Roosters star JWH’s ‘sickening hit’ attracts NRL judiciary charge
The Roosters and Rabbitohs have suffered major blows just a week out from the NRL finals with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sam Burgess both facing suspensions but the Tricolours man has already plead not guilty.
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Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is set to fight a careless high tackle charge at the NRL judiciary, with the club convinced it can clear the bookend for week one of the NRL playoffs.
The 2019 NRL finals are set to kick off in controversy as rugby league bad boys Waerea-Hargreaves and Sam Burgess both face a week off over separate — and widely varying — incidents in a fiery Thursday Night Football clash.
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While JWH earned a grade one charge for what was described as a “sickening” hit on South Sydney’s Liam Knight, Bunnies enforcer Burgess could also miss a week for, of all things, pulling the hair of rookie Roosters winger Billy Smith.
The Waerea-Hargreaves tackle, branding “sickening” by Fox Sports’ Matthew Johns, forced a bloodied Knight from the field after 74th minutes of a game eventually won by the Bunnies 16-10.
Yet Roosters captain Boyd Cordner says the reigning premiers will challenge the charge, despite replays showing the bookend’s shoulder appear to collide with the head of Knight as he is felled in a tackle.
Cordner argued Waerea-Hargreaves had no option but to stand his ground, while adding Knight was actually cut during a head clash with Roosters interchange forward Lindsay Collins.
“I don’t think Jared will have too much to worry about,” Cordner said on Friday afternoon. “The Roosters are going to fight it and he should get off.
“When I first saw the incident, it sounded bad and looked bad.
“But looking back on the replay, he (Knight) was falling and there was a head clash which did the damage.
“Jared was bracing. It wasn’t a swinging arm or a shoulder charge.
“I don’t know what Jared was meant to do. It hit him low on the arm.
“Watching the replay, I thought it was OK.
“I knew it was going to be close (to a charge) with the injury of Liam Knight, but we’re confident he won’t have much to worry about.”
Cordner also suggested Burgess, who will decide on Saturday whether he contests the charge, would be unlucky to miss a playoffs game for his crime.
If Souths don’t contest the charge, Burgess will miss one game given his poor judiciary record -- which includes three charges in the past two years -- prevents the English superstar from escaping with a fine.
“I don’t think he should miss a week for pulling hair,” Cordner said. “You can’t do it, that’s part of the rules.
“But to miss a game for that would be (tough).”
Speaking immediately after the game, Roosters coach Trent Robinson also defended the Waerea-Hargreaves tackle, saying: “I don’t know what Jaz could’ve done.
“He couldn’t take his arm off … it’s one of those things that happen in a footy game.”
While the Waerea-Hargreaves’ charge carries a base penalty of 100 points, or a one-week suspension, an early guilty plea will not clear the Roosters enforcer given he also boasts carry over points from three prior offences in the past two years.
Elsewhere, Cordner also shrugged off claims of foul play around what appeared to be his elbow striking Souths halfback Adam Reynolds, which forced the No.7 off for a HIA.
“I never went to strike him,” the skipper said. “It was more of a brace to run.
“With the head injury as well it could’ve raised some suspension but there was no malice in it. I wasn’t thinking about that. I was trying to get our team on the front foot.”
Ironically, Burgess could be replaced in the Bunnies pack by brother George, who returns this weekend from his own lengthy suspension for eye-gouging Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah.
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The Roosters also have several key players expected back for week one of the finals including star No. 6 Luke Keary, prop Siosiua Taukeiaho, utility Mitch Aubusson and winger Brett Morris.
English import Ryan Hall (knee) is also a chance along with hooker Jake Friend (broken forearm).
“We needed to be more steely,” Cordner said of the match itself.
“Although we had second spot wrapped up, we wanted to win and play some good footy.
“And in the first half, we did.
“But I thought the second half was stop-start. No side really gained momentum.
“Then there was just a lapse in concentration by us for about five, 10 minutes. A few crucial errors that led to tries.
“But we take out our lessons and narrow our focus.
“It’s not all doom and gloom.
“This team has been playing some really good footy over the past month and even again tonight, we’ll take our lessons and move on.”
Originally published as Roosters star JWH’s ‘sickening hit’ attracts NRL judiciary charge