On a night where the teenage phenomenon played his first NRL game since announcing his intention to defect to rugby union in 2025, Suaalii’s sweet stepping helped set up Drew Hutchison’s first try on a night the Roosters will remember fondly.

They welcomed back Angus Crichton, who was in the stands after checking out of a rehabilitation clinic to treat his mental health. When he’s back, the premiership heavyweight will be even more formidable.

Brad Arthur’s Parramatta lost two players to the sin-bin in the first half, and in the modern game it’s a penance worse than anything Suaalii will serve in the 15-man code.

Suaalii’s schoolboy mate Will Penisini (professional foul) and winger Bailey Simonsson spent time on the sidelines, the latter for a high hit which left Tedesco sprawled on the turf.

Twice, the Roosters scored about a minute before both Penisini and Simonsson were due to return.

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Simonsson’s tackle is sure to be strictly reviewed by the match review committee, and it will be lost on few Tedesco’s head knock was eerily similar to a heavy one two years ago. It was the same opponents, same part of the field and the same game-ending impact.

“He’s OK,” Robinson said of Tedesco, who will miss the Roosters’ clash with the Storm. “He remembered talking about the height and the contact. It was disappointing to lose Teddy so early.

“The contact? I don’t know to be honest. I was expecting a send off. I was ropeable at the time. I looked at it after the game and I was a bit more 50-50. I guess that’s where it ended up.”

Arthur said he thought the contact might not have been as bad as first thought, but said he wanted to look at the tackle again.

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Even without Tedesco, the Roosters could - and perhaps should - have led by more than the 16-2 half-time cushion.

But in Clint Gutherson, the Eels had a fullback who used his strength and a boot to deny Victor Radley, and in Moses they had a halfback who was willing to pull off a try-saver on Daniel Tupou.

Tupou would get his try and Brandon Smith would slice open Parramatta’s tiring middle for Luke Keary’s first of two four-pointers, but it appeared a game was on when Gutherson banked the first points of the second stanza after Penisini’s miracle ball.

Then there was Suaalii.

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His passing wasn’t crisp, and will need work. But which 19-year-old can nail his target every time he needs to?

“We feel like we supported him all this week, but you can burn a lot of energy in a week like that,” Robinson said. “But he had a lot of energy tonight.

“He’s going to have to learn to handle the scrutiny and discussion about him and I thought his energy was high tonight to go from centre to fullback, and continue right through to the end was a credit to him.”

When it did matter, he flicked for Jaxson Paulo to score and the game was as good as done despite the Eels adding respectability to the scoreboard with two tries in the last four minutes.

Rugby union might have him for the future, and rugby league should enjoy him now.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS 28 (Luke Keary 2, Drew Hutchison, Daniel Tupou, Jaxson Paulo tries; Sam Walker 4 goals) defeated PARRAMATTA EELS 20 (Clint Gutherson, Bailey Simonsson, Maika Sivo tries; Mitchell Moses 4 goals) at Allianz Stadium. Referee: Grant Atkins. Crowd: 20,886.

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