[Source: Fox Sports Australia]
The Sydney Roosters’ horror start to 2025 continued on Friday night after Jayden Campbell inspired the Gold Coast Titans to a 30-12 victory at Allianz Stadium.
“It was a good old-fashioned ambush from Des Hasler’s Titans,” Michael Ennis said.
“The Roosters just self-destructed. They should have gone for a penalty goal and the intercept from Campbell on Sandon Smith’s pass turned the match.”
After losing three of their opening four games, the Tricolours sit in 14th position on the ladder with just two competition points, their worst start to a season since 2016. They have likewise conceded 126 points across these four games, a point more than they conceded during the same period in 2016, a season when they finished second-last.
While the scores were level at 6-all at the break, Trent Robinson’s men actually led 12-8 with 30 minutes remaining. However, a 90-metre intercept try to Campbell allowed the Coasters to level the scores and, riding a wave of momentum, they were able to seal the deal with late touchdowns to Phillip Sami, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and AJ Brimson.
“We had opportunities . . . [and] I really would have liked to have finished it off there at 12-8,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson lamented post-match.
“Even at 12-all, there were a couple of moments there that sort of swung the momentum and we just weren’t calm enough to get it back in our favour again. . . that’s on us.”
The result snapped the Titans’ 11-match losing streak against the Bondi Junction-based club, a record that had stretched back almost nine years.
“It wasn’t that pretty,” Titans coach Des Hasler conceded.
“But I’m particularly pleased with how we hung in there. I thought some of our try line defence was quite admirable.”
After scoring 14 points via a try and five goals, Campbell was a popular choice for player of the match, but he was ably supported by Brimson (two tries) and hooker Sam Verrills, who also chipped in with a pair of try assists.
“He [Campbell] is building . . . but it’s up to us to keep giving him a good platform to build on,” Hasler continued
“He came up with some big plays . . . [He’s] very instinctive and that’s always hard to defend against.”
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