Horror show for Holbrook as Roosters run riot
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Incoming Titans coach Justin Holbrook was front and centre for an education in elite rugby league at the Roosters, acting as Trent Robinson's right-hand man for more than three years.
With a record 58-6 Sunday roast and a Brett Morris hat-trick before Robinson even used his interchange bench, the Tricolours laid plain just how far back Holbrook is starting in 2020.
Before a smattering of fans at the SCG, the Roosters' dominance told an ominous tale.
The Gold Coast's ineptitude, an outright scary one. Morris, meanwhile, rewrote the record books.
While the veteran winger helped himself to a hat-trick inside 21 minutes – becoming just the 12th man past 150 career tries in the game's history – the Titans put it on a platter.
Their second wooden spoon in nine years looms as pairing cutlery.
For interim coaches Craig Hodges and Luke Burt, and no doubt Holbrook from the UK, this was the most painful of viewing.
Penalty kicks fell short of the sideline. Tackles disintegrated like tissue paper dropped in a puddle.
Match: Roosters v Titans
Round 20 -
home Team
Roosters
2nd Position
away Team
Titans
16th Position
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
One scrum feed from 20m out ended with Brian Kelly being shunted over the sideline just seconds later.
Ash Taylor's first game in two months on return from personal leave offered brief respite.
The simplest of errors as he drifted inside his own half, an unforced fumble, followed soon enough by another Roosters try, summed up their plight.
For 40 minutes the premiers were ruthless, on point to a tee. So too their Twitter account.
As 28-0 front-runners, there was little arguing.
Particularly with Morris, whose tries in the eighth, 17th and 20th minutes made for a first-half treble, the first Rooster to do so since Gary Wurth against North Sydney in 1986.
James Tedesco started the rot in just the fourth minute, the first of three line breaks created by Luke Keary.
He sent Angus Crichton through a flimsy Titans frontline that only withered with four more tries before the break.
For 10 minutes afterwards, the cue looked destined for the rack.
It wouldn't be the first time in 2019. But once Tedesco helped himself to another, Cooper Cronk's 100th first grade try followed soon after, hot-potato passing making for touch football down the Roosters' right edge.
Latrell Mitchell – who finished with 26 points and a rails run at leading pointscorer for the season – simply chose to dummy his way over.
A rare repeat set finally put the Titans on the board, Taylor's inside ball putting Ryley Jacks in under the posts.
Morris scores hat-trick, moves to equal 10th all-time
For three minutes the Gold Coast looked like going on with it, 46-6 scoreboard be damned.
But Tedesco again made all the running, at one point with his shorts sagging towards his ankles, before Mitchell brought up the half-century and Sam Verrills nabbed his first NRL try on the bell.
Any which way they chose, the Roosters carved up – easily their biggest win over the Gold Coast their reward.
The Titans, they stare down another last-place finish on this performance alone, never mind Canterbury pushing four points clear by upsetting Penrith.
Heaven help Holbrook, who arrives when his current duties with St Helens wrap up, potentially as late as mid-October.
He's going to need all he can get.
