By Billie Eder
The Roosters were dealt a series of hammer blows to their finals campaign with Sam Walker, Victor Radley and Brandon Smith assisted from the field in their 14-12 loss to the Raiders on Sunday.
Walker suffered a suspected ACL injury, Smith has possible MCL damage after a hip-drop tackle from Elliott Whitehead and Radley went off clutching at his shoulder.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson said the trio had been sent for scans, and confirmed he and Whitehead had exchanged words following the match, after Whitehead told reporters Robinson “had a go at me” when he tried to apologise.
“I’ve got the three guys that are going for scans now. Doesn’t look good for Sammy, so that’s really disappointing,” Robinson said.
“It was tough when untouched Sammy went down and obviously then Brandon, and then Rads with the shoulder sort of late there and then [Nat Butcher] Butch, but it was one of those games. It’s tough when you finish a game, and you have carnage like that.”
Whitehead was sent to the bin for the hip-drop on Smith – his first of two for the afternoon – and said he had an exchange with Robinson when he tried to apologise.
Victor Radley with a Roosters’ trainer after suffering a shoulder injury.Credit: Getty Images
“I didn’t mean to do [that to] Brandon. I know he’s come up with a bad injury and stuff, and I’m sorry to him for that,” Whitehead said. “I went over to ask about Brandon and Trent Robinson’s had a go at me. I went to apologise, and he’s turned on me, so the way he’s done that I thought [he] was out of order.”
Robinson said he had told Whitehead the hip-drop tackle was too prevalent in his game.
“He came up and just wanted to ask how Brandon was, and I just said it was too many times. The hip-drops been pretty common in his game for a long time, and I just said it’s too many times. It’s cost us a player,” Robinson said. “That was it. He said it was an accident, and I just said look you’ve done it too many times. That was it.”
Walker was the Roosters’ first casualty of the afternoon after he was left in pain after attempting to tackle Simi Sasagi in Canberra’s in-goal. He dropped to the ground and grabbed his left knee.
Brandon Smith is assisted from the field.Credit: Getty Images
The injury is to the same knee that kept Walker sidelined for three months last year.
Roosters hooker Smith was also assisted from the field after the hip-drop from Whitehead, while Canberra fullback Jordan Rapana left the field with a season-ending fractured cheekbone after a collision with James Tedesco.
Whitehead was later sent to the bin again for trying to kick the ball out of Angus Crichton’s hands during a tackle.
Victor Radley added to the Roosters’ injury list after suffering a suspected AC joint (shoulder) injury, and Nat Butcher came off for a head injury assessment (HIA) with 18 minutes to go.
Butcher failed his HIA which means Robinson could be missing up to four of his regulars for their round 27 clash with the Rabbitohs next Friday.
Joseph Suaalii was already missing from the Roosters’ lineup on Sunday after he suffered a shoulder injury last week. He is expected to return next week.
The Roosters were allowed to activate 18th man Zach Dockar-Clay because Smith left the field due to an act of foul play, but the team still struggled.
Tensions between the teams hit boiling point with two minutes left, and the Roosters kicked for goal to make the difference one converted try after being awarded a penalty for a high tackle from Danny Levi.
The Roosters had one last chance to even the score with 90 seconds on the clock, and Keary sent a cross-field kick to Daniel Tupou who scored as the full-time siren sounded. Keary was unable to guide his conversion attempt between the posts.
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