Titans 16 Roosters 30
GOLD COAST - The stage was set for someone to state their New South Wales selection case at Skilled Park on Monday night.
And when the fulltime siren sounded on the Sydney Roosters' 30-16 NRL win over the Gold Coast Titans, it appeared Mitchell Pearce had given Blues selector Laurie
Daley the most to ponder as he left the ground.
Just hours after it was revealed incumbent NSW pivot Jamie Lyon would be sidelined for up to three weeks with an ankle injury, Daley needed some good news - and Pearce's comeback from injury surely put a smile back on his face.
Under Daley's watchful gaze, Pearce combined brilliantly with Braith Anasta for the Roosters as fellow Origin hopeful Greg Bird's Titans were kept scoreless in the second half.
In his first game in five weeks due to a shoulder complaint, Pearce hit the ground running to have a hand in three out of the Roosters' six tries, with Anasta clearly revelling in his halves partner's return.
At 19, a shellshocked Pearce made his Origin debut in 2008's decider - won 16-10 by Queensland - coincidentally alongside then-Blues pivot Anasta.
Reunited with his partner in crime Anasta, an older and wiser Pearce showed on Monday night he was ready to again step up for NSW as he helped the Roosters bounce back from an early 10-0 deficit.
Pearce's cross-field kick led to centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall's opening try for the Roosters in the 13th minute.
Anasta then chimed in to help the Roosters pile on the next three tries in 14 minutes - including a solo effort from dummy half - to give the Roosters an 18-10 lead.
The brace included a controversial try to hulking lock Frank Paul Nuuausala in the 26th minute.
Phil Graham and Anthony Minichiello appeared to knock on as they flew high to regather an Anasta kick before Nuuausala grounded the ball, as Titans fullback Preston Campbell stood by willing it dead.
But video referee Paul Simpkins shocked the Titans faithful when he gave the green light.
The Titans reduced the damage to 18-16 by halftime when PNG international David Mead completed his hat-trick after gobbling up a Scott Prince kick.
But the Roosters rolled on in the second half, with Kenny-Dowall and Nuuausala completing their doubles by the 58th minute to seal the result.
The Roosters (6-5 record) snapped a two game losing run with the comprehensive win in front of a 13,325-strong crowd while the Titans (7-4) remain in the top four despite the gut-wrenching loss.
- AAP
