IF the Atherton Roosters win the Cairns District Rugby League title in September, their drubbing at the hands of their NRL namesakes could prove pivotal.

The Sydney Roosters, including former Atherton five-eighth Todd Carney, beat Atherton 68-18 in a pre-season trial on the Tableland last month in an experience captain-coach Josh Blatch described as "awesome".

Blatch said the confidence, composure and experience taken from the trial was something money could not buy.

"These fellas just take so much out of a game like that," Blatch said.

"And once we come back into our squad and we play these teams in our (CDRL) comp, the boys will be running harder, faster, stronger.

"They took a lot out of it so it was awesome."

While they have been training since before Christmas, fitness was an issue for the Roosters in the trial but Blatch said come CDRL kick-off this weekend, his team would be in better shape.

"If we keep this sort of enthusiasm, this sort of work ethic through the year, I reckon in the Cairns comp we should be going quite all right," he said. "We can only get better."

Halfback Jermaine Pedro, the teenage half who bloomed playing alongside Carney last season, showed glimpses of class in the trial and Blatch expected his development to continue with Victor Akiba’s arrival at Atherton.

Blatch did not expect talented journeyman Akiba to be a Carney clone.

"Toddy Carney, there’s no way you can replace someone like that," Blatch said.

"Toddy was only temporary. He was here doing what he had to do and he’s moved on.

"Victor’s here, he’s his own person, he plays his own game, which I’m really happy with.

"And he’s helping Jermaine out as well.

"Jermaine took a lot of experience from Todd working with him last year and he displayed it (against the Roosters)."

Blatch said while he had never seen Akiba play, he had heard good things about the him.

The 30-year-old will turn out for his sixth CDRL club when he plays for the Roosters at Innisfail this weekend after playing for Babinda, Suburbs, Kangaroos, Brothers and Ivanhoes before a stint in northern New South Wales last year.

"I’d never seen Victor play," Blatch said. "I’d heard a lot of good things about him.

"He’s just fit right in. He’s got an old head.

"He’s been around for a while, he’s experienced. I was quite impressed with him actually."

Man-mountain Gordon Santo did not play in the pre-season clash but will turn out with the Roosters again this season after an aborted trial with the Titans’ under-20s.

Atherton already boasted one of the biggest forward packs in the CDRL but has beefed it up even more in the off-season, signing Tony Schaaf, Eddie Tokarahi and Shana Aue and back Que Tokarahi, all from Tableland rivals Mareeba.

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