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Roosters not happy with Latrell yet

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson is demanding more of teen centre Latrell Mitchell, despite his three-try haul against Gold Coast.

Sydney Roosters NRL coach Trent Robinson
Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson (pic) is demanding more of teen centre Latrell Mitchell. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Teen sensation Latrell Mitchell and a revitalised Daniel Tupou are shaping as the Sydney Roosters' X-factors this year but Trent Robinson is refusing to let them soak up the plaudits.

The dynamic left-side combination of Mitchell and Tupou has suddenly given the tricolours something they had lacked last season - strike power.

The Roosters struggled last year in attack - finishing with the third-worst points-for record - but they enjoyed a promising first hitout in Saturday's season-opening rout of Gold Coast.

Three-try hero Mitchell and winger Tupou finished the game with a combined two try assists, three linebreaks, one linebreak assist, 12 tackle busts and six offloads.

The pair ran riot, with the Roosters' 28-0 halftime lead representing the most points they had scored in the first 40 minutes of a game since 2015.

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But after his side took their foot off the accelerator and allowed the Titans back into the game, Robinson wasn't letting them rest on their laurels.

"(Mitchell) scored some tries, he needed to - that's what he's there for," Robinson said.

"He was lucky enough to score three; he had a lot of help from Daniel Tupou with a fair bit of experience outside of him.

"He's learning that position. Fans will see three tries and we'll see some other stuff from him and he's still on a road to improvement."

Mitchell's move to the centres looks to be paying dividends with the 19-year-old bagging the first three-try haul of his career.

Robinson refused to elaborate on what he wanted more of but made it known he wasn't content, fearing they hadn't proven anything after last year's horror six-win season.

Robinson was equally demanding of Tupou, despite his charge making a mammoth 156m and setting up Mitchell's final try with a flying bat-back, showing form from several years ago when he earned a NSW jumper.

"This is his fifth season now, he's that experienced player - he's played Origin. So we expect a lot out of him," Robinson said.

"What he did in the game was really exciting and some of it at the back end wasn't acceptable."

Mitchell and Tupou face a tough assignment in Thursday's round two clash against Canterbury at Allianz Stadium, marking the experienced combination of Brett and Josh Morris.

Like his counterpart, Bulldogs coach Des Hasler was full of praise for Mitchell however cautioned it's only early.

"They've got big human beings on both edges with Latrell and (Blake) Ferguson," Hasler said.

"I think Latrell is one of those players who can make a hand of any position. Experience there in Tupou and SKD (Shaun Kenny-Dowall), they're both very classy edges.

"You've only got to look at their roster, it's very strong. But it's round one, there's a long way to go, isn't there?"

STATS THAT MATTER

* The Roosters have won six of the past nine meetings against the Bulldogs, however they have lost the past two.

* The Bulldogs will be aiming to avoid losing the opening two matches of a season for the first time since 2010.

* Mitchell Pearce last week ended a streak of 17 matches without a linebreak, his longest drought in his career.


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