James Tedesco sent a startling warning of how good he can be under the NRL's new rules with a hat-trick of tries in the Sydney Roosters' 46-4 fthrashing of Manly.
On a history-making day at the SCG where Brett Morris went fourth in the all-time try-scoring lists with his own hat-trick, Tedesco also set up three tries in the dominant display.
The win was however soured by a concussion to captain Jake Friend from a head clash. He was taken from the field early in the second half and didn't return .
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also ended the game on report for striking Curtis Sironen, while Adam Keighran suffered an apparent hand injury.
But otherwise, it was a superb afternoon for the Roosters who claimed their biggest ever round-one win.
Morris' hat-trick took him past Andrew Ettingshausen to 168 four-pointers, while Luke Keary's move to the right-edge also paid dividends.
The Roosters scored their first seven their tries on that side of the field, with Tedesco regularly getting on the outside of Kieran Foran and creating space.
Tedesco's first came when he took an uncontested Keary bomb in the third minute, before his quick feet were just too hard for Manly to stop half hour later.
His last effort was arguably his best of the night, when he kickstarted the play from within his own half before Keary and Joey Manu broke free to put him over.
The Roosters have made no secret of their desire for Keary and Tedesco to combine through the ruck under the new rules, after he was also at his best immediately following the changes last year.
Morris meanwhile showed he still has plenty left in the tank as a 34-year-old, stepping his way through for his first two tries before an 80-metre intercept effort in the second half.
Saturday marked a year to the day since fans were first locked out of sport in Australia at the SCG, and at times Manly fans would have been wishing they still weren't allowed in.
With Tom Trbojevic out injured, Kieran Foran provided one of the few highlights on his Sea Eagles return when he feigned a kick and set up their first try for Reuben Garrick and made it 4-4.
But from that point on cheap handovers hurt them dearly as their left-edge defence were caught out regularly and they missed 33 tackles across the park.
