Warriors down Roosters 32-28 in golden point extra time
AFTER watching Roger Tuivasa-Sheck come back to break the hearts of his new generation of Roosters, Trent Robinson only had good will for his former fullback.
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AFTER watching Roger Tuivasa-Sheck come back to break the hearts of his new generation of Roosters, Trent Robinson only had good will for his former fullback.
But a challenge for his young players — prove you can win without their big names.
After slumping to their fifth straight defeat to start a season for the first time since 2007, Robinson revealed that injured stars Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Boyd Cordner won’t be back until at least round nine, when Mitchell Pearce is also due back from his suspension.
To put in perspective the challenge ahead for the Roosters, who sit stone-motherless last at the bottom of the NRL ladder, the last team to lose their first five games and still make the finals was Brisbane way back in 1999.
While Robinson said he was not even worried about what might or might not eventuate in the months ahead, he still believes this young squad has success in them, they just have to find it.
After going down 32-28 to the Warriors, it doesn’t get any easier when they take on arch-rivals South Sydney this Friday night.
Asked when Cordner and Waerea-Hargreaves would be back, Robinson said: “I’d say a month still.
“It will be round nine or after the rep round. That is when they will be here.
“Look, we will look forward to it but we want to play some good footy and win some games without them.
“That is the exciting bit for us at the moment. We can do that and we don’t have to rely on them.”
On Sunday, they couldn’t have tried much harder after fighting back from trailing 20-8 in the first half to finish the match locked at 28-all. But watching how the Tuivasa-Sheck try unfolded in golden point was another moment when the young Roosters just took their eyes off the prize.
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After the Warriors kicked off in golden point, the Roosters completed their set but ended it with a bit of a nothing kick from Jackson Hastings. And there the Warriors turned on a razzle-dazzle finish.
From well inside his own half, Tuimoala Lolohea turned on his turbo charger, sprinting into the clear before he offloaded to Tuivasa-Sheck who outpaced Shaun Kenny-Dowall for the winning try.
“It was a crazy game,” Tuivasa-Sheck said after he’d been in to visit the Roosters in their dressing room.
“After the game I went in to see all my old friends. I know it wasn’t the best time for me to go in but I love those boys.”
Robinson said of all the players on the field, he was happy to see Tuivasa-Sheck score.
“To be honest I love Rog,” Robinson said. “So if anyone is going to score against us I’m happy for Rog.”
The Roosters are playing with the majority of their spine in Latrell Mitchell, Jayden Nikorima and Hastings still eligible for under 20s.
“Look it is really hard,” Robinson said. “Don’t pretend I am trying to cover up.
“We had enough opportunities and we should have won today.
“But we’ve decided to go and teach them some footy.’’
NZ WARRIORS 32 (S Johnson 2 S Kata 2 R Tuivasa-Sheck M Vatuvei tries S Johnson 4 goals) bt SYDNEY ROOSTERS 28 (S Kenny-Dowall 2 M Aubusson S Taukeiaho tries J Hastings 6 goals) in golden-point extra time at Central Coast Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, David Munro. Crowd: 10,113.
Originally published as Warriors down Roosters 32-28 in golden point extra time
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