Roosters enhance title credentials with Dragons drubbing

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves stole the headlines, highlights and a lowlight or two as well in his record-breaking 307th Roosters appearance.

But in the fine print of their favourite madman’s milestone match, the Tricolours enhanced their premiership credentials in a 42-12 demolition of the Dragons.

Long before the score blew out, it was the Dragons’ 46 tackles inside their opposition’s 20-metre zone by the 50th minute that told the tale for both sides.

St George Illawarra, themselves boasting finals claims before kick-off, rarely threatened and regularly drove coach Shane Flanagan to obvious frustration in the coach’s box.

Plenty of those tackles pressing the Roosters’ tryline came with a one-man advantage, Waerea-Hargreaves naturally and somewhat poetically the man sin-binned for a high tackle on Max Feagai.

By half-time the Red V had dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard. And yet the Roosters’ 14-6 advantage somehow flattered the visitors, such was their impotence when pushing for points against a 12-man defence.

“If you want to do anything in this competition you have to defend well,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

“You have to defend well when you don’t have possession ... if you’re not ready for [defending with] a 45-55 [split of possession] you won’t go far by the end of the year.

“You don’t always want to practice it... but for the most part we had to sustain it and that’s a step forward on defence over the last couple of years.”

The JWH experience included a bloodied bonce that required six stitches and belting anything that entered his orbit. That included Feagai with a shot to the head in the 16th minute.

The Roosters faithful answered Waera-Hargreaves with a standing ovation on his way off.

“It was exactly how one of Jared’s games should go,” Robinson grinned afterwards.

“Jared teaches a lot of us about what is your true nature and true character and are you going to honour that in what you do... It was wonderful to see him play the game in that way.”

Dom Young scores for the Roosters.Credit: Getty Images

A 14-12 scoreline in the 55th minute gave the Dragons and Flanagan positives to take stock of, though the Roosters never seemed truly threatened by a largely listless Red V attack.

Victor Radley knocked himself out of the game trying to prevent a try in the corner to Christian Tuipulotu, and from there the NRL’s most prolific attack went to work.

Tries to Lindsay Collins, James Tedesco put the result beyond doubt before Daniel Tupou and Sitili Tupouniua joined them on the scoresheet.

Flanagan was left to lament a lethargic effort that leaves them outside the top eight ahead of next Saturday’s clash against Brisbane.

“We’ve been better than that,” Flanagan said.

“We were a bit slow with our execution of our attack, we were a bit concerned about the conditions. It’s something we’ll look at, and we are better than that. We just need to take our medicine today and look at the positives out of it.”

Michael Jennings has gone off with a head knock and the Roosters are looking for one final try… and they get it, with Sitili Tupouniua ducking, weaving and powering over from right centre.

The Roosters have now scored 100 points against the Dragons this year, after putting 60 points past them on Anzac Day.

Sam Walker takes the conversion attempt – despite the fans calling for milestone man Jared Waerea-Hargreaves to get a shot – and he slots the extras to end the game.

Roosters 42, Dragons 12 at full-time

Sydney Roosters’ forward Jared Waerea-Hargreaves laughs as he leaves the field with head cut.Credit: NRL Photos

Some razzle-dazzle from the Dragons here – Ben Hunt produces an old-fashioned chip-and-chase, collects the ball and offloads for Tyrell Sloan, who kicks ahead again – but Roosters half Sam Walker is the first to the ball and defuses the situation.

There hasn’t been too much enterprising play in attack from St George Illawarra this afternoon but it’s good to see them trying their hand a little.

Roosters 36, Dragons 12 after 70 minutes

Five minutes into the second half, this was a close game. Now it’s seemingly a walk in the park for the Roosters. They send the ball through the hands on the last tackle, with Luke Keary, Sam Walker and James Tedesco combining before a nice flick-on from Michael Jennings sends Daniel Tupou over untouched down the left wing.

Roosters 36, Dragons 12 after 65 minutes

Now that’s rugby league. Dragons halfback Ben Hunt takes the ball on the last, sees a rushing defender, beats him and shoots upfield. He fires a pass in the direction of Jack de Belin – only it’s too quick for his teammate and smashes de Belin in the face, ricocheting forward 15 metres into the arms of Roosters prop Lindsay Collins. Collins passes it to James Tedesco, who takes full advantage of the chaos to burst through a yawning gap in the Dragons’ line and run 65 metres to score.

Roosters 30, Dragons 12 after 63 minutes

The Roosters halves are proving a class above today. After Sitili Tupouniua and Terrell May both go close to crashing over for tries from close range, Sam Walker takes possession on the last, steps off his left foot to give himself a bit of space and rolls in a grubber kick for Angus Crichton to slide through and score.

Walker’s conversion attempt is an ordinary one, sailing left, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to matter.

Roosters 24, Dragons 12 after 58 minutes

Sam Walker and the Roosters celebrate a try.Credit: Getty Images

The Roosters quickly wrestle back control of momentum and earn a couple of set restarts, and in no time they’ve scored again with Luke Keary turning a ball back inside for Lindsay Collins to carry a few defenders over the line and reach out to score.

Roosters 20, Dragons 12 after 53 minutes