The resurgent Sydney Roosters have thumped an out-of-sorts Wests Tigers 44-32 to stay undefeated at the top of the table after two rounds.
Last year's wooden spooners have now scored 80 points in two weeks in accounting for Souths and the Tigers inside seven days, the horrors of their 2009 campaign now a fast-fading bad memory.
The Roosters trailed 12-0 early before over-running a tired Tigers outfit in sweltering conditions before a boisterous crowd of 19,021 at the SFS.
The Tigers lost Liam Fulton (flu) prior to kick-off but weren't rattled by the late team reshuffle, scoring first through Benji Marshall after nine minutes.
The Kiwi international picked up a lovely ball from Robbie Farah close to the line to crash over under the sticks.
Marshall only just guided the conversion over the crossbar from right in front, the Tigers easing out to a 6-0 advantage.
Minutes later the Tigers went further ahead after a sensational 97m try, started by Junior Moors and finished by Lote Tuqiri.
Moors fielded a poor grubber from Nick Kouparitsas and offloaded to Mark Flanagan who took off downfield.
Flanagan didn’t have the pace to go on with the job but found someone who did in Tuqiri, the dual international travelling 65m for a wonderful four-pointer.
But after jumping out to a 12-0 lead, the Tigers went into hibernation and the Roosters made their run.
Four tries in 12 astonishing minutes followed, turning the game on its ear.
Mitch Aubusson (24th minute), Aidan Guerra (27th) and Phil Graham (31st and 36th) scored tries as the home side went from 12-0 down to 20-12 up.
Aubusson's try was probably the pick of the four.
It started with Todd Carney putting Mitchell Pearce into the clear, the half-back stepping inside Tim Moltzen before basketballing a pass for Aubusson to cross.
Guerra ran off a lovely short ball from Carney to score and Graham's first try saw him shrug off Blake Ayshford's poor attempt at tackle to plunge over.
The former Raider did it all himself for his second four-pointer, chasing his own kick and forcing a fumble from Moltzen to score.
The Roosters weren't about their tight grip on the Tigers' throat after the break.
The hosts scored after just six minutes when Guerra burst through four defenders to surge his way over.
Pearce (51st) and Anthony Minichiello (58th) scored to put the game beyond doubt at 36-12.
The Tigers finished with a rush of points as the Roosters' defence dropped off in the energy-sapping heat, scoring four of the last five tries as the match disintegrated into a game of touch.
But the final result was never in doubt.
Sydney Roosters 44
Tries: P Graham 2, Guerra 2, Pearce 2, M Aubusson, Minichiello
Goals: Carney 6
Wests Tigers 32
Tries: Marshall 2, Tuqiri, Ayshford, Schirnack, Fifita
Goals: Marshall 4