Round 2: Roosters v Warriors preview
Saturday afternoon rugby league returns to Moore Park where the Sydney Roosters will look for a major bounce back to form after their historic defeat to the Dolphins, as they host first round winners in the Warriors.
Comprehensively outplayed by the Dolphins, the Roosters looked a shadow of their former selves in their 28-18 defeat at Suncorp. The Roosters had injury issues during the lead up and these were exacerbated during the game with both Victor Radley and Brandon Smith sidelined at stages during the game.
Injuries aside, the Tricolours performed poorly in the contest and no doubt will be expecting much better of themselves, particularly in the way of ball security. They could only manage a 68% completion rate on Sunday, which kept putting them on the back foot, regularly coughing up possession to the NRL's newest side. They are going to need to hold the ball better to avoid putting themselves under pressure again.
The good news for the hosts is the boost gained by the return of Joseph Manu to the side. This sees Drew Hutchison dropping back to the bench and Corey Allan - who didn't get to step onto the field -off the bench last weekend - moving to 18th man. Fletcher Baker comes into the side for Matt Lodge who is having surgery on a facial fracture, while Radley and Smith are expected to play. The pair will have to pass the return-to-play protocols following concussions last week.
The Warriors ushered in the Andrew Webster era with a victory last weekend, a tense 20-12 win over the Newcastle Knights in Wellington. Whilst the performance was far from the crispest, they looked like a Warriors team of old, playing with confidence and taking the few chances that they got to score.
The Kiwi-based side looked the stronger of the two last weekend and this was evident in their high completion rate of 89% percent. As a result they were able to make more metres on the whole than the Knights, despite having less sets. The Warriors' attack was strong but will need to ensure they are as strong - if not stronger - against a quality outfit such as the Roosters.
Last meeting: Round 6 2022 - Roosters 22 Warriors 14
Who to watch: If he plays this weekend then Brandon Smith is the player to watch. One of the biggest signings in the NRL for 2023, Smith wasn't able to make much of an impact despite playing for 50 minutes on Sunday. The way the game unfolded, the Cheese wasn't able to make the difference that has become expected of him but being substituted off for HIA was also a killer of opportunity for Smith, and he will be looking for a good showing for his first game in front of new home fans.
Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad had a solid debut, getting on the scoresheet as well as notching up a try assist and running for over 200m last Friday. The impact that ‘CNK' had was strong but up against the Roosters it will need to be as strong to get the Warriors on the front foot and set up their attack.
The favourite: The Roosters are the heavy favourites for the contest, the line-ups and 2022 form would have them down on paper as the much stronger side.
My tip: It's hard to go past the Roosters for this one, even though their performance was poor against the Dolphins it's hard to think that they could be that bad again - although the game might not be the blow out that people think it is, especially with a Warriors side that are going to come out with confidence after a first-up win. Roosters by 10.
