Speaking on Nine after the game, Brandon Smith said the Roosters had a disappointing end to the game, with their defence falling apart in the final minutes.

“It’s a pretty bittersweet ending. I thought it was one of our best performances for 70 minutes...[but] you’ve got to play for 80 minutes, and hopefully we can turn it around next week,” Smith said.

He was also quick to praise Luke Keary, who took charge of the team after James Tedesco failed his HIA.

“He stepped up, he kind of said at half-time, everything comes off me. So he stood up and dominated the calls like good players do, and he got two tries tonight - probably our best on the field. And that was the big different. Luke Keary taking charge of the whole team, and everyone listened to him.”

But Smith couldn’t help himself, and didn’t leave the field before weighing in a cheeky comment about all the drama surrounding Joseph Suaalii following the news he had signed a three-year, multi-million dollar contract to join the NSW Waratahs and Rugby Australia from 2025.

“Joseph probably might actually make a difference to the Wallabies [after] that performance,” Smith said.

Smith had previously taken a swipe at the deal, declaring “a $1.6 million winger isn’t going to help you beat the All Blacks”.