TODD CARNEY scored more points on his own yesterday than Sydney Roosters have managed for more than three months, but the 2010 NRL player of the year did not want to talk about his performance afterwards.
Despite initial indications Carney would agree to his first interview since he was stood down by the club in April for breaching an agreement not to drink, he later told Roosters officials he thought one good game wasn't enough to earn him back-page headlines.
He is also believed to be angry he was filmed at a Bondi tattoo parlour last week and video footage was posted on a website, along with a report questioning his commitment to the Roosters.
Only the week before, a newspaper report claimed Carney wanted out of the club he helped take from wooden spooners in 2009 to grand finalists last year.
**Carney is understood to have been so upset by the article he phoned Roosters supremo Nick Politis and spoke to officials about wanting to make a statement to defuse the speculation.**
In the end, it was decided that Carney should let his football do the talking. In the two weeks since, the 25-year-old playmaker has shown signs that he is slowly getting back towards his best.
The week before that, Carney asked to play for the Roosters' feeder team, Newtown, in a bid to regain the confidence that he appeared to have lost after off-season groin surgery and several off-field incidents.
Besides the two tries he scored yesterday, Carney made two line breaks and his kicking game helped pile pressure on Penrith side that turned in its worst performance for a month.
"I thought Todd came up with a couple of those special plays," Roosters coach Brian Smith said.
"In attack that is his specialty. But that play he put on for Sam Perrett's try on Monday night [against Canberra], that kick into the corner spot under pressure, that is when my eyes start to twinkle, when I see stuff like that.
"I love it when he backs himself and goes for that sort of play. I thought he backed that up today with some more stuff and from my point of view I am happy about that for Todd and for us."
HOWEVER, WHERE THERE IS SMOKE…..................
