James Tedesco's horror showing against Canberra has heaped pressure on NSW coach Brad Fittler to dump him as captain.
The Sydney Roosters' NRL season reached crisis point with a 20-18 loss to Canberra on Sunday night.
What happened?
A dreadful mix-up between Tedesco and Junior Pauga gifted Canberra the first points of the game in the fifth minute.
Tedesco was beaten in the air by Jack Wighton, allowing Canberra to score their second try.
Why it matters for James Tedesco
Tedesco's poor performance has sparked calls for him to be axed as NSW captain, with Dylan Edwards being considered as a replacement.
The Roosters' coach, Trent Robinson, defended Tedesco, saying criticism of his aerial game was "harsh".
What comes next?
The Roosters face a tough road to finals, with matches against Melbourne, Brisbane, and Parramatta looming.
Tedesco will need to improve his performance to help the Roosters scrape into the top eight.
The Roosters are currently in 12th spot, with more defeats than wins entering round 18.
As of June 2023, the Roosters have the worst attacking record in the competition.
Star back-rower Angus Crichton was forced out of Sunday's game at halftime with a knee injury.
Victor Radley was placed on report for a high tackle on Jarrod Croker.
Tedesco admitted his mistakes, saying "I've just got to own that" and "I've got to be better there".
Joey Manu did his best to save Tedesco and the Tricolours' blushes with two superb tries in four minutes either side of halftime.
But Canberra withstood the fightback to leave the Roosters languishing in 12th spot.
The Roosters will probably need to win six of their remaining nine matches to make the finals.