Sydney Roosters fullback Todd Carney has made a brilliant return to the NRL as last year's wooden spooners thumped a dreadful South Sydney 36-10 at ANZ Stadium.
Playing his first top grade game in 16 months following his sacking by Canberra in 2008, Carney set up a try with one piece of freakish skill and made a long break that led to a another four-pointer.
He also landed six goals from seven attempts to complete a perfect comeback to the big time before 23,149 fans.
His performance was made even remarkable by the fact he was playing his first game in the No.1 jersey.
The 2010 season was supposed to herald a new era for the Bunnies but on the evidence of this display, it's clear John Lang has plenty of work in front of him.
Souths started full of enthusiasm and promise with new boys Sam Burgess and Dave Taylor hurling themselves at the Roosters defence.
But the Roosters handled the early onslaught to be the first to score after 20 minutes.
Mitchell Pearce took on the defence from close to the line, carrying two defenders over the line for a try built on sheer determination and muscle.
Carney's conversion made it 6-0.
Braith Anasta was left with a headache following an accidental head clash with a Souths forward a minute later, but it was the Rabbitohs in a spin after conceding a second try soon after.
Chris Sandow crabbed sideways as he looked to link with outside support 10m from the line, telegraphing his intentions and serving up an intercept pass for Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
Sandow turned in pursuit with Rhys Wesser also giving chase but SKD had too much pace for both of them, winning the 90m sprint to the line.
Carney made it 12-0.
Disaster struck the visitors four minutes before half-time with promising back-rower Tom Symonds taken from the field on a medicab with a knee injury.
Their mood wouldn't have improved when Souths, well off the pace for most of the first half, scored with two minutes left on the clock.
Sandow's clever cross-field found Nathan Merritt alone on the wing, the veteran flanker doing well to calmly wait for the ball to bounce his way before quickly touching it down before the defence converged.
Issac Luke's centimetre-perfect touchline conversion saw the Roosters take a 12-6 lead to the break.
Carney's quick thinking and presence of mind set the Tricolours on their way after the interval.
He chased his own kick deep into the Souths' in-goal after most had given up on it, volley-balling the ball back from just inside the deadball line to Sam Perrett.
Perrett only had to catch the pill and place it down to complete a remarkable try not dissimilar to Greg Inglis' 'Superman' effort in the Centenary Test.
The Rabbitohs should have hit back in the 53rd minute, Merritt sprinting clear of the defence and setting sail for the line only to drop the ball cold with no-one in sight.
That was to be Souths' last crack at a comeback, Roosters interchange forward Aidan Guerra scoring two minutes later after a long Carney break.
Perrett scored just past the hour as Brian Smith's team cleared out to a 32-6 advantage.
Kenny-Dowall's 65m effort down the right flank completed the rout nine minutes from the end, jubilant coach Brian Smith racing down from his box to soak up the win from the bench.
South Sydney 10
Tries: Merritt 2
Goals: Luke
Sydney Roosters 36
Tries: Pearce 2, Kenny-Dowall 2, Perrett, Guerra
Goals: Carney 6