Full Time
80:00
8:05pm Fri March 22, 2024
Round 3 - Allianz Stadium, Moore Park / Gadigal - Crowd: 37594

Match Overview

The Sydney Roosters have absolutely blitzed a mediocre Souths side on the night that Roosters prop Jared Warea-Hargreaves celebrated his 300th NRL game.

Roosters with a standard set play from a scrum in the 4th minute, sent the ball right to James Tedesco who drew the winger and the passed outside to Dominic Young wrapping around, who scores untouched in the corner.

In the 16th miniute, Sam Walker grubbered ahead, Cameron Murray got a hand on the ball which slowed it down. Walker followed through, toed it ahead to get past Latrell Mitchell and then he planted the ball for a crafty try. He then converted.

The Roosters scored again in the 27th minute when Tedesco threw a dummy and then a glorious long ball out to the unmarked Young who raced around the edge defence before passing inside to Walker in support who skipped over the line to score. He again converted his own try.

At halftime the Roosters were in complete control and lead 18-0.

An offload by Naufahu Whyte goes to ground 10 metres from the Bunnies line, before Sandon Smith kicked it off the deck to the right side where Joey Manu caught it and scored a brilliant try. Walker added the extras.

Souths finally got off the mark in the 50th minute courtesy of a perfect short ball from Cody Walker to his lead runner and Jacob Host scored. Latrell Mitchell converted the try. 

Sam Walker copped a stray elbow to the back of his head as he went into a tackle on Jack Wighton. He walked off the field and was shortly after ruled to have a category 1 concussion, ruling him out for the remainder of the game.

On the hour mark, the Roosters returned their lead to 24 points, when Sandon Smith took on the Bunnies line and then grubbered. The ball bounced up and Connor Watson leapt up, caught it and fell heavily to score. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii converted.

A battle between Latrell Mitchell and James Tedesco over a rolling ball in the Souths ingoal ended with Mitchell pushing Tedesco away, which earnt Latrell a sin-binning. From the ensuing penalty, the Roosters went right and found Manu in space and he scored easily. Suaalii converted.

With 8 minutes remaining in the game, the Roosters crossed again when Young got into space, grubbered in field, then Tedesco toed it forward again, the ball popped up nicely in the Souths in-goal, Tedesco caught it and planted the ball just before the dead-ball line to score. Suaalii converted.

With 3 minutes remaining, the Roosters crossed again. An Angus Crichton offload close to Souths line found Brandon Smith, he then fires a ball to the middle and hits Tedesco running a great line back infield and he dives over to score under the sticks. Suaalii converts.

The Roosters finished with an immense 48-6 win.

3. Sam Walker

Walker may have missed a chunk of the second half due to a head knock, but he was clinical in the first half and got the Roosters off to a brilliant start, guiding them to a 24-0 lead at the break. His kicking, passing and organising was on point.

2. Sandon Smith

When Walker came off the field, Smith stood up brilliantly and kept the Roosters attack rolling on and piling on more points.

1. James Tedesco

Tedesco was safe and steady in the first half, but injected himself in the second half and had a great game in the end.