NRL 2022: Roosters star Sam Walker proving to be one of the game’s best clutch players
Roosters teen sensation Sam Walker is emerging as one of the NRL’s best clutch players and teammate Luke Keary is getting good vibes about their growing combination.
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Sam Walker admits he has no regrets at walking out on the Broncos as the teen sensation was compared to Queensland Origin legend Cooper Cronk in the wake of his Roosters heroics at Suncorp Stadium.
Walker is fast proving to be ‘Ice Man Sam’, with the 19-year-old producing two late moments of magic to break Brisbane’s hearts, headlined by his booming 76th-minute sideline conversion which snatched a 24-20 victory on Friday night.
The Queensland young gun is emerging as one of the code’s finest clutch players, as evidenced by his sizzling rookie season last year, when Walker twice snapped match-winning field goals against the Titans to underline his cool head in a crisis.
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Walker’s nerveless display was salt to the wounds for Brisbane, who had the playmaking ace in their Broncos Academy, but were left to rue a Roosters poaching raid in 2019.
At a time when the Broncos are searching for their next generational halfback talent and were forced to outlay $2.4 million to buy 31-year-old Adam Reynolds from Souths, Walker insists leaving Red Hill for Bondi was the right call.
“I made a decision a couple of years ago to come to the Roosters and I definitely haven’t looked back,” Walker said in the wake of his match-winning disposal of the Broncos.
“I am really happy at this club. Before the season starts I pencil in the games where I am able to come back home to Queensland. I love Queensland. To have those (match-winning) moments here makes it more special.
“We’ve got a lot to work on as a club. We were pretty disappointed with our performance but at this time of year it is pretty important to get the two points and build confidence to come from behind if we are behind like that during the year.”
Roosters half Luke Keary said playing with Walker reminded him of his liaison at the scrumbase with Cronk. After a slow and clunky start in 2018, the duo developed one of the most seamless combinations in modern times, engineering back-to-back premierships.
Keary says he has the ultimate faith in his partner-in-crime after Walker ignited the Roosters’ fightback, scoring a 48th-minute try before burying the Broncos with a deft kick for Sitili Tupouniua to touch down three minutes from time.
“It reminds me a lot of 2018 where me and ‘Coops’ (Cronk) bumbled along for two or three months at the start of the year,” Keary said.
“Sammy came up with some big plays at the end. I definitely (trust him).
“He proved last year when he kicked some field goals and finished games off for the boys, which is very hard to do at a young age. All the boys have trust in him.
“He will still build his game but he’s come up with some clutch moments and some big plays for us to win some games.”
Is JWH in the wrong, or did James take a dive?
-Nick Walshaw
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has been accused of some stuff over the years.
Just as you’d expect of a fella, in the middle, enforcing, for 14 years.
But nothing like this.
On a night where the Roosters scored an emphatic 24-20 comeback win, JWH was controversially placed on report for what referee Grant Atkins described as unnecessary contact on the leg of Brisbane’s Ryan James.
Then soon after, accused of twisting the legs of Corey Oates.
But with that one, all good.
Which wasn’t how it went with the first, however.
But as for how you actually describe it?
Hmmmm.
After making a strong charge upfield, one of many he made in this one, the Roosters No. 8 then attempted to find his feet while, first, grabbing the leg of James and then lean forward with his shoulder.
But as for it being something sinister?
Certainly JWH couldn’t believe it.
“He’s crowding the ball,” the Roosters enforcer shouted at Atkins once, then twice.
While again moments later, the big unit again attempted to defend himself in an effort that was never going to have any more luck than one launched by, say, Lionel Hutz.
At which point, wonderfully, social media exploded.
With fans divided over whether Waerea-Hargreaves was the greatest victim since Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, or a serial killer worthy of the electric chair.
Which is just how it has been for much of his career, right?
If that’s any combination of players other than JWH on Ryan James nothing is said
— Marshall (@marshall23_) April 8, 2022
That’s why it’s never been called before https://t.co/qt22RYeAe8
Would anyone but JWH be penalised there?
— The Mole (@9_Moley) April 8, 2022
Will get a month!
Ryan James used to have bad luck with injury, now he’s a masterful diver. Evolution of the veteran eh? #NRLBroncosRoosters
— Rob Sutherland (@rob_sutherland3) April 8, 2022
I understand the blow up about the milking in games of late, from DCE last night to Ryan James today, we all hate it (unless it’s our team doing it).
— Jack Blyth (@jblesfooty224) April 8, 2022
But does anyone have a genuine solution? There’s not really a way to stop this, or am I missing something?#NRL
Either way, the 33-year-old has a nervous wait.
Yet everywhere else, the Roosters prop was outstanding.
By the finish, not only having made 39 tackles, the most of any player on the field, or missing none, but also churning through over 100m.
Yet still he would’ve been flat out stealing the game ball from Joey Manu, who scored two tries, while rising No. 6 Sammy Walker also did plenty to shut up his critics.
Apart from scoring a strong try himself, or kicking from the sideline late to draw the game level, Walker then nailed the win with a perfect grubber kick for Sitili Tupouniua.
Despite question marks having been placed over his defence – and the Roosters left edge did take a bath for large chunks of this one, particularly Paul Momirovski – the young Rooster was there when it mattered most.
Same deal Manu.
And particularly with around 50 minutes gone, and the Roosters defending their tryline, when the Roosters No. 4 not only got himself an intercept but, within a few plays, a reset, then a few more plays, a try.
From dummy half at the tryline, pushing through three Broncos to score.
Then late, with the game on the line, he bagged another.
Almost set up a third, too.
When again attacking the Broncos stripe late in the first half, he kicked through perfectly for Tupouniua – who with nothing but clean air between him and a white line, fumbled.
Elsewhere, Roosters forward Nat Butcher was placed on report for the type of crusher tackle that has fans asking exactly what a fella is supposed to do when Ryan James back into you like that?
But if the report was ugly, worse was to come when Butcher’s head found the sizeable knee of Payne Haas as he was himself burrowing towards the sideline.
Which not only brought the Rooster to an abrupt halt, but then off for a HIA.
He never returned.
Yet the Roosters, they did.
Down by 10 points at the break.
Home by four.
And all of rugby league split, once more, on JWH.
Broncos’ week from hell ends in more heartache
-Peter Badel
Pressure is building on Brisbane coach Kevin Walters to stop the rot after the Broncos’ week from hell ended with a heartbreaking 24-20 loss to a Sam Walker-inspired Roosters.
The Broncos looked to have emphatically buried the drama of the ‘Shoe-gate’ scuffle involving Payne Haas and Albert Kelly when they played their guts out to take the fight to premiership big guns the Roosters at Suncorp Stadium.
For at least 60 minutes, Brisbane were the better team, tackling like demons, and when Corey Oates crashed over for his second try on the hour, the Broncos were edging closer to a Bondi boilover at 16-12.
But in a wild and wacky final 10 minutes, the Roosters landed a crushing hammer blow, the one-two punch delivered by playmaking whiz-kid Walker, who rubbed salt into the wounds of the Broncos club he quit in 2019.
With the Roosters trailing 16-12, Joey Manu crashed over and Walker stepped up again as the Ice Man, landing a booming sideline conversion, before his 75th-minute grubber kick Sitili Tupouniua gave Sydney a 24-16 lead.
Refusing to die, the Broncos had hope when Oates posted his hat-trick two minutes from time, but the Roosters held on to consign Brisbane to their third consecutive defeat.
“It does hurt,” Walters said. “I thought we deserved to win, but rugby league doesn’t give you what you deserve sometimes.”
BROKEN BRONCOS
This was a gut-wrenching loss for the Broncos in front of 23,508 fans.
By rights, Brisbane deserved to win this. Given the off-field melodrama of the past seven days, the Broncos responded superbly and this was arguably their best display of the season as a Payne Haas-led Brisbane pack stuck it to the Roosters.
But when the game got tight in the final quarter, the Broncos lacked playmaking polish to put the Roosters to bed.
Conversely, young Walker held his nerve to get the Roosters home and amplify pressure on the Broncos, who face a daunting away clash against premiers Penrith next Friday night.
“It’s a work in progress,” said Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds, who will be assessed for a knee injury on Saturday. “It’s not an easy ride in the NRL. I will try and dig us out of this and get us a couple of wins.”
CENTRES OF ATTENTION
Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs and Roosters rival Manu waged a battle for the ages.
After a quiet opening month, Staggs’ body language oozed ruthless intent.
He finished with 182 running metres, 13 tackle busts and a try in a magnificent performance matched only by Manu’s power and finesse on the Roosters’ right edge.
When Staggs is in the mood, he gives the Broncos a more formidable look.
“Kotoni did a fair job,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said. “He was like Mr Olympia out there.”
SPINAL SURGERY
If the Broncos want to play finals football, fullback Tesi Niu and five-eighth Billy Walters must be consistently dominant to ease the strain on Reynolds.
Niu threw a nice 19th-minute pass for Oates’ opening try but he must stop allowing towering high kicks to bounce and become a potential tryscoring lottery.
Walters produced some excellent plays in defence, but his attacking options need work, as evidenced by his second-half intercept for Manu which gave the Roosters momentum.
What Walters would give to have Walker in the Broncos’ No. 6 jumper.
Still only 19, Walker is a bona fide star who revels in the pressure moments.
It was his 48th-minute try which kickstarted the Roosters’ fightback and when the contest was screaming out for a matchwinner, Walker rose like a 10-year veteran to plunge the dagger into the Broncos.
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