Jared Waerea-Hargreaves ban leaves Roosters exposed against Melbourne
Bookies still rate Sydney Roosters the team to beat against Melbourne Storm, but one big man’s absence could make all the difference.
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Do the Sydney Roosters have too many nice guys and not enough mongrel to match Melbourne without their main enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves?
Steve “Blocker” Roach, one of the game’s legendary tough guys, believes that is the burning question heading into Saturday’s preliminary final at the SCG.
Roach was at AAMI Park on Saturday night to watch the Storm’s demolition job on Parramatta, when the rampaging Nelson Asofa-Solomona and fellow giant Jesse Bromwich led from the front with ruthless performances.
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While the TAB still has the reigning premiers as $1.53 favourites to beat the Storm ($2.50), Roach reckons the bookies might have it wrong.
He didn’t write off the Roosters but said the absence of Waerea-Hargreaves makes it a lot tougher.
“It is a toss of the coin but the Roosters are hampered without Waerea-Hargreaves,” Roach said. “He is their main man.
“It is a bit like Sam Burgess for Souths. He makes it personal.
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“He would go after Asofa-Solomona, and that is what will be missing from that game.
“Waerea-Hargreaves goes after people. None of the other Roosters forwards are like that.
“They are all tough and they can play, but he is the one everyone breathes life off.”
The Roosters are also premiership favourites at $2.25. Canberra are next at $3.50, then Melbourne at $4.25 and Souths at $9.
However, the biggest factor working against the Roosters is the absence of JWH, who is serving a one-match ban for tripping.
Fox Sports Stats shows that in the past two years the Roosters have lost five of nine games without Waerea-Hargreaves.
They have a 44 per cent winning strike rate without him which improves to 77 per cent when he plays.
It begs the question: do the Roosters have the mongrel without him?
“Well, I think they haven’t got half as much, put it that way,’’ Roach said. “They lack a lot without him.
“I do believe the Storm have the edge in the forwards now Waerea-Hargreaves is missing. It is whether they can nullify the Roosters’ left edge in attack.”
Jake Friend’s likely return from injury raises other issues for Roosters coach Trent Robinson in respect to his bench.
While Friend is a near lock to come straight back into the starting team if fit, Waerea-Hargreaves’ suspension almost certainly means Robinson will have to play a fourth front-rower, which could cost Sam Verrills and/or Nat Butcher a spot on the bench.
Most likely Isaac Liu and Siosiua Taukeiaho will be the starting props.
Zane Tetevano and Lindsay Collins will be on the bench, along with Angus Crichton, while Poasa Faamausili and Sitili Tupouniua are the other contenders.
The week off means the Roosters will have options with everyone fit, but the reality is there is no way of replacing Waerea-Hargreaves, regardless of who makes the cut.