NRL: Sydney Roosters all but end Newcastle Knights’ hopes of a top-four finish with a 42-12 win

Newcastle Knights coach Adam O’Brien was ‘shocked’ by his team’s 42-12 loss to Sydney while the Roosters’ Boyd Cordner suffered a head knock.

The Roosters' Luke Keary scores a try during the NRL match between Sydney and the Newcastle Knights at the SCG on Saturday. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Boyd Cordner failed to finish the game during the Roosters’ 42-12 win against the Newcastle Knights on Saturday night but coach Trent Robinson says there are no concerns for his immediate future. 

  The fact he was even able to get his mind around playing was a feat in itself given recent tragic circumstances.

Roosters' Boyd Cordner, left, after a head knock during the NRL match between the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights at the SCG. Picture. Phil Hillyard

The Roosters co-captain played just a day after the tragic death of his cousin Joel Dark, 19, who collapsed while playing rugby league for Central Newcastle last Sunday.

Players wore black armbands and a minute silence prior to kick-off was held with Cordner clearly emotional as his cousin flashed up on the big screen. 

  With just Cordner’s second touch, he laid on the opening try to Josh Morris.

But after attempting to score a try of his own, he was taken from the field in the 26th minute for a concussion test after knocking on the ball in the in-goal.

Cordner, who has had two previous concussions this year with the most recent resulting in six weeks on the sidelines, ­failed to return.

“He was quite good,” Robinson said. “On field you could see his eyes were good, his responses were quite good. The assessment was really good. The time off he had plus also the week he has had, that was a smart call to say ‘righto take a breath. Don’t go back on’.

“It was an incredibly tough week. He is upset like any cousin would be. It’s a hard one [to ask him or play or not]. You do go through that in your head as coach and staff. It’s hard to know what the right call is. I had a couple of good discussions with Boyd. I’m not concerned about him health wise. I’m more concerned about him [regarding] Joel’s passing.”

The loss all but ends Newcastle’s slim hopes of a top-four finish. The Roosters raced to a 24-0 lead in as many minutes. They are quietly on a four-game winning streak, dropping just one of their past eight.

Luke Keary laid two and crossed for two tries while Daniel Tupou also scored twice.

Robinson praised his team’s start. “A couple of errors on last tackle with those two tries before half-time,” he said. “I thought we started the second half well but left points out there. Our eyes told us where to go. We could’ve executed.”

The boot of Mitchell Pearce produced two first half-tries for the Knights to have them trailing 24-12. But the joy was short-lived when Kyle Flanagan produced a kick-try of his own for James Tedesco to give the Roosters a 30-12 half-time lead.

Knights coach Adam O’Brien said he was “shocked” by his team’s performance.

  “The difference between our best and our worst is way too far apart,” O’Brien said. 

Mitch Aubusson played a club record-equalling 302nd game for the Roosters. 

FULL MATCH REPORT here

The Sunday Telegraph