Last night a third team put its hand up for serious consideration as an NRL premiership contender, the club from Bondi Junction. Until their win over the steely Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Brookvale last night (who boast one of the best home ground winning records of recent times by the way), the flamboyant and flashy Sydney Roosters had yet to crack many judges in league land, whose juries were out as to whether the latte-sippers were worthy of being talked about alongside the likes of the high-flying South Sydney Rabbitohs and the since-befallen Melbourne Storm. Many critics (like me – I had a few cracks on Twitter) were enjoying pointing to the fact the Roosters were yet to defeat a top-eight side in 2013, and that the last time they played one, Souths in the opening game of the season two months ago, they lost.

In defence of the 2010 losing grand finalists, they can only play who the draw lines them up against: the Warriors, Broncos, Eels, Raiders, Bulldogs, Dragons and Panthers can hardly be considered big scalps at this early stage of the year. But the Roosters still beat each side, one by 50, one by 38 (their opposition held scoreless on both occasions) and two others by 24 points.

Put simply, this side has a very serious chance at returning the bronze trophy to Bondi for the first time since 2002. Theirs is probably the third-best (maybe second-best) squad talent-wise in the league, having added Sonny Bill Williams, Michael Jennings and James Maloney since last season. It’s rare for imports to fire at their best at a new club straight away; the fact these three superstars on the move have all clicked together so soon with established fellow big names like Mitchell Pearce (see our story on Junior Jr in our current issue for a deep insight), Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Anthony Minichiello is what’s really making the Roosters fly in 2013.

After their relatively soft bottom-eight gauntlet run, the Roosters are about to be really tested with an away trip to Townsville and a home match-up against the Storm. Win those and the jury will be well and truly ready to deliver its verdict on whether these guys are, um, red-red-ready …