Losalu swaps footy for worksite day after famous win

At 10pm Friday, Sydney Roosters rookie Taylor Losalu and his tearful father Lei were celebrating an emotional win over Penrith that could end as the upset of the NRL season.

At 7am Saturday, father and son were back on the construction site mixing concrete.

You won't hear any complaints from second-gamer Taylor, though.

Since he was a teenager, the only life the prop forward knew was juggling footy with work at his father's concreting business.

"Commercial, residential, you name it, we do everything," the 22-year-old told AAP.

"A lot of people say it's tough but I've been around it since I was 15 so I'm kind of used to it.

"It's just a part of my lifestyle. It balances my life."

A handful of the Losalus' concreting colleagues made the trip out to CommBank Stadium on Friday, so there might have been more than just two sets of bleary eyes on Saturday morning.

The late night would've been worth it; their workmate Losalu started at prop as the undermanned Tricolours went tit-for-tat with the four-time reigning premiers all night.

The Roosters, $11 outsiders before kick-off, sealed an unforgettable 38-32 win when Daniel Tupou tackled Brian To'o into touch as he attempted to equalise with a try on the last play.

At full-time, Losalu made a bee-line for his dad, who has watched his son come through Wentworthville as a junior, win the Roosters' NSW Cup Player of The Year last year and now play the first two games of the NRL season.

It's with his father's blessing Losalu has been able to juggle footy with his day job for all these years.

"He's proud of me. He came tonight, he was crying, in tears with me," Losalu said.

"My dad always tells me, 'Have a big heart and you'll go far.'"

Losalu is one of four Roosters to earn their NRL debuts in the opening two rounds of the new season as the club reconfigures following a mass exodus in talent over the off-season.

Hugo Savala was the latest first-gamer in the defeat of Penrith, with Salesi Foketi and Robert Toia joining Losalu in getting the call-up for the round-one loss to Brisbane.

Foketi is set to miss next week's away trip to face the Warriors after being offered a one-game ban for his high tackle on Penrith's Scott Sorensen.

Losalu is proud to be part of the next generation of Roosters.

"Whatever comes my way, I'm very excited to see," he said.

"Boys like us, we get a chance and we get to show who we are. Make a career for ourselves."

Losalu says it's "the dream" to eventually give up his day job and become a Rooster seven days a week.

But for now he's content to stick with the concreting and has impressed Roosters coach Trent Robinson with his commitment to both jobs.

"That shows into insight how he goes about his game and his training and his life. There's future there," said Robinson.