This game was as good as over in the first two tackles. Or 23 seconds to be precise.
The Sydney Roosters are through to a preliminary final against Melbourne after thumping a tired Manly 40-16.
Their hopes received an almighty boost when Tolu Koula was knocked out in the first tackle of the game, then Jake Trbojevic came from the field for a head injury assessment after the second tackle.
Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was returning from a three-match ban and was always going to put his hand up for the first carry. He trampled over Koula, who immediately knew he would be playing no further part.
The sight of Jake Trbojevic stumbling after colliding with Lindsay Collins was of greater concern, but he was ruled to have displayed category-two concussion symptoms and was given the green light to return.
Still, the double interchange put Manly on the back foot and they never truly recovered despite being cheered on by a healthy dose of maroon and white in the 40,818-strong crowd inside Allianz Stadium.
“The start was a little bit surreal in some ways losing Tolu and Jake the first two tackles of the game,” Manly coach Anthony Seibold said.
“But I was really proud of the guys, I thought we kept fighting really hard. The Roosters were too good tonight, that was the reality of it. We fought hard, but what could go wrong went wrong in many respects.”
Sea Eagles’ skipper Daly Cherry-Evans added: “You don’t ever plan for anything like that. We did our best considering, but that’s not the start you need in a semi-final.”
Roosters skipper James Tedesco bagged a double in his 250th NRL game and produced one of the great captain’s knocks.
Tolu Koula was flattened in the first tackle of the game.Credit: Getty Images
Coach Trent Robinson loved the effort from Tedesco and said: “He’s been playing like that all year, but that was another level up tonight – that was exceptional.”
The Roosters will need to lift again if they have any chance of advancing past the Storm.
Seriously, who gives them a red-hot chance of beating the Storm in their own backyard?
Melbourne have won ten of their last 11 contests against the Chooks. They also have the advantage of enjoying the week off and coming into next Friday’s contest at AAMI Park fresh.
Cronulla will face a similar headache taking on a rejuvenated Penrith next Saturday.
The Roosters have one of the most star-studded rosters in the NRL, and anything less than a preliminary final would have been a fail.
It is still hard to fathom that a club with so much talent has not featured in a grand final since they won it in 2019.
The pending exits of Waerea-Hargreaves, Joey Manu, Luke Keary and Joseph Suaalii means there is an unspoken pressure to get the job done now.
Who knows how long they might be waiting if 2024 is not the Year of the Rooster.
Even the most one-eyed Roosters fan knows it will not be easy next weekend.
Easts have been guilty of leaking too many points at different stages throughout the season. Manly were too knackered to put the Roosters under any real pressure, but expect the Storm to apply the blowtorch from the opening set.
The Roosters celebrate a try.Credit: Getty Images
Roosters coach Trent Robinson would have been disappointed Manly scored a try just before the break when Daly Cherry-Evans kicked for Haumole Olakau’atu.
Olakau’atu was arguably the best Sea Eagle on the park and made it a mission early to go after Lindsay Collins, ironing him out with a few decent shots.
The Roosters scored first through Victor Radley, who was put into a yawning gap by Tedesco.
Tedesco scored the second when he caught a no-look pass from Keary, skipped down the left wing and passed to Daniel Tupou, who rifled it back infield for his fullback. It was beautiful to watch.
Sandon Smith, who struggled in his first finals game a week earlier against the Panthers, would have taken plenty of confidence out of a solo try when he skipped past some tired defenders in Cherry-Evans and Tom and Jake Trbojevic.
Smith appeared to hobble on a couple of occasions in the second half because of a right leg injury but finished the game.
Waerea-Hargreaves will strip fitter for the blowout, and there were no injury concerns nor players on report.
But they will need to stay in the game a lot longer than two tackles.
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