Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan marvelled about how the Sydney Roosters played at a "different speed" in their 40-0 NRL smashing of the Sharks on Saturday night.
And that was with the ball.
Without it, the Roosters are defending like no team in almost 40 years.
Their seven-try whitewash of the Sharks was the tricolours' fifth shut-out of the season, a feat previously achieved by only one other side, the Roosters' class of 1977.
Under first-year coach Trent Robinson, the Roosters have also kept Brisbane (8-0), Parramatta (50-0), Canterbury (38-0) and St George Illawarra (36-0) scoreless this season.
The last points the Roosters conceded were a try and conversion against Manly two hours and 43 minutes ago in round 16.
"It was a big performance there again to keep them to nil," Robinson said of their latest blank sheet.
"It's not easy. Sometimes some tries can come off bounces of the ball, but the boys kept fighting and they're really proud of that zero scoreline.
"To have the fifth one is great for our team."
With maligned halfback Mitchell Pearce on a mission from the outset following his State of Origin flop three nights earlier, the Sharks were never in the hunt.
Pearce put Blues teammate Boyd Cordner over after just two minutes and the match was over as a contest by halftime when the Roosters led 28-0 at Allianz Stadium.
"I think they're a serious footy team," Flanagan said of the second-placed Roosters.
"They just played at a different speed than us. They were running harder than us and we were missing too many tackles."
Robinson lavished praise on Pearce after he set up three tries and had a hand in another as the Roosters piled on seven unanswered four-pointers.
"Champions don't stay down for long. He's such a fighter," Robinson said.
"We talked about the spotlight he put on himself on Wednesday night. Obviously he came up a bit short for NSW and he was under it again and he came out and performed.
"You can't create those qualities."
Wary of burning his Origin stars out, Robinson will give Pearce, Cordner, Michael Jennings and James Maloney a few days' break from training before the Roosters head to Newcastle next Sunday to play the Knights.
"It's always a concern. We've got a plan in place," he said.
"They need some rest. They won't come to recovery. They'll go away for four days and then I'll assess them next week again and see if they need another couple of days off.
"I'd rather not take them away from the game. I'd rather rest them during the week.
"There's a big responsibility on the other guys around them to stand up."
The Sharks had eight regular first-graders unavailable, including injured NSW captain Paul Gallen and Blues teammate Luke Lewis.
But Flanagan refused to blame his casualty ward for the Sharks' heaviest loss of the season and was expecting at least Wade Graham, halfback Jeff Robson and probably Lewis back for Sunday's hosting of Penrith.
Gallen will have his moonboot removed on Monday, while several other stars are hopeful of returning in the next fortnight.
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