2021 NRL Round Four, Roosters 32 Warriors 12 – Report

Brad Inger reviews the Roosters v Warriors game at the SCG….. Here’s how the game went.

SCOREBOARD

Player of the Year Points

3 pts – Angus Crichton (Roosters)
2 pts – Brett Morris (Roosters)
1 pt – James Tedesco (Roosters)

MATCH REPORT

1st Half

The Roosters had the first attacking opportunity in the match after the Warriors gave away a penalty on their goalline and looked certain to score when Joseph Manu charged over the line, only for him to lose control as he went over the line. The Warriors responded quickly and, on the back of a repeat set, found themselves on the scoreboard first after a Kodi Nikorima bomb was deflected into the hands of Adam Pompey. Both sides started the match with intensity, and there were plenty of big collisions in the middle of the park. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck broke into open space and put Nikorima in a perfect scoring position, only for him to lose the ball after a huge try-saving effort by Brett Morris. This gave the Rooster some much-needed possession, and they wasted little time when James Tedesco broke the line and ran 20 metres untouched to get the Roosters first points of the match. The New Zealand side didn’t take long to get themselves back into the contest as they surged up the field on the next set and found themselves gifted a new set in the Roosters Redzone after Angus Crichton knocked on when trying to collect a deflected kick. On that set, Tuivasa-Sheck pushed a grubber through for Tohu Harris to pounce on. Minutes later, young debutant Sam Walker made it look easy when he put Nat Butcher over the try line with a nice short ball to bring the Roosters within two points of the Warriors. Moments later, a Tuivasa-Sheck knock-on from a bomb saw the Roosters white-hot on attack again, and they went to their try-scoring machine Brett Morris in the corner to take the lead for the first time in the match. The Roosters appeared to have crossed on the very next set through Crichton, but the Bunker reversed the decision, claiming the Tedesco ran behind one of his own players to let the Warriors off the hook. The New Zealand side’s continued to struggle with the ball in hand, with David Fusitu’a losing possession after a nice draw and pass from Tuivasa-Sheck. The final minutes of the first half became quite messy, with both sides show a lack of respect for the ball as the Roosters went into the sheds with a narrow lead.

HALF-TIME: Sydney Roosters 16 New Zealand Warriors 12

2nd Half

It was a poor start for the Warriors, with Harris losing control of the ball on the first set; a few tackles later, a penalty against Ben Murdoch-Masila for a head-high on Walker handed the Roosters a whole set deep in the New Zealand sides RedZone. The Warriors showed some defensive starch with several try-saving efforts and avoided falling further behind on the scoreboard. The Warriors spent the next few minutes camped in the Roosters half, earning repeat sets but failing to convert them into points, coughing up the ball right on the Roosters try-line. In their first real taste of the ball in the second half, the Roosters wasted little time, marching up the field with ease and handing Brett Morris his second try of the night. Another Warriors error saw the Rooster’s scoop up the loose ball to streak away to score through Drew Hutchinson. The Roosters continued to pile on the pressure, and while they didn’t score more points, they refused to allow the Warriors out of their own half. A penalty against the New Zealand side for failing to get a dropout delivered in the specified time only made matters worse for the away team, but they were let off by a Roosters error. Another Roosters error handed the Warriors great field position, and they looked to have scored through Ken Maumalo. However, the Bunker reversed the decision after footage showed that Maumalo had his hand on the touchline when scoring in the corner. After that let-off, it was back to business for the Roosters as they went the length of the field with ease and sent Josh Morris over for the Roosters sixth try of the match. The Warriors looked to string some attacking phases together but let themselves down again with some poor ballhandling. With only a few minutes left, the Roosters continued to make easy work of the fatiguing New Zealand side to end the match with a dominant victory to get themselves back in the winner’s circle.

FULL-TIME: Sydney Roosters 32 New Zealand Warriors 12

Injuries

to be advised

Match Review Committee

Victor Radley (Roosters) – Grade 1 Dangerous Contact Other – Guilty at Judiciary $1800
Bunty Afoa (Warriors) – Grade 1 Shoulder Charge – Early Guilty Plea 1 match ban.

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