Walker passes big test in JWH's feisty milestone; Worrying Dragons ...

The Sydney Roosters have beaten the St George Illawarra Dragons 42-12 in their Round 18 clash at Allianz Stadium to establish themselves as a true Premiership favourite.

It was Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ milestone match but really it was Sam Walker’s afternoon. As has been the case for much of this season, Walker had the ball on the string to inspire the Roosters to victory.

After six minutes the brilliant halfback’s short kicking game was once again on show. Stepping off his right foot, Walker rolled a left footed grubber into the in goal for Victor Radley to open the game’s scoring.

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Shortly after Walker converted a penalty goal to give the Roosters an 8-0 lead inside the game’s first 10 minutes. At that point fans could be excused for thinking this contest would turn into a repeat of ANZAC Day.

Except it didn’t, with the Dragons clawing their way back into the contest courtesy of a Waerea-Hargreaves sin bin in the 16th minute that summarised the physicality of the game’s opening stages.

The milestone man was sent for 10 after collecting Dragons centre Max Feagai forcefully high and his team were under the pump.

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Up to that point Waerea-Hargreaves had been playing like a man possessed by the spirit of himself in his prime, charging at Dragons defenders with ball in hand and setting the tone defensively.

During the ten minute period with a numerical advantage the Dragons dominated proceedings. They had the lion’s share of possession, 68% of the territory and 14 tackles inside the Roosters 20 but failed to capitalise.

Instead, Dom Young crossed in the corner a minute before Waerea-Hargreaves returned to extend the home side’s lead to 14-0.

From there, the Roosters generated plenty of momentum through the middle of the park and had their chances to score, only to be denied by the Dragons.

The Dragons remained in the fight until half-time and finally crossed through Jacob Liddle, who is making a habit of scoring from dummy half, in the 37th minute.

“They needed this the Dragons,” Fox League’s Cooper Cronk said. And didn’t they just. Up to that point they’d had nothing to show for their 31 tackles in the Roosters 20 in the first half.

Entering half-time 14-6 meant the Dragons were well in the contest. They came out for the second half with a point to prove, and crossed through Christian Tuipulotu.

However, that would be the last time the Dragons tasted joy in this contest as the Roosters ran away with the game in the second half.

Lindsay Collins barged over in the 51st minute and in the 14 minutes the Roosters crossed for three more tries, including another off Sam Walker’s boot.

Scheming on the opposite edge of the field Walker stepped off his left and rolled a right footed grubber into the in goal for Angus Crichton to score.

Five minutes later James Tedesco raced through a broken Dragons defensive line before Daniel Tupou and Sitili Tupouniua scored before full-time to ensure the two points remained in Bondi.

With this win the Roosters confirmed themselves as a heavyweight in this competition, and with this performance Jared Waerea-Hargreaves confirmed himself as one of the greatest Roosters of all-time.

WHAT WE LEARNED

SAM WALKER PASSES FLANNO’S TEST

When these side’s last met on ANZAC Day Sam Walker stole the show, creating four tries as the Roosters won 60-18.

Pre-game, Dragons coach Shane Flanagan vowed the young No.7 wouldn’t have the same influence over the contest and insisted his side would go after Walker.

And early in the game the signs of the Dragons aiming their attack at the Roosters’ halfback were evident, with Luciano Leilua particularly going after Walker.

So much so that Fox League’s Cooper Cronk commented early in the first half that “it’s clear this afternoon the dragons are targeting Sam Walker.

“Luciano Leilua has a bullseye on the Roosters halfback,” he said.

However, Walker passed the physical test thrown at him by the Roosters, finishing the game with 14 tackles with just one miss.

With ball in hand the Roosters halfback was arguably his side’s most influential player.

After six minutes he created the game’s first try with a lovely left footed grubber for Victor Radley and after 56 minutes his grubber once again found a Roosters back rower to score.

Walker’s performance earned the praise of Cronk, who stated Sunday’s clash was a continuation of the “short kicking game masterclass from Sam Walker in 2024.”

Fox League’s Warren Smith added the young half was “just terrorising the Dragons as he did on ANZAC Day.”

JWH PARTY AT ALLIANZ

A typical series of bullocking runs, a bunch of crunching tackles, a predictable stint in the sin bin and a nasty head clash were all in a day’s work for Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

But this was no ordinary day at the office for the Roosters’ great.

Waerea-Hargreaves pulled on the tricolours’ jersey for a record breaking 307th time to edge past Mitchell Aubusson and become the club’s most capped player of all time.

His performance matched the occasion. It had everything.

The veteran front rower set the tone early for the Roosters and his teammates followed with an emphatic 42-12 victory over St George Illawarra at Allianz Stadium.

Most of the 23,388 strong crowd whipped themselves into a frenzy every time the 35-year-old got near the ball and when, as though it was part of the script, Waerea-Hargreaves was sin binned by referee Ashley Klein in the 17th minute for a high tackle on Max Feagai, the Roosters’ faithful erupted.

When he left the field bloodied late in the first half after a head clash with Ben Murdoch-Masila, Waerea-Hargreaves received a standing ovation.

At the end of the match the crowd were again on their feet as they chanted ‘Jared, Jared’.

Waerea-Hargreaves debuted for Manly in 2009, playing six times for the Sea Eagles before moving across the bridge to the Roosters in 2010, becoming a three-time premiership winning club legend.

He will finish up in the NRL at the end of this season before heading to Hull KR in the Super League and the way the Roosters are hitting form, a fairytale fourth premiership must be in his sights.

With a “bit of blood (and) a bit of sin bin” Fox League’s Cooper Cronk remarked his former teammate’s “done it all today in his milestone.”

WORRYING DRAGONS TREND REARS ITS HEAD AGAIN

Anyone who’s watched the Dragons this year knows when they win they tend to win well but when they lose they often lose by big margins.

Against the Roosters this worrying Dragons trend continued. At half-time Shane Flanagan’s side were down by just eight. By full-time that margin had stretched to 30 as the Roosters ran home with the game.

This isn’t the first time the Dragons have entered half-time within touching distance of victory, only to collapse spectacularly in the second half and lose the match.

In Round Three against the Cowboys Shane Flanagan’s side trailed 22-18 at the interval but lost 46-24. In Round 12 against the Bulldogs they led 12-6 at half-time but lost 44-12 and against Manly in Round 15 they led by two at the break before going on to lose by 16.

At their best there is no denying St George can compete with some of the competition’s best and push for a place in the top eight. However, at their worst they play like a side that belongs at the bottom of the ladder.

If Shane Flanagan and his team are to be in the hunt for finals at the end of the season it will come off the back of cleaning up their second half slides and ensuring they compete for the entire 80 minutes of a match, instead of 20 or 40 minute spells.

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