NRL: Centre may be good omen for Roosters

Shaun Kenny-Dowall has scored 21 tries from 27 appearances. Photo / Getty Images

Shaun Kenny-Dowall's try-scoring sequence has stalled but the Kiwis centre-in-waiting might already prove a good omen for the Sydney Roosters heading into Sunday's NRL grand final.

Arguably the competition's form centre, Kenny-Dowall has been unable to cross the line in the last two rounds of the finals series against the Penrith Panthers and Gold Coast Titans.

But for premiership favourites St George Illawarra, Kenny-Dowall's damage might already be irreparable.

The 22-year-old's 21 tries from 27 appearances could give fans in Bondi Junction something to crow about - each time a Roosters player has scored 20 or more tries in a season, the club has won the premiership.

The trend began in 1935 when centre Dave Brown and wing Rod O'Loan notched 38 and 27 tries respectively.

The following season O'Loan contributed 20 touchdowns to the Roosters' back-to-back titles and Bill Mullins kept the streak alive in 1974 when he crossed 23 times.

Kenny-Dowall was regarded as a talented but error-prone wing before he established himself in the centres under Roosters coach Brian Smith.

His improvement has been so dramatic that only injury will prevent Kenny-Dowall featuring when the Kiwis squad for the Four Nations tournament is named by coach Stephen Kearney on Tuesday.

He played his solitary test against France as a replacement on the 2007 Northern Hemisphere tour and although he was coy on his prospects of a recall there was no denying 2010 has been a vintage year.

"It's been a surreal season. My confidence grew and it's just kept growing," he said.

"I worked on my game a lot more and a lot of credit has to go to the coaches."

Until his try-scoring lull Kenny-Dowall had scored 13 tries in eight matches, starting with four against the Brisbane Broncos in round 20.

He also notched a treble against Manly and a brace against North Queensland before his most crucial four-pointer - the runaway intercept in golden point extra time against the Tigers during week one of the finals series.

Since then Kiwis wing Sam Perrett has thrived on the right edge with two touchdowns against the Panthers and Titans boosting his season tally to nine.

"I've given him a couple over the last couple of weeks," Kenny-Dowall said. "He's been into me about it since the start of the year."

Kenny-Dowall was reticent when asked if his combination with Perrett would be replicated at test level against the Kangaroos, England and Papua New Guinea. "Maybe. Hopefully I can put in another consistent performance. I can't say too much more about that."

Reading the game, ball security, and defence all demanded attention when the Roosters coach Brian Smith arrived from from Newcastle.

"He decided he was going to be a centre, I just gave him a chance at it," Smith said. "I don't know if he's mature yet," he added, before lauding Kenny-Dowall's match-winner against the Tigers.

"He just puts himself in positions. A hundred minutes into the game he's still got that strength to show his speed."

Kenny-Dowall acknowledges he has work to do. "Mate, round three. We were playing the Bulldogs and Josh Morris scored four tries against me. That's a fair indication you still have some work to do."

- NZPA