And by Sunday evening, that was, if anything, an understatement.<\/p>\n
Beyond remarkable was Taylan May\u2019s reprisal of the most famous try in Wests Tigers history<\/a> with Benji Marshall sitting right there on the sideline at Leichhardt Oval.<\/p>\n Twenty years on and celebrating the 2005 grand final triumph over the Cowboys, the Tigers wore the same kit. May\u2019s pass came, as it did two decades ago, with a few minutes left in the first half. He even came close to the same patch of left-edge turf as Marshall, with a tad more loop and lob than the Tigers coach in his pomp.<\/p>\n Eighteen hours earlier, Mark Nawaqanitawase instead rolled out the finest flick pass you\u2019d ever hope to be on the end of.<\/p>\n The rugby convert\u2019s audacious, all-or-nothing plays are now landing more often than not, with still less than a full NRL season to his name.<\/p>\n After Nawaqanitawase\u2019s last show-stopping piece of bona fide brilliance \u2013 that hopping, skipping and kicking try against Canterbury in May<\/a> \u2013 Trent Robinson made the point that rugby\u2019s less risk-aversive nature encourages the code\u2019s players to try their hand more than rugby league.<\/p>\n The Roosters coach was right. You\u2019d be amazed how many NRL players, not to mention the next generation coming through, have these sorts of skills in their kitbag.<\/p>\n Parramatta put plenty on show themselves, as aside from Nawaqanitawase, the Roosters handling went to water.<\/p>\n South Sydney\u2019s Tyrone Munro and Manly\u2019s Tolu Koula scored fine long-range tries as two of the game\u2019s most electric young talents.<\/p>\n