Brian Smith praised the mental fortitude of Braith Anasta after the Sydney Roosters skipper helped engineer an upset victory over the Warriors 24 hours after announcing he will leave the NRL club at the end of the season.

Anasta, who on Friday announced he had signed a two-year deal with Wests Tigers from the 2013 season onwards, was calm and composed as the Roosters downed the Warriors 26-8 in a one-sided affair in front of 13,021 fans at Allianz Stadium.

“He just showed that he’s got the right mental temperament to deal with stuff,” Smith said.

“He’ll tell you he wasn’t (stressed), but from experience I know that it is a pressure situation what he’s had to deal with this week.

“Everybody feels that pressure, it’s what you do with it afterwards (that matters). It’s how you react. I thought it’s a credit to him the way he led us tonight.”

The 30-year-old said he was humbled by the reaction of his teammates, who seemed determined to take the spotlight off their skipper with an inspired defensive display.

“They responded really well and it was really humbling for me,” Anasta said.

“They definitely lifted for me tonight.”

Anasta admitted the decision had weighed on him in the early rounds and believed that having it sorted would help his own form.

“I don’t think any player likes it hanging over their head,” he said. “It’s sort of just been there.

“Now I can just concentrate on playing footy and playing the best I can and having a great season for the Roosters – a club I love a lot.

“I’m the captain of the club. It means the world to me to put in each week and make sure we try and win every week that we play.

“I’ll continue to do that until I leave.”