League: Roosters too good for Warriors

Isaac Liu of the Roosters charges forward during the round 24 NRL match between the New Zealand...
Isaac Liu of the Roosters charges forward during the round 24 NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart Stadium. Photo by Getty

A blistering performance from the Sydney Roosters has left the Warriors' hopes of clinching a fifth or sixth place finish in tatters and leaves serious doubts over their top eight credentials.

With Roosters back-rower Sonny Bill Williams returning from a month long injury break to play his final NRL match in New Zealand, before making a second switch to rugby at the season's end, and so much at stake for the home side, expectations were high that one of the best games of the year would unfold.

What eventuated was nothing short of a nightmare for Warriors fans as the reigning premiers ran in eight tries to two in a clinical performance that has them primed to go all the way for back-to-back titles.

Less than a month ago the Warriors were within range of the top four but the past three weeks has seen them drop off the pace with one patchy win and two disastrous defeats.

Much optimism surrounded the club's hopes after coach Andrew McFadden took charge back in round six, but the gloss has well and truly been stripped away after seven losses and nine wins under his watch.

They now need to win both of their remaining two games against the Titans and Panthers to give them any chance of a top eight finish, while the win puts the Roosters closer to securing a top fourth berth.

First half tries to Aidan Guerra, Michael Jennings and Shaun Kenny-Dowall helped to a 16-6 halftime lead after the Warriors could muster just one four-pointer to Sam Tomkins.

The second-half saw the reigning premiers run rampant with tries to captain Anthony Minichiello, Sam Moa, Isaac Liu, Boyd Cordner, before Ngani Laumape scored four minutes from time.

The visitors had the last word, however, with Jennings claiming his second while former Warrior James Maloney booted seven goals from eight attempts.

The Roosters had the perfect start to the game when a 90-metre break from Tupou put them in position for Guerra to score out on the right flank in just the fourth minute.

Thomas Leuluai's desperate boot dislodged the football from the Queensland Origin player's grasp only for referee Dave Munro to award a penalty try to gift Maloney his first goal from right in front.

The home side bounced back quickly when Laumape tapped back an attacking bomb into the hands of Sam Tomkins who raced in before Johnson's kick levelled the scores.

A dislocated shoulder ended wing David Fusitu'a's afternoon after five minutes meaning Ben Henry had to shift out wide with centre Ngani Laumape filling in on the flank, to leave their bench a man down for the rest of the game.

The Warriors went on to dominate possession and complete 17 of their 18 of their first half sets but despite enjoying a wealth of opportunities inside the visitor's attacking zone they were unable to leverage further points.

Poor execution inside the attacking zone and ineffective kicking from Johnson and Tomkins continually let the Roosters off the hook. Too often the ball found Minichiello, on the full, while powerful running from Kiwis test contenders Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Moa saw them dictate the pace of the game. With halves Mitchell Pearce and Maloney playing the game on the advantage line, they began finding room out wide on the edges through Boyd Cordner and Williams.

Wiley Roosters hooker Jake Friend, also returning from a three week injury layoff, caused the defence plenty of problems, and his dummy-half scampers helped create tries for Jennings and Kenny-Dowall to put them 10-points clear by halftime.

As they did in last week's second-half rout of the Tigers, the Roosters took their game to another level after the restart, with Maloney laying on two quick tries for Minichiello and Moa, to leave the 19,676-strong crowd stunned.

A shell-shocked Warriors side were relegated to spectator status as the Roosters continued to roll up-field with ease before Moa and Liu's names joined the score sheet to make it 34-6 with 30 minutes remaining. Cordner's try kept the scoreboard ticking over in one direction before Laumape's consolation try, but Jennings' efforts added to the Warriors woes.

- by David Skipwith


Warriors 12 (Sam Tomkins, Ngani Laumape tries; Shaun Johnson 2 from 2 goals) Roosters 46 (Aidan Guerra, Michael Jennings 2, Anthony Minichiello, Sam Moa, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Isaac Liu, Boyd Cordner tries; Maloney seven conversions)


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