NRL 2024: Sydney Roosters win 28-18 over Parramatta Eels as Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Kelma Tuilagi face suspension
NSW coach Michael Maguire was hoping to lock in some key positions tonight but instead has more questions, while two players could be facing a stint on the sidelines after being sent to the sin bin.
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James Tedesco has all but conceded Panthers counterpart Dylan Edwards will get the nod at fullback for the Blues despite the Roosters skipper putting in a monster performance to help his side hold off the Eels on Saturday night.
The superstar fullback was involved in everything as his side survived a furious comeback by the hosts to escape with a 28-18 win, with Tedesco doing everything possible to stave off Dylan Edwards as he looks to keep his No.1 jersey.
The former Blues skipper was a late inclusion in game one after Edwards succumbed to a quad injury, and he played like his Origin career depended on it with 178 metres, two try assists and a brilliant try-saver on Blaize Talagi on the stroke of full-time.
“I’m not sure, there’s not really much I can do,” Tedesco said.
“If Dyl is fit and plays, I think he goes back in, that’s the way I see it. Who knows? Anything can happen, so we’ll see.”
While Tedesco is trying to keep his spot, Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses is locked in a battle with incumbent Nicho Hynes for the halfback jersey after a foot injury kept him out of contention for the opener.
Moses sparked Parramatta’s comeback when he backed up some nice work from the props to get the hosts on the board in his third game back from injury, but for the second match in a row, he wasn’t able to ice the final moments as the Eels slumped to another defeat.
His speed and booming boot might be enough to earn him a recall given he’s handled the Origin arena every time he’s been picked, but Maguire will be wary that his star man hasn’t been able to manage late leads.
“Mitch is three games back from his foot (injury),” Eels interim coach Trent Barrett said.
“I think from a State of Origin point of view, I think he’s our best option.”
GET IN THE BIN
Social media was ablaze just three minutes into the contest when Parramatta’s Kelma Tuilagi escaped with a sin bin for a lifting tackle on Lindsay Collins that really should’ve seen the hosts reduced to 12 men for the rest of the game.
Collins could have suffered a serious injury after he was flipped in the tackle by Tuilagi who seemed relieved to avoid being sent off.
The Roosters struck twice with the extra man to establish a 10-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes, but the roles were reversed later in the half when Roosters firebrand Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was sin binned for a high shot on Shaun Lane.
The veteran prop faces a nervous wait for a shot that made “direct” contact with the head with “moderate force” according to the referee, with the Eels able to strike back five minutes later through Moses.
SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT
These are the wins that can be the difference between a sudden death game and a double chance in the first week of the finals, with the Roosters relieved to escape with the two points after they almost squandered a huge lead.
They looked set to rack up a cricket score in the early exchanges, but they fell apart either side of halftime with the Eels destroying them with offloads and some stunning solo play which saw Dylan Brown cross for an amazing try.
Trent Robinson would have been filthy with the middle portion of the contest, but he would have been thrilled with his stars who stepped up with the game on the line.
Angus Crichton set up two tries and scored the sealer off a Sam Walker kick, with the Blues star forced to play left centre after Michael Jennings left the field with a hamstring injury.
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