Ref Goes Down In Warm-Up, As Roosters Dominate

The Sydney Roosters have kept their minor premiership hopes alive, with an emphatic 46-12 win over the New Zealand Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium in front of 19,000 fans.

The game began in relative drama when the NRL's most senior referee Shayne Hayne was ruled out of the match after injuring his hamstring during the warm-up, this meant that the assist referee David Munro a veteran of just 27 NRL games had to take the senior role with Chris Sutton who has yet to take an NRL game was required to back up after just refereeing the earlier Holden Cup match.

As if the drama wasn't enough, the opening points of the game in just the fifth minute when the Roosters were awarded a Penalty Try, after video referees Steve Clark and Luke Patten had ruled that Thomas Leuluai had illegally dislodged the ball from the grasp of Aiden Guerra who was in the process of scoring by using his feet.

Despite having dominance of the game in the early stages, the Warriors could only come up with the one try and that came through Sam Tomkins who was in the right spot to clean up the tap back and score and after the conversion the scores were level.

The Roosters then made the Warriors pay for not capitalising on back to back penalties and a repeat set when the Roosters replied with their own 80m set before Michael Jennings had too much footwork from close range off the back of a penalty.

The Roosters came back with one more try in the first half when Shaun Kenny-Dowall scored in the repeat set after Sam Tomkins lost the ball, after the conversion the Roosters took a 16-6 to the break.

The second half was a good one for the Roosters with tries seemingly coming at will with the first coming after just one minute of the second half when Anthony Minichello was on the receiving end of a James Maloney burst and pass

Sam Moa crossed for his fifth try of the season before minutes later things got worse for the Warriors when Sebastine Ikahihifo was sent to the sin bin for what the touch judge called "a very late and very deliberate flop" right on his own try line.

Luckily for the Warriors, 12 man period only ended in one try for the Roosters and that came through Isaac Liu who burst his way towards and through the Warriors defensive line to get his try of the afternoon.

The next Roosters try came through Boyd Cordner who flew through some flimsy defence to score off a Jake Friend kick.

The Warriors hit back with just a few minutes to go when Ngani Laumape was able to hold the ball and score in the corner to bring the score back to 40-12.

When most thought the scoring was done, a ever so regular Warriors error gave Michael Jennings a double when the Roosters went from right to left to score and after James Maloney converted it was a 46-12 scoreline.

Next weekend, things get a slightly bit easier for the Warriors who take on the Gold Coast Titans at Mt Smart Stadium next Sunday, meanwhile the Sydney Roosters have another must win match if they want to keep their minor premiership hopes alive when they take on the Melbourne Storm at Allianz Stadium.

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS (12)
Tries: Sam Tomkins, Ngani Laumape
Field Goals:
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (2/2)
Penalty Goals:

SYDNEY ROOSTERS (46)
Tries: Aidan Guerra, Michael Jennings (2), Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Anthony Minichiello, Sam Moa, Isaac Liu, Boyd Cordner
Field Goals:
Conversions: James Maloney (7/8)
Penalty Goals:

TEAM CHANGES: Chad Townsend is OUT of the Warriors side today, he will be replaced at 5/8 by Thomas Leuluai who moves from hooker, Nathan Friend starts in jersey 17, Jayson Bukuya comes onto the bench

TEAM CHANGES: 2 Big returns for the Roosters, SBW returns and will start from the bench in jersey 18, Jake Friend also returns and starts at hooker in jersey 22, Mitch Aubusson goes back to the bench with Remi Casty & Kane Evans dropping out of the team

1: Play underway at Mt Smart Stadium - Warriors have first possession

4: VIDEO REFEREE: Aiden Guerra with a possible try - Dave Munro says TRY, checking Grounding

5: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Aidan Guerra. Kick to come.
The Video Refs award a penalty try - after it was ruled Thomas Leuluai dislodged the ball illegally

5: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
James Maloney converts from in front after the Penalty try

9: PENALTY WARRIORS: A loose arm from Michael Jennings goes high and Dave Munro obligingly penalises it

11: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Sam Tomkins. Kick to come.
Sam Tomkins finds a gap off the tap back from Laumape and the Warriors hit back on the scoreboard

12: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Shaun Johnson has no problems converting the try to level the scores up

14: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Anthony Minichiello makes an unforced error.
Shaun Johnson puts the ball into out of space before Anthony Minichello drops the bomb, the Warriors have the scrum 30m out

16: PENALTY ROOSTERS: Warriors penalised for being too slow in the ruck according to Dave Munro

18: PENALTY WARRIORS: Another penalty to the Warriors after James Maloney threw the Warriors player to the ground after held was called

18: PENALTY WARRIORS: Back to back penalties to the home side after JWH was ruled to have stripped the ball

20: PENALTY ROOSTERS: Nathan Friend is penalised for spinning around on the tackled player

21: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Michael Jennings. Kick to come.
Michael Jennings is too quick and has too much footwork for the big men of the Warriors and he crosses for an easy try

22: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney unsuccessful.
James Maloney puts a horrible one in and it goes across the face of the goals

24: If you missed the earlier news, our main referee Shayne Hayne is OUT, injured his hamstring in the warm-up, Dave Munro moves from assist ref to senior ref and U20's ref Chris Sutton is now the assist ref

25: Well that was a rubbish finish to the set - Warriors get the tap back off the bomb but Sebastine Ikahihifo just falls to the ground with it

25: PENALTY ROOSTERS: Jayson Bukuya penalised for not leaving the ruck quick enough

26: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Mitchell Pearce makes an unforced error.
Mitchell Pearce looks to burst through the hole infront of the uprights but he loses the ball off the pass

32: Good set from the Warriors - Shaun Johnson finds touch 20m out from the Roosters line

35: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Kick to come.
Shaun Kenny-Dowall gets the ball on the second tackle after Sam Tomkins lost the ball off the last tackle bomb and they score

36: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
James Maloney converts the try from near the sideline

39: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Nathan Friend makes an unforced error.
Simon Mannering goes across the field before offloading the ball to Nathan Friend who drops it

40: Both sides back out on the field for the second 40 minutes

40: David Munro calls time on and the Roosters have the first possession in the second half

41: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Anthony Minichiello. Kick to come.
Anthony Minichello gets his 14th try of the season - James Maloney bursts through some weak defence before getting the ball away to the count who adds another try to his career tally

42: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
James Maloney has no problems converting the try from in front

44: A real negative end to the set from the Warriors, Shaun Johnson puts the ball over the sideline about 20m from the Roosters line

46: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Sonny Bill Williams makes an unforced error.
SBW holds the ball out to try and get the offload and then loses the ball

47: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Sam Moa. Kick to come.
Another poor error from the Warriors gives the ball back to the Roosters and its set up for James Maloney to set up Sam Moa for the try

48: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
James Maloney puts another easy conversion over from infront and extends the lead

50: SIN BIN
Sebastine Ikahihifo is sent to the sin bin.
Sebastine Ikahihifo is sent to the sin bin - after the touch judge gave the advice to the Referee on a flop that was as late as ever been seen

53: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Isaac Liu. Kick to come.
Isaac Liu barnstorms his way through some flimsy defence to score under the posts

53: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Once again - James Maloney has no problems converting from close range

55: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Anthony Minichiello makes an unforced error.
Not everything going to plan for the Roosters - Anthony Minichello couldn't cleanly pick up the ball off the kick

56: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Jake Friend makes an unforced error.
Jake Friend goes for a burst but a good tackle dislodges the ball and the Warriors have their best chance

57: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Ngani Laumape makes an unforced error.
Ngani Laumape loses the ball on tackle 1 from the scrum

58: PENALTY WARRIORS: Roosters go up field before losing the ball and they cough up a penalty after Sam Moa stayed in the ruck for too long

59: Sam Tomkins goes across field with the kick and Michael Jennings takes it on his own goalline

62: Roosters running a rampage down the left, and the James Maloney kick is pushed dead by the Warriors

63: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Boyd Cordner. Kick to come.
Boyd Cordner flies through and gets to the ball first off an excellent kick from Jake Friend

65: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Yet again, James Maloney puts the conversion over yet again

75: Restart of the tackle count after the kick has been charged down

77: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Ngani Laumape. Kick to come.
A faint silver lining to the cloud for the Warriors - Ngani Laumape gets a try in the corner

77: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Shaun Johnson puts the kick through the posts from the sideline

79: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Michael Jennings. Kick to come.
The Warriors turn the ball over and the Roosters go from one side to the other and score through Michael Jennings

79: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
James Maloney has no problems converting the try