‘Special moment’: Nick Politis crashes Jared Waerea-Hargreaves interview in touching gesture
NRL greats have hailed the “special moment” Roosters chairman Nick Politis crashed a post-game interview to honour Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
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Roosters chairman Nick Politis crashed a post-game interview on Friday night in a touching gesture that said everything you need to know about the influence of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves on his beloved club.
The 82-year-old billionaire was spotted queuing up for some time with JWH as the champion front-rower reflected on his 300 NRL game achievement during an interview with Channel 9’s Brad Fittler.
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Speaking after the Roosters’ 48-6 demolition job over arch rivals South Sydney at Allianz Stadium, the 35-year-old prop said it meant the world to him to be able to celebrate his achievement with his family.
“This is what it’s about honestly,” Waerea-Hargreaves said..
“I’m super grateful to have my kids, my family from New Zealand, all my best mates from Brissy and all my best mates on the field (with me).
“It’s a dream come true. To represent this club every single weekend with these boys, that’s what it’s all about. After the seven weeks off (suspended) last year, it’s just meant to be.
“I love what I do, I love turning up every day, I love coming to work, I love representing such a proud club ... this is what dreams are made of.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to the game and to the Roosters.”
That’s when Fittler called in Roosters supremo Politis, who was hovering just to the side of the cameras.
Politis accepted Fittler’s invitation to join the interview and quickly made a beeline for the fiery Kiwi front-rower, before planting a kiss on his cheek and affectionately touching his face.
“Well done mate, proud of you, proud of you,” Politis said to Waerea-Hargreaves.
“This is what we dream of don’t we, very proud of you, thankyou for everything.
“It’s unbelievable what this guy’s done… I’m so proud of him, so proud of the whole team what a great performance tonight.”
Politis’ touching gesture was praised as “special” by Roosters premiership-winner Cooper Cronk, who revealed that the Roosters director very rarely came down from the grandstands to the field after matches.
“And look at this Nick Politis, arguably the greatest Rooster of all time with everything he’s done for that football club, comes and gives one of his longest serving front-rowers a hug, that’s a special moment,” Cronk told Fox League.
“Nick doesn’t often come down from the grandstand and go down and personally congratulate someone.
“It’s only people that do some tremendous things for the jersey and Jared’s done that tonight, so (it’s a) terrific night for the football club.”
Waerea-Hargreaves, who will join Super League side Hull KR on a one-year deal in 2025, was praised for his performance in his milestone match by fellow front-row great James Graham.
“What you see if what you get from game one to game 300, he’s sensational, ultimate competitor, every single carry is fierce and ferocious, it was nice to see him start the game because he really set the tone and laid the platform for the victory,” Graham told Fox League.
“But my favourite scenes are the ones at the end of the game, we see this character and this fierce, ferocious competitor that’s growling and in people’s faces, that’s grappling for everything, putting on dominant tackles.
“But then to see him with his beautiful children at the end of the game, how good’s that, how good’s rugby league when you’ve got people like Jared, a fearsome scary individual and he’s a dad as well, that’s brilliant to see, I love that about our game.”
Cronk agreed with Graham’s sentiment, saying viewers could clearly see on the broadcast that the real JWH is far more than just the brutal enforcer they see out on the field.
“If you want to get an insight to the man JWH and the player, I thought our cameras picked it up perfectly tonight, he ran onto the field with his kids, then he just bashed the South Sydney forwards for 80 minutes and took everything he could, then after the game he’s got his family and kids back around him and he’s having cuddles and moments that he’ll cherish,” Cronk said.
“He was terrific tonight, I thought he set the tone and every other player respected him.”
Rabbitohs in crisis
We’re only three games into the season but South Sydney’s season is on life support and things could get worse with star recruit Jack Wighton set to come under the match review committee’s spotlight in his first game for the club.
In his first game back from a biting ban, the former Raider had a solid night but could be charged for a raised knee and leading with his bumpers which caught Sam Walker in the head and forced the Roosters halfback out of the contest early in the second half.
Losing Wighton is the last thing the Rabbitohs need after they slumped to an 0-3 start to the season following a calamitous 48-6 loss to their fiercest rivals who sensed weakness and feasted on their carcass.
“He got his bumpers up and Sam got his head in the wrong spot, but I’m sure he’s okay,” Demetriou said.
“I don’t think he’ll have too much trouble with that.”
Coach Jason Demetriou didn’t like some of the questions on Thursday morning but he looks like a man running out of answers after he dropped his halfback and demoted his hooker to the bench, only for things to get worse.
They gave away a cheap penalty on the first play of the night, coughed up the ball eight times in 40 minutes and attacked like individuals who hadn’t studied the game plan, with Dean Hawkins no certainty to hold onto his spot next week.
“It’s disappointing, it hurts. It’s probably the lowest point of my career right now, but I know how we can get out of it. We’ll fight and we’ll fight together,” Demetriou said.
They were jeered at every turn by a rabid Roosters crowd, with Latrell Mitchell booed every time he touched the ball, with the biggest cheer of the night coming when the former Chook was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul on James Tedesco.
They are now reeling and could finish on the bottom of the table for the first time since 2010 if results don’t go their way this weekend.
HOT CHOOKS
It’s hard to believe this is the same team that looked so sluggish in attack last year, with the champions who were panned 12 months ago returning to their best to make the Roosters one of the early favourites to end Penrith’s streak.
There were calls in the off-season for James Tedesco to be dumped from the Blues side, but the NSW skipper has carried his club on his back and is playing the sort of footy that made him the best player in the world not that long ago.
It’s too early to pick Origin teams but he’ll be there later in the year after another dominant display where he plucked a double, ran amok through the ruck and brought the South Sydney edge defence unstuck.
He combined to put Dom Young over for the first try, while his pass to the Englishman for their third was something Nathan Cleary would’ve been proud of, with the towering winger passing back inside for Sam Walker’s second.
The young halfback – the same guy who was dropped to reserve grade last year – steered the ship like he was Russell Crowe in Master and Commander, even if he admitted this week that he hated the movie.
Walker was brilliant with regular halves partner Luke Keary missing, with the pint-sized playmaker using his beautiful mind and his clever kicking game to grubber twice for a stunning solo try.
- with NCA Newswire’s Martin Gabor
Originally published as ‘Special moment’: Nick Politis crashes Jared Waerea-Hargreaves interview in touching gesture
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