Angus Crichton won’t exactly be crowing about his start to life as a Rooster.
Not only were the Sydney Roosters muzzled against former team South Sydney in their NRL season opener, but Crichton managed less than 20 minutes in his club debut.
The NSW State of Origin star didn’t get on until the 61st minute, replacing skipper Boyd Cordner on his favoured left edge when the game was well and truly over.
Crichton finished the night with 31 metres from three carries, two tackles and an offload, however Roosters coach Trent Robinson defended his forward rotation.
“He’s a back-rower. Obviously, back-rowers are longer-minute players. It’s not a middle rotation, which often happens in the first half,” Robinson said.
The 23-year-old arrived at Bondi with plenty of fanfare after a scintillating 2018 campaign, including a successful maiden Origin series.
And while he accepted coming off the bench in the opening match, he was unsure when or how he was going to be called on by his new coach.
“Obviously, I would’ve liked a bit more time. But mate, that’s Robbo’s call,” he said.
“And for me as a player, all I can do is put my best foot forward training every week and put my hand up, put my heart out on that field every weekend.
“However many minutes I got – I’m not too sure how many that was – all I can do is try and put my heart and soul and all I can into that time I get.”
Crichton admits it is near impossible to play his favourite role on the left flank ahead of club, NSW and Australian captain Cordner.
And he also shrugged off suggestions he might be deployed through the middle, instead eyeing off becoming an 80-minute player on the right.
Veteran Mitchell Aubusson played 74 minutes on Friday night on the right edge.
“If you do pigeon-hole yourself right or left, you’re cutting your opportunities in half,” Crichton said.
“Boyd Cordner is the captain and he’s an 80-minute player on that left edge, so I’ll be putting my hand up to make that right edge position my own.
“I want to be an 80-minute back-rower. In my eyes, that’s what I want to do and that’s what I’m going to put my hand up to do.”