Luke Keary and Michael Gordon enjoyed dream club debuts as the Sydney Roosters underlined their NRL credentials with a slick 32-18 win over Gold Coast on Saturday.
It was the ideal way to start the season for the Roosters with recruits Keary and Gordon running riot in an utterly dominant first half at Cbus Super Stadium.
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Mitchell shines in Roosters victory
Latrell Mitchell scored a hat-trick as the Sydney Roosters ran out to a comfortable 32-18 win over the Gold Coast Titans.
Boom centre Latrell Mitchell also scored a hat-trick, with his third try in the 79th minute snuffing out any chance of a Titans comeback.
Keary bagged a double while Gordon also crossed and converted four of the team's six tries after the Roosters romped to a 28-0 lead at halftime.
The Titans hit back with three unanswered tries to start the second stanza but despite the encouraging response, it wasn't enough to reverse the early damage in front of 13,933 supporters.
New Titans co-captain Kevin Proctor didn't feature after halftime and may have aggravated the knee injury he overcame to take his place in the starting team.
The Roosters lost the first five games of a disastrous 2016 season but showed why they are tipped to bounce back strongly and contend for the premiership this year.
Keary's partnership with Mitchell Pearce looks poised to blossom and the Titans, who were dismal at times in defence, could do little to repel the many attacking waves they started.
![On the burst: Latrell Mitchell takes on the Titans defence.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170618012927im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/q/v/i/7/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guqvik.png/1494999789051.jpg)
Pearce set up Keary for the opener in the ninth minute, with the former South Sydney playmaker bouncing off Ash Taylor to start their five-try first-half blitz.
The Roosters had the better of every facet of play but Gold Coast returned from the break a much better side.
![Holding on tight: Boyd Cordner carries the ball.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170618012927im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/q/v/i/6/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guqvik.png/1488781662877.jpg)
A 90m runaway try to winger Anthony Don and a gift for Kane Elgey - who scored after Gordon and Shaun Kenny-Dowell bumped into each other as they contested a high ball in the 52nd minute - gave them some hope.
Jarryd Hayne popped up 10 minutes later to score off an Ash Taylor kick, closing the margin to 28-18 and setting up a grandstand finish, but the Roosters were not to be denied.
The only sour note for the visitors was when Mitchell Aubusson was put on report midway through the first half for a dangerous tackle on Titans co-captain Ryan James.
AAP
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