Sunday, December 22, 2024

‘Feels like we can strike whenever we want’: The man behind Roosters’ best attack in 90 years

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The Roosters are having their best attacking season in almost 90 years and veteran playmaker Luke Keary has put it down to one of their star recruits.

The Roosters are averaging 30 points per game this season which sits second in Tricolours’ history only to the 1935 premiership-winning Roosters side.

That team was led by Immortal Dave Brown – known as league’s Don Bradman – and they averaged an incredible 37.43 points per game in the three-point try era, which equates to 45.63 in today’s game.

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The 2024 Chooks lead the NRL in just about every attacking statistic, their 84 tries this season is 14 more than the next best club (Cowboys).

Last week was the fifth time this season the Roosters have scored at least 40 points in a game which is their most since 2021, according to the Fox Sports Lab.

They’d done it just four times in the previous two seasons combined.

They’ve scored at least 14 points in each of the past nine first halves, which is the longest streak in NRL history.

They’ve now restricted their opposition to 18 points or less – including the past two by single figures – in five straight games.

The 2019 finals series was the last time Roosters held three straight opponents to under 10 points.

Keary believes gun international winger Dom Young has changed their attack.

“It feels like we can strike whenever we want,” Keary said, per The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Dom, you give him half a chance, he scores. It’s not to say we haven’t had that all the time, but it’s definitely changed our attack.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 18: Dominic Young of the Roosters runs the ball during the round 11 NRL match between Cronulla Sharks and Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium, on May 18, 2024, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

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“That right edge, we’ve been a real threat on the left for a lot of years. But that right edge is starting to hum. Joey Manu has always been there, but to have a winger like that …

“We’ve still got our left, but then our right is probably going better than our left. We’ve got Brandon [Smith] and Connor [Watson] through the middle, and then Teddy [James Tedesco] who plays a lot through the middle.

“It feels like we’ve got a really good balance between getting into the grind, but also taking different opportunities at stages.”

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Keary, who has signed a two-year deal to finish his career in the Super League with the Catalans, said halfback Sam Walker is coming into his own.

“As a half you get to 50 or 100 games and you start to see things a lot better,” Keary said.

“You pick up things. I have seen that before, I know what to do there. [Adam] Doueihi comes up, you throw over the top. You pick up little things, the fullback is over there, I’ll kick in behind.

“He came in [to first grade] with the long balls, but it’s hard to give them those situations over and over again. It’s hard to measure that, but he’s got better at reading the game. It comes from experience.”

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