Roosters break Warriors hearts in a classic

The Sydney Roosters have orchestrated a stunning second half comeback to record a 25-21 victory over the New Zealand Warriors in front of 14167 heartbroken fans.

It was all the Warriors in the first half who set up residence deep inside the Roosters half for most of the opening stanza. The visitors defence was strong early though, turning away numerous attacking raids.

Eventually they were worn down and the flood gates opened with a try to Solomone Kata in the 29th minute after the ball was spread on the last tackle, with Tuimola Lolohea providing the last pass. Shaun Johnson failed with the conversion, but the home team were finally on the board.

From the ensuing set of six, it was again the Kata and Lolohea show. Again filling in for the injured Sam Tomkins at fullback, Lolohea sent Kata through the line with a well timed short ball before backing up on his inside to collect the spoils of his work. Johnson converted to give his team a 10-0 lead.

In the 37th minute, a piece of Rugby League history was created when Manu Vatuvei crashed over in the corner. Big Manu became the first player in history to score ten tries in a season for the tenth consecutive year and the Warriors had what looked a commanding 14 point lead.

The celebrations were short lived though, with Kata making a crucial error and turning possession over for the Roosters to go on the attack. The visitors needed little invitation to snatch a late four pointer through winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Five-eight James Maloney nailed a tough conversion into the breeze to reduce the deficit to eight heading into the break.

The Warriors again jumped out of the blocks the faster in the second half with a stunning try to Kata in the 43rd minute. Warriors half Johnson chose to chance his arm and run the ball from his own half on the last tackle and sent his centre Konrad Hurrell bursting down the right hand side. Hurrell managed to keep the ball alive and the home team sent it through several sets of hands back to the left for Kata to grab a double. Johnson converted to give his side a strong 14 point lead once again.

Momentum would soon swing the Roosters way with a barnstorming charge down field from back-rower Sio Siua Taukeiaho. Playing his first game in the top grade this year, centre Brendan Elliot took a spectacular catch above his head from a Jackson Hastings bomb, before stretching out to score. Maloney made no mistake with another tough conversion, reducing the deficit to eight with 30 minutes to play.

A penalty goal from Maloney five minutes later would set up a thrilling finish with the Warriors holding a 20-14 lead with 25 to play.

By this stage the home team were starting to tire and all the momentum was with the Roosters. The Warriors were brave and hung on grimly until Maloney took the line on and burst through the tiring defence to score and convert his own try, leveling the contest in the 73rd minute.

In a frantic finish to the match, Maloney and Johnson traded field goals before comeback kid Blake Ferguson stole the show, crossing for the match winner in the dying seconds. Maloney was again set for a field goal attempt, but showed the composure to spread the ball right with a surging Warriors defensive line coming at him. He missed his final attempt at goal but his team recorded a memorable victory.

Next week, the Warriors will look to pick themselves back up off the canvas before battling the Gold Coast Titans at CBus Super Stadium on Saturday evening. The Roosters will enjoy a nine day turnaround before a blockbuster against the St George Illawarra Dragons at Allianz Stadium on Monday week.

Match Details

New Zealand Warriors 21 Sydney Roosters 25
Venue: Mt Smart Stadium
Crowd: 14167
Halftime Score: New Zealand Warriors 14 Sydney Roosters 6

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS (21)
Tries: Solomone Kata (2), Tuimoala Lolohea, Manu Vatuvei
Field Goals: Shaun Johnson (1/1)
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (2/4)

SYDNEY ROOSTERS (25)
Tries: Shaun Kenny-Dowall, James Maloney, Brendan Elliott, Blake Ferguson
Field Goals: James Maloney (1/1), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (0/1)
Conversions: James Maloney (3/4)
Penalty Goals: James Maloney (1/1)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - Siosiua Taukeiaho
2 points - James Maloney
1 point - Solomone Kata

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

Welcome to Leagueunlimited's coverage of an all important Round 14 fixture from across the ditch between the New Zealand Warriors and the Sydney Roosters. Both teams are locked on 14 competition points and will be looking for a win to entrench themselves in the Top 8 and stay in touch with the Top 4.

LATE MAIL WARRIORS - Sam Tomkins has failed to overcome his knee injury and will be replaced by Tuimoala Lolohea at fullback. Jono Wright will come onto the bench.

LATE MAIL ROOSTERS - Jared Waerea-Hargreaves didn't travel with the squad and will be replaced by Dylan Napa in the run on side. Suaia Matagi comes onto the bench to make his club debut against his former team mates.

1: Were underway at Mt Smart Stadium, with the Roosters getting 1st use of the steeden

2: A strong set from the Roosters making 60m and Maloney going high on the last, cleaned up by the home team though

3: RTS fumbles a high kick from Johnson but it goes backwards

4: Penalty Roosters, Thompson holding on to long. Visitors with the 1st chance to attack..

5: VIDEO REF possible Roosters try, ref has signaled no try, checking the grounding..

5: NO TRY Sam Moa went close to posting 1st points but was ruled to have lost the ball whilst diving over

6: Johnson kicks for the corner but RTS is there to bring it back over his own 20

7: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
James Maloney makes an unforced error.
Maloney attempted a high ball but it gos out on the full with a strong breeze here tonight

9: Repeat set for the Warriors with Townsend rolling a grubber into the in-goal

10: Penalty Warriors and Maloney and Nathan Friend want to get niggly!

11: Warriors take the tap...

12: Another repeat set forced by Johnson, Thompson nearly dived on the grubber but RTS was there again to clean up

13: This time Johnson chipped for the corner on the last but Tupou cleaned it up. Roosters 20m tap

14: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Brendan Elliott makes an unforced error.
Elliot throws a shocker of a forward pass trying to put Tupou in the clear

16: Johnson grubbers for himself but RTS again cleans it up, the Warriors will get another repeat set though

18: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Raymond Faitala-Mariner makes an unforced error.
the rookie puts down a short ball from Townsend under pressure. Roosters goal line defence is strong & starting to frustrate the home side

19: PENALTY Warriors, Elliot done for taking Ken Maumalo mid air

20: six more for the Warriors after a Johnson bomb comes off the Roosters

21: Maloney gives away another penalty for holding on too long

22: VIDEO REF..checking a possible Nathan Friend try

22: NO TRY but another penalty

22: The Beast can't pick up a ball around his bootlaces with the line open. Roosters scrum 10 out from their line

23: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Jake Friend makes an unforced error.
An unusual error from Jake Friend passing it forward out of dummy half. Warriors again in the Roosters half

24: Townsend kicks it high to the corner, but Tupou eats it up, as u'd expect...

25: The rains getting heavy now at Mt Smart

26: Handover for the Warriors after a Hastings ball bounces and the Roosters come up with it. Hurrell cleaned up Maloney with a solid hit though

27: Penalty Warriors - Kane Evans lands a high shot with his shoulder

29: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Solomone Kata. Kick to come.
Finally the Warriors crack their opposition after running it on the last, with Lolohea sending Kata over in the corner

30: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson unsuccessful.
Johnson from the sideline...misses to the right

32: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Tuimoala Lolohea. Kick to come.
Back to back from the Warriors. Kata burst through off a Lolohea short ball on halfway, Lolohea backed up to get the spoils

33: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson makes no mistake with that one

34: Repeat set for the Warriors, Johnson drilled a kick deep with the ball touching RTS' legs before going dead

37: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Manu Vatuvei. Kick to come.
And the flood gates have opened...Big Manu crosses in the corner becoming the 1st player in history to score 10 tries in a year in 10 consecutive seaspns!

37: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson unsuccessful.
Johnson hooks that one to the left

39: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Solomone Kata makes an unforced error.
Kata drops it after making a bumping run down the left.

39: Roosters scrum 45 out from Warriors line

40: VIDEO REF possible Roosters try... checking whether a Warriors play has grounded it 1st

40: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Kick to come.
SKD scores after the Warriors fail to clean up a grubber from RTS on the stroke of halftime

40: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney from the sideline, into the breeze kicks a superb conversion

40: HALFTIME at Mt Smart with the boys heading into the sheds for some well deserved oranges. The home team dominated for most of the half, camping themselves in the Roosters half before scoring 3 tries in 10 minutes. The Roosters were able to snag a late try to make a game of it in the 2nd half.

41: Play is back underway & the Warriors have 1st use

42: RTS struggles back over his 10m line from the kick

43: Maloney chips for the corner but it goes straight to Maumolo

44: VIDEO REF possible Warriors try...

43: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Solomone Kata. Kick to come.
A stunning try from the Warriors after Johnson chose to run the ball on the last, sending Hurrell away down the right. The ball then went through several sets of hands before coming back to Kata on the left to score a double!

43: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson sends his team 14 clear

46: Johnson sends one high into the breeze, but Tupou has no troubles with the take

47: Maumalo takes a high ball from Maloney in his own corner

47: A surging run from the Beast..

48: Townsend kicks deep & the chase is good, trapping RTS inside his 10

48: A drop ball sees the Warriors on the attack again...

49: Johnson's kick on the last goes nowhere, Roosters ball

50: Taukeiaho with a big run down field

50: VIDEO REF possible Roosters try, ref says try...

50: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Brendan Elliott. Kick to come.
Elliot takes a spectacular catch above his head before stretching out to score off a Jackson Hastings kick.

50: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney, like an arrow nails the kick

52: Maumolo takes a kick from Maloney & charges it back over his 30

53: A drop ball now sees the Rossters on the attack...& a penalty, they'll be deep on the attack now...

54: Penalty Roosters, another set in attack coming up...

55: or not! Maloney will shoot for two to reduce the deficit to six...

56: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Penalty goal attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney pots it over

57: J. Friend kicks from dummy half to trap the Warriors deep in their half

58: N. Friend tries a kick of his own which wasnt so good. Roosters ball

59: Drop ball after Konrad jams in on Willie Manu to force the error

59: Johnson grubbers it into touch 15m out from the Roosters line

61: Hastings sends it high but the beast eats up the steeden

62: Johnson again finds touch 15 out, good game management

63: Taukeiaho makes another bust before the ball is knocked free from the Warriors, 6 more

64: another set coming up for the Roosters after Kata knocks on a Hastings kick

65: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Jake Friend makes an unforced error.
Friend has dropped the pill whilst trying to dive over the line

66: Nathan Friend is heading off the field for a concussion test.

66: Johnson again finds touch 15m out, that was a close thing though with the ball just bounces in the field of play

67: J. Friend kicks deep and the Warriors bring it back

68: The Warriors are down to 15 men with Friend & Lisone not returning tonight

69: A warriors pass bounces into touch and the Roosters have inside the home team's half

70: Jono Wright playing at fullback, takes a kick from Maloney in a dangerous position

70: Johnson kicks deep but RTS brings it back strong

71: 6 more for the Roosters after Maloneys kick is charged down

72: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by James Maloney. Kick to come.
Maloney shows it before taking the line on and breaking through a tiring Warriors defence

73: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney from close range levels the contest

74: Penalty Roosters will see them go deep into Warriors territory

75: SUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Field goal attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney puts his team in front!

76: Warriors try the short kick-off & come up with a scrum feed with Ferguson knocking it forward..

77: SUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Field goal attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson levels it up again!

77: RTS charges onto a Johnson kick and the Roosters are charging up field

78: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Field goal attempt by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck unsuccessful.
RTS misses to the right but Wright has knocked on in goal!

79: VIDEO REF possible Roosters try..

79: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Blake Ferguson. Kick to come.
Ferguson, the comeback kid has won it for the Roosters, crossing in the corner after the Warriors rushed Maloney for a field goal leaving space to run it on the right

80: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney unsuccessful.
Maloney misses from touch

80: FULLTIME in a classic encounter across the ditch. The Roosters have left the home fans heartbroken with a stunning second half fightback. Thanks for joining us folks, who said footy is boring during the Origin rounds! Stay tuned for our match report to come shortly!