Sydney Roosters outmuscle plucky New Zealand Warriors on Easter Sunday

The Sydney Roosters have shaken off a spirited New Zealand Warriors outfit to notch their fourth win of the 2022 season.

The Chooks got the chocolates on Easter Sunday. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Sam Walker was only three months old when the Roosters beat the Warriors to claim the 2002 premiership, but you get the feeling he could be doing a few anniversary laps of his own down the track after his superb solo try helped his side claim an uninspiring 22-14 win at the SCG.

Against the team he made his NRL debut against last year, Walker produced the moment of the afternoon to give his side some breathing room after a very nervy opening 50 minutes.

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Ahead 14-8, Walker went down the shortside on the last tackle, dummied to his left, spun through a tackle and slammed the ball down in traffic to score a try that would have made former five-eighths like Brad Fittler proud.

“I like the way that he’s playing the six role,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

“I like the fact that he’s taking opportunities, he’s seizing moments and he’s enjoying (his footy). He’s not shy, he’s enjoying playing the game and he’s using his vision to play those moments.”

It was the play his side desperately needed after a very poor start to the contest. Just like last week’s game against Brisbane, they found themselves behind at halftime but were able to recover thanks to a couple of bits of individual brilliance.

This is a team that will take a couple of months to gel according to their coach Trent Robinson, and while they’ve been very rusty to start 2022, the ladder has them on eight competition points with four wins from six games.

Waerea-Hargreaves was placed on report. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Paying the penalty

It’s a good thing judiciary records got wiped before the start of the season because three of the Roosters’ worst offenders earned the ire of the officials on Sunday afternoon.

Enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was placed on report for a high shot on Aaron Pene that forced the Warriors prop off for an HIA, Victor Radley was also placed on report for a high tackle on winger Edward Kosi that left him sick and sorry, while Angus Crichton was penalised for a crusher tackle early in the second half.

Discipline was an issue all game for the Roosters, and they were very lucky not to be reduced to 12 men when James Tedesco tripped up Addin Fonua-Blake in the play the ball after the Warriors skipper had made a half-break.

But it was Radley’s tackle that garnered the most interest given Kosi was trying to dive back into the field of play so his head was much lower than normal.

“They can’t suspend that bloke for that because Ed was on the ground,” Brown said.

“I understand we’ve got concussion and things (like that) but you can’t suspend Victor Radley for that. You can’t possibly. I’m not sure what Victor’s supposed to do.”

Reece Lightning

There have been some dazzling tries this season, but you won’t see many better than Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s second-half four-pointer that was set up by some ridiculous lead-up work by Reece Walsh.

The teenager got the ball back on the inside on the last tackle, beat a defender and then hooked the ball back across his body at full speed. Watene-Zelezniak caught the kick and then left Daniel Tupou on the floor with a sickening step to cap off the perfect play.

But they just couldn’t get any closer, with a couple of crucial decisions going against them late.

“When you’re the aggressor like they were, you tend to get things,” Brown said.

“The referee’s not the reason why we’re on the losing side.”

Walker was the man of the hour. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Suaalii back in action

Joseph Suaalii’s long-awaited return to the NRL didn’t have the highlight moment we all wanted to see, but the teenage sensation got through a mountain of work in his first game of the season.

Still only 18, Suaalii has been restricted to three NSW Cup matches this season after a serious foot injury cut short his 2021 campaign after only five games.

There has been so much hype about this young man ever since he made the high-profile move from the Rabbitohs to the Roosters, but we’re still yet to see that moment of magic in attack.

Instead, he was restricted to plenty of tough carries coming out of trouble and led the way with a team-high 76 metres in the first half from eight runs.

He finished with 112 metres from 12 carries and proved he is going to be a weapon in the air that will make the Roosters deadly on both sides of the field with Daniel Tupou one of the best jumpers on the left.

“I thought he was great,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

“I love the way he started. It was such a good game.

“He moved well with Joey Manu on the end of the line, he dealt with last plays well and he carried well out of the backfield.

“If that’s home base then it’s a really good start, and then all the other stuff can come off the back of that. You’ve got to build that early, and I think that was a really good game from Suaalii to get that started.”

The one concern with Suaalii is his defence, and he was exposed a couple of times in the first half on Sunday, with Warriors winger Edward Kosi able to score untouched because the Roosters rookie wasn’t sure whether to jam in or stay put.