halves took control, allowing me to just play my footy.

"The connection part was a big focus for us and I felt across the park everyone was connected and playing footy well."

Gold Coast scored the first try in either half but the Roosters ruthlessly exposed the Titans' left-edge defence, running in six of their tries on that side.

Tedesco reached his career ton in the sixth minute in response to Beau Fermor's opener before Trent Robinson's team ran riot over the next 30 minutes.

Despite losing Sam Verrills to a broken collarbone and with Lindsay Collins sin-binned for a shoulder charge on Corey Thompson, Tedesco grabbed his second in the 24th minute - busting through a Brian Kelly tackle on his way to the tryline.

Suaalii and Siosiua Taukeiaho similarly steamrollered the Titans' left edge for tries as the Roosters pulled away to a 24-4 lead.

Tries either side of halftime to Sam Lisone and Herman Ese'ese reduced the margin to eight before the Roosters added four unanswered tries - including Tedesco's third - to seal an impressive win.

The loss is Gold Coast's fifth in a row and leaves their season hanging by a thread with just two wins from nine games in 2022.

"Really, really disappointing," Titans coach Justin Holbrook said.

"We'd made a lot of inroads after last week, we put up a real good show (against Penrith) and then we slid right back tonight and collectively, we've let ourselves down.

"We were narrowing it down to just winning key moments in games and things like that over the last seven or eight rounds and tonight we got beaten everywhere - on attitude, on effort, on execution."

The Titans will hope to end their losing run when they host St George Illawarra next Saturday while the Roosters face Parramatta next Sunday in a mouth-watering clash.

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