WHO'D play a team of black cats on Black Friday?

Those NSW players in the Roosters side still smarting from a 30-0 loss to Queensland, for starters. And those wanting to be flung into the furnace of the decider at ANZ Stadium on July 2. There was plenty on the line last night for the Roosters and Panthers, given their defeats in the previous round.

But there's no better opportunity for players to lay claim to a representative jumper than with the stench of a record-equalling loss still strong in the nostrils. Or reaffirm it, even though it's already been said behind the scenes that state selectors will stick with the side recently smoked at Suncorp Stadium.

Nevertheless, Anthony Tupou had a point to prove last night. The NSW and Roosters back-rower was in the vicinity when Greg Bird had his brush with the law in Brisbane's West End in the aftermath of Origin II. Roosters officials are privately far from impressed that he was, and two days before a Friday night fixture with his side coming off a 42-0 loss to Manly five days earlier.

But, in his 100th game in the tri-colours, he underlined the point made earlier this season that prompted the Sharks to snap him up in a four-year mega-deal. It came just before the break, when Tupou unloaded a no-look pass to complete a sublime set play for fullback Anthony Minichiello to cross untouched.

There's little dispute about Tupou's ability at club level. And under coach Brad Fittler he has morphed into a quality ball-playing second-rower instead of a stop-gap in the forward pack. Yet question marks remain about his impact at a higher level.

Cornered the morning after the Blues' loss, Roosters captain Craig Fitzgibbon repeated his mantra about being "just happy to be there" and "hoping to be there" for the decider.

He looked caught out at prop on Wednesday night but back at lock last night, he looked more like the Origin warhorse, who turns 31 on Monday, NSW coach Craig Bellamy insisted was there for this series. But surely the experiment of playing him in the front row won't happen again. So does that mean Mark O'Meley earns a start? O'Meley's lack of mobility cost him a place in the side for Origin II.

O'Meley seemed to take Fittler's decision to start him off the bench as an insult when he steamrollered the Panthers' Josh Bateman in the 20th minute.

As Bateman staggered up the tunnel, the former Australian and NSW forward struggled through four defenders to plant the try that pushed his team out to a 16-6 lead. Other claims were made. Panthers halfback Luke Lewis showed flashes of his genius. So, too, Roosters opposite Mitchell Pearce. If one of NSW incumbent Peter Wallace's testicles doesn't come good, they've done their chances no harm.

But did Braith Anasta prove he can be NSW's saviour? Doubts have hung ominously over Anasta's head at rep level like storm clouds over a freshly laid slab of concrete.

Some selectors believe he has errors around him in the heat of battle. Others don't see a chasm of difference between him and Bird - with the exception of the long-kicking game NSW lacked in Brisbane - so why risk him?

Anasta wouldn't have swayed them last night. There was no sign of the man-of-match displays he's unfurled since being snubbed for the series opener.

But he gave glimpses of the influence he can have, none more so than after the break when he snatched a Pearce bomb from Penrith's Rhys Wesser to score, snuffing out any notion of defeat.

Anasta will need to do more. When he's told he can't, he shows he can. If they're to select him, he'll need to remind them again.