The Mole: Michael Maguire’s game plan ‘exposes’ Roosters star to leave Trent Robinson needing answers

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A big part of Michael Maguire's game plan on Thursday night was to expose the defensive frailties of Roosters winger Dominic Young.

Young is a brilliant attacking player and scored two tries despite his team being blown off the park.

But in defence, he can have trouble reading the play, often roams infield to leave his opposite man open and is slow to turn.

The Broncos exposed his weaknesses time and again – no less than five of their nine tries came directly down his right flank.

Young made six tackles and missed five, with one attempted trip near his own line inexcusable as the Broncos scored again.

Dom Young almost trips over Jesse Arthars.  Nine

The worrying thing for Roosters coach Trent Robinson is that rival coaches will watch the video of this game and try to emulate the way the Broncos' put the heat on Young with such devastating effectiveness.

FATHER TIME SHINES ON BRONCOS

League is a young man's game – but the oldest halfback combination in the NRL in nearly 30 years has already produced a stunning improvement in the Broncos.

Ben Hunt's return alongside Adam Reynolds proved an instant winner as the Broncos smashed the Roosters 50-14 in an emphatic start to the Michael Maguire era.

The Mole: Michael Maguire's game plan 'exposes' Roosters star to leave Trent Robinson needing answers

Adam Reynolds, Ben Hunt and Reece Walsh of the Broncos. Getty

The pair – with over 600 games between them – making them the most experienced halves duo since Des Hasler and Cliff Lyons at Manly in 1996 – decimated the Roosters.

The Broncos raced in nine scintillating tries – and the two thirty-somethings played a role in most of them.

Watch the 2025 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.

It's the ideal beginning to Maguire's tenure at the Broncos and will begin the process of eradicating the memories of the club's woeful fall from grace in 2024.

RADICAL KNIGHTS CALL LOOKS PROMISING

It's only round one, but mark down Knights coach Adam O'Brien for what may prove the bravest call of the year.

O'Brien went into the summer with a host of specialist halves in his ranks – but clearly didn't like what he saw.

The Mole: Michael Maguire's game plan 'exposes' Roosters star to leave Trent Robinson needing answers

Fletcher Sharpe during trials.  Getty

So he made the radical call of moving specialist outside back Fletcher Sharp to five-eighth – and it paid immediate dividends in the round one win over the Tigers.

In a tight 10-8 win, Sharpe was the difference, with a try and two lightning line breaks.

The speedster looked like he has been playing in the halves all his career and his emergence as a playmaker put the Knights in a great position to launch a finals assault.

MANLY'S SECRET WEAPON

No frills interchange forward Ethan Bullemor may not be one of Manly glamour players, but he is developing into a fan favourite at Brookvale.

A fearless runner with the ball, 'Bully' lifts the intensity every time he takes the field.

And with Manly leading 16-0 after just 12 minutes on Saturday night, that was the last thing the Cowboys needed.

Bullemor terrorised the fragile Cowboys defence with his running and backed up a Tom Trbojevic break to score a try that had the crowd on their feet.

He also made nearly 150 metres in 40 minutes of game time and stung plenty of Cowboys with his defence.

MAROONS BOLTER EMERGES

Jack Howarth made an early bid for Queensland State of Origin selection with a barnstorming display in the Storm's demolition of Parramatta on Sunday.

One of Craig Bellamy's star pupils over the past couple of years, Howarth looks set for a bumper season.

Time and again he broke through the frail Eels defence as they scored at better than a point a minute in the first half.

The 22-year-old has already represented Queensland U19s against the Blues and if he maintains his form, Billy Slater will find him hard to ignore.

The Storm took their tally to 23 straight round one wins in emphatic style against the hapless Eels – a record that may never be beaten.

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