Merely 24 hours after William Kennedy lived out a childhood dream in the Sharks comeback victory over the Panthers, Roosters duo Josh Curran and Sam Verrills enjoyed a memorable NRL debut of their own.
The Roosters stormed out to a 20-0 lead early in the first-half but a spirited comeback from the Storm ensured a grandstand finish in extra-time.
In the absence of Isaac Liu, Joseph Manu, Jake Friend, Brett Morris and late scratching Sio Siua Taukeiaho, Verrills and Curran proved their worth in an enthralling contest that Robinson described as a 'test of character'.
The pair have impressed for the North Sydney Bears in the Canterbury Cup NSW and will no doubt provide plenty of depth for the Roosters in the near-future.
But their strong efforts weren't before Kennedy helped the Sharks claim an emphatic victory on Thursday night. After trailing 20-6 midway through the second-half they managed to orchestrate an almighty comeback in stunning circumstances.
Kennedy played well beyond his years in a performance that saw him record 109m and five tackle-breaks, but his display should come as no surprise after his 2018 campaign for the Newtown Jets.
The live-wire fullback was a key figure in the Jets surge to the Grand Final last season, and will prove instrumental if they are to turn their season around in the coming weeks.
2019 DEBUTANTS
- Blayke Brailey - Cronulla Sharks (Round 1 v Newcastle Knights)
- Briton Nikora - Cronulla Sharks (Round 1 v Newcastle Knights)
- Adam Keighran - Warriors (Round 1 v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
- Thomas Mikaele - Wests Tigers (Round 1 v Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
- Reuben Garrick - Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (Round 1 v Wests Tigers)
- Mikaele Ravalawa - St George Illawarra Dragons (Round 1 v North Queensland Cowboys)
- Maika Sivo - Parramatta Eels (Round 1 v Penrith Panthers)
- Dylan Brown - Parramatta Eels (Round 1 v Penrith Panthers)
- Marata Niukore - Parramatta Eels (Round 1 v Penrith Panthers)
- Bailey Simonsson - Canberra Raiders (Round 1 v Gold Coast Titans)
- Corey Horsburgh - Canberra Raiders (Round 1 v Gold Coast Titans)
- Josh Kerr - St George Illawarra Dragons (Round 2 v South Sydney Rabbitohs)
- Corey Waddell - Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (Round 2 v Sydney Roosters)
- Jayden Okunbor - Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (Round 3 v Wests Tigers)
- Liam Martin - Penrith Panthers (Round 3 v Melbourne Storm)
- Bronson Xerri - Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Round 4 v Parramatta Eels)
- Chanel Harris-Tavita - Warriors (Round 4 v Gold Coast Titans)
- William Kennedy – Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Round 6 v Penrith Panthers)
- Josh Curran – Sydney Roosters (Round 6 v Melbourne Storm)
- Sam Verrills – Sydney Roosters (Round 6 v Melbourne Storm)
