When the Roosters took the field at Allianz Stadium on Friday night, they were up against a team they hadn’t lost to in nine years.
The Titans hadn’t beaten the Roosters since Round 10 of the 2016 season, but they finally ended that streak with a well-deserved 30-12 victory, snapping an 11-game losing run.
With 20 minutes left, the Titans led by six points after a length-of-the-field try from Jayden Campbell, but the game was still hanging in the balance. However, in the final quarter, the visitors shifted gears, leaving the Roosters with no answers as Des Hasler’s side ran in three tries in the last 12 minutes to seal the win.
As Campbell’s try was replayed on the big screen, Roosters playmaker Sandon Smith stood in the background with his hands on his head, clearly devastated. Smith is aware his position is under pressure, with Sam Walker expected to reclaim the No.7 jersey later in the season and the Roosters rumored to be targeting Daly Cherry-Evans for 2026.
Phillip Sami and captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui extended the Titans’ lead before AJ Brimson added another try in the final minute, putting the result beyond doubt and compounding the Roosters’ misery.
With the scores locked at 6-6 at halftime, Roosters coach Trent Robinson would have been concerned by how his side faded in the second half. When referee Grant Atkins blew the final whistle, the Roosters had completed just 57 percent of their sets, made 19 errors, and conceded eight penalties — statistics Robinson described as “not NRL standard.”
The match was tight and low-scoring before the break, and when the Titans slotted a penalty five minutes into the second half after Siua Wong’s infringement on David Fifita, it looked like the outcome might hinge on that moment.
Roosters fans had a brief moment of hope when Dominic Young scored in the corner just three minutes later after a Titans error from the restart, giving the home side a 12-8 lead. But despite multiple repeat sets inside the Titans’ 20-metre zone, the Roosters failed to capitalize, crossing the line just twice all night.
“There were plenty of chances, and it would have been nice to finish them off, but I would have liked us to hold onto that 12-8 lead,” Robinson said.
“I think we’re creating opportunities, but part of our growth is learning to be comfortable at 12-8 and managing the game from there. Sure, scoring 30 points would be great, but if you only score 12, can you keep them to eight? Through better field position and forcing them into uncomfortable situations, we could have controlled the game — but instead, it turned into a shootout that they won.”
Roosters captain James Tedesco led by example, racking up 210 running metres and constantly probing around the ruck and in broken play, but with such poor completion rates, the Roosters only had themselves to blame.
Tedesco acknowledged the team showed promise but admitted they hadn’t yet figured out how to close out tight games.
“I felt like we were on top for most of the game. We made good metres and created opportunities, but the scoreline didn’t reflect that,” Tedesco said.
“It blew out a bit at the end, but it was there for us. Similar to last week, we were right in it, but when momentum shifted late, we couldn’t back our defence to hold them out.
“We’re making progress and showing positive signs, but we’re just not tough enough to grind out these wins right now.”
The Roosters, now off to their worst start since 2016 with three losses and just one win, will face bitter rivals South Sydney next week.
