Joey Manu ‘cheap shot’ reignites bitter NRL rivalry amid thriller

After their last spiteful meeting in the 2022 finals, the Roosters and Rabbitohs have again delivered an absorbing, and at times bitter, thriller.

Andrew McMurtry

@AndrewMcMurtry

3 min read

March 17, 2023 - 11:29PM

It was a wild finish to the clash. Photo: Getty and Fox Sports

Rugby league’s longest held rivalry has delivered once again as the Sydney Roosters took a 20-18 win in another thriller against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Joseph Manu had two of the biggest moments of the match, pulling off one of the great try-saver, before being sin binned minutes later.

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Another bruising contest boiled over with three minutes remaining after Roosters centre Joey Manu took Isaiah Tass high as he was about to slam the ball down, despite the play already being called back for a forward pass.

After the last clash between the sides ended in a spiteful elimination final last season which included a record seven sin bins and the match had been billed as round two all week.

But it wasn’t close to being as spiteful as last time out, until Manu’s hit.

A 20-12, Manu flew in from the side and collected Taas high before Rabbitohs captain Cam Murray intervened — and it was on.

Like most NRL fights in 2023, it was mostly pushing and shoving, Manu left the scrap with a bloodied eye which immediately became swollen.

However, there was immediately concern it had reinsured Manu’s fractured cheekbone from Latrell Mitchell in the 2021 edition of the rivalry but coach Trent Robinson said he believed it was just a split and would only require stitches.

It’s unclear how it happened but Manu said he was punched.

Australian mixed martial artist Damien Brown tweeted: “Manu deserve a whole combo not just a punch after that cheap shot. As dirty as it gets especially after the play is done”.

It was an ugly tackle from Manu. Photo: Fox Sports

There just had to be some pushing and shoving. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Ultimately Manu was sin binned for his tackle, while the Rabbitohs’ Michael Chee-Kam was also sin binned for being the third man in.

After the match, Murray said the melee was “valid” after the hit on Tass.

“I let my emotions get the better of me,” Murray said.

“I was just sticking up for my teammate. I’ve said it before that I won’t go and start something but I’ll always go and stand up for myself and my teammates.”

Manu had earlier pulled off one of the great try-savers, chasing down Tass from behind to punch the ball out of his clutches.

Manu pulls off a try saver for the ages!

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Roosters coach Robinson said Manu made a mistake with the second hit.

“He was trying to make the tackle he made on Tass before and knock it out and he got it wrong,” he said.

“And then running in and everything that went on after that is what it is.”

But after the questions continued, Robinson had enough, slamming the media for being negative.

“It’s been so negative all week, and then we came out and played a game, so lets focus on the footy,” he said.

“Don’t blow something up to be … from both sides. It was a push and a shove and something that shouldn’t happen and someone reacted poorly — so what.”

Manu was sin binned with the shiner. Photo: Fox Sports

But the 12-on-12 finish set up a grandstand finish when Izaac Thompson crashed over to make it 20-18 with 60 seconds to go.

Latrell Mitchell had the chance to send the game into golden point but his audacious field goal attempt out of dummy-half landed short to leave Souths with one win after three rounds.

With all the ups and downs in the clash, it was another classic which once again left social media in awe.