Roosters send a message in 30-6 belting of Souths but star faces nervous wait
The Roosters put Souths in their place with an incredible five-try first-half performance but the 24-point qualifying final win was overshadowed by late drama involving Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
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Trial by media or a debate worth having?
Roosters coach Trent Robinson was walking to the post-match media conference on Friday night when he spotted Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ alleged tripping incident pop up on someone’s phone.
And bang, just like that one of the most wonderful NRL finals performances in the 30-6 thumping of South Sydney in front of a terrific SCG crowd of 30,370 became an afterthought.The incredible tries. The astonishing athleticism. The Speed. The teamwork. The trust in defence. The talent.
Luke Keary playing like a wizard. Joey Manu like the freak he is. James Tedesco phenomenal. Brett Morris brilliant. Up front big JWH was enormous as was inspirational skipper Boyd Cordner.
You could go through the entire Roosters line up and bang on about how wonderfully they played.
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But the reality is the biggest talking point is going to be a clumsy trip because this is where the NRL is at when it comes to our totally dysfunctional match review and judiciary process.
The same process that rubbed Sam Burgess out of last night’s clash because of a lousy hair pull now looks set to cost Waerea-Hargreaves his place in the preliminary final.
The 72nd minute incident involving James Roberts was hardly a hanging offence but as former premiership winner Ryan Girdler told Triple M last night: “A trip is quite a serious charge.”
Given Waerea-Hargreaves only played after beating a charge at the judiciary for his shot last week on Liam Knight, Waerea-Hargreaves is in real strife here.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is in hot water for a trip.
— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) September 13, 2019
WATCH: @Channel9#9WWOS #NRL #NRLRoostersSouths pic.twitter.com/UFfvLmX0BW
For his part Waerea-Hargreaves responded when asked if he was worried: “Not at all. He was a bit fast in the middle there, I think I slipped. It’s all good.”
But Robinson figured why even bother arguing what might be: “To be honest I just walked past and I saw the trial by media already happening.
“I saw somebody looking at a phone and Channel Nine playing it over and over and over again. So that is as much as I’ve seen it.”
Asked if that worried him, he responded: “That is where we are at. I don’t think my opinion, is going to be … the speed of play and all that … my opinion is not going to count if they have already started doing all that.”
Others might argue the problem really is not the trial by media but the process that allows minor things like this to become major issues.
‘WHY DIDN’T WE HAVE 50 NIL?’
While Robinson won’t want his players to start talking about the possibility of becoming the first team in more than two decades to claim back-to-back titles this far out from the grand final, it’s a conversation that is impossible to shut out today.
After watching his team tear the Rabbitohs to shreds with some of the classiest attacking plays they have put together this season to race to a 26-0 halftime lead, Robinson was asked if he ever sits back and marvels at his team like the rest of us?
“My job is not to sit there and enjoy what I see,” Robinson explained. “My job is to push them more and do it positively.
“I really enjoy it but we are not done. It is 30-6. Really happy. Then you are going, ‘hang on, I thought we could have had 50-0 there. I thought we could have had 50-nil. Why didn’t we have 50-nil?’ I know that sounds a bit greedy but I think that is the truth.”
And it was only stating the obvious.
This is a team that will only get beaten if they don’t play to their potential.
That is Robinson’s challenge going into the prelim final.
There was also concern for Boyd Cordner who didn’t last the match after reinjuring his quad but with the week off he should have time to recover.
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BUNNIES BLOW IT
Souths coach Wayne Bennett didn’t go looking for excuses on Friday night because he didn’t have any.
From the opening set the Rabbitohs were blown off the park when Alex Johnston fumbled a Latrell Mitchell clearing kick that gave the Roosters a repeat set and from the next set Manu scored.
Then the floodgates opened.
Now Bennett’s job is to try and get them up for next weekend’s sudden death clash between the winner of today’s game between Manly and Cronulla.
Bennett rated Gagai ''90 per cent'' to return from a hamstring injury while Burgess is back from suspension.
Bennett also took ownership of moving Adam Doueihi from fullback to the wing when he was exposed.
"I thought he'd handle that, but it was maybe a bridge too far for him at this stage in his footy career,” Bennett said.
"It was my decision and I take responsibility for that.''
SYDNEY ROOSTERS 30 (M Aubusson B Cordner J Manu L Mitchell S Taukeiaho J Tedesco tries L Mitchell 3 goals) bt SOUTH SYDNEY 6 (A Reynolds try A Reynolds goal) at Sydney Cricket Ground. Referee: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee. Crowd: 30,370
Originally published as Roosters send a message in 30-6 belting of Souths but star faces nervous wait
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