NSW Cup
The 6th placed Sydney Roosters NSW Cup team have kept their finals chances alive with a 26-24 victory over 13th placed South Sydney at Redfern Oval.
The Roosters dominated early to lead 12-0 after 8 minutes and looked headed for a comfortable victory. Left edge Aston Warwick scored the first Roosters try crashing over close to the line off a pass from hooker Zach Dockar-Clay, before player of the match Sandon Smith, back as half back, sliced through the Rabbitohs defence before drawing the Souths fullback to send left centre Reece Foley in for the Roosters second try.
Constant Roosters errors eventually led to Souths scoring their first try and a second was soon to follow, with the scores locked at 12-12 after 30 minutes. The Roosters eventually hung on to the ball long enough to enable a perfectly placed Sandon Smith chip kick to be caught, well above his head, by Aston Warwick for his second try and the Roosters went to the halftime break leading 18-12.
The Roosters error rate continued to climb through the second half and they were lucky not to concede a try in the first part of the second stanza. A penalty goal to Sandon Smith gave the Roosters a 20-12 lead with 20 minutes remaining but the win was not secured. A shift in possession then saw Souths run in the next two tries and with nine minutes remaining the Roosters were suddenly behind 24-20 and facing a significantly costly loss.
However, there was one twist left in the tale. The Roosters were able to spend enough time in the Rabbitohs territory to give Sandon Smith the chance to throw a lovely cut out pass to send Junior Pauga over in the right corner to level the scores with just minutes remaining. The Smith sideline conversion gave the Roosters a 26-24 victory and a hold on 6th place on the ladder, with three matches remaining.
The Roosters with 14 errors, and a completion rate of just 61%, were their own worst enemies at times but stood up when the match was on the line and got the much needed two points. Apart from Sandon Smith, with his three try assists and five goals from five attempts, right winger Junior Pauga, in just his second game back from a long injury break, was back to his near best, running for 150 metres with 6 tackle breaks and crossed for the winning try.
Despite the win, the victory of the Panthers over the Jets has left the Roosters still two wins behind the 5th placed Panthers.
Next up, in the first of three must win games, the Roosters play the 10th placed North Sydney Bears at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.
Jersey Flegg Cup (Men’s Under 21s)
The 8th placed Sydney Roosters Jersey Flegg Cup team have returned to the winner’s circle, after their disappointing loss to Manly-Warringah five days earlier, with a thumping 44-12 win over 13th placed South Sydney at Redfern Oval.
The Roosters fielded their 9th halves combination from their last 12 games, this week pairing S.G. Ball Cup premiership second rower Darcy Smith with his Ball Cup team mate Brooklyn Rosemeyer, with Smith playing five eighth. Regular half and captain Josh Durkin is currently sidelined with an ankle injury. A debut was also given to highly rated 17-year-old schoolboy centre Jeziah Papa, who didn’t look out of place playing four years above his age group.
The Roosters ran in eight tries to two, with left winger Kade Maguire crossing for a treble, taking his season tally to 23 from 21 games to be the competition’s leading try scorer. Also crossing for a try was the young debutant Papa and bench forward Fanafou Seve, who scored his 6th try of the season in his 11th game.
The young Roosters forward pack were dominant, providing a great platform for the Roosters backs to shine.
The Roosters have a big assignment next match, up against competition leaders Melbourne in Melbourne next Saturday.
NSW Women’s Premiership
The 8th placed Central Coast Roosters NSW Women’s Premiership team have been beaten 26-18 by the fourth placed South Sydney at Redfern Oval. The young Roosters, fielding a side containing three NRLW players, including Premiership winning Origin player Tavarna Papalii, returning from injury, and three NRLW development players, were very competitive with he Rabbitohs but went down five tries to three.
Halves Sienna Thomas and Jayde Herdegen were impressive for the Roosters but the Roosters fourth loss of the season has them down in 8th spot on the table after the halfway mark of the competition.
The Roosters play next in Monday night football when they play competition leaders Newcastle Knights in Newcastle.
Ron Massey Cup
The 4th placed Glebe Ron Massey Cup team had the bye this weekend after defeating Canterbury-Bankstown 48-10 in their deferred Round 18 clash on Wednesday night.
Glebe’s final home and away match is on Sunday against 2nd placed Ryde-Eastwood at Wentworth Park. In all likelihood the Dirty Reds will need to win this match to play finals in 2025.
Sydney Shield
The 7th placed Glebe Sydney Shield team have suffered a shock loss to last placed Moorebank in their deferred Round 18 clash at Hammondville Oval.
The Rams beat the Dirty Reds 22-20 after Glebe led 20-18 inside the final ten minutes. Glebe’s side featured Roosters Jersey Flegg Cup players Druzel Taula (winger), James Khoo (centre), Enzo Griffier (winger) and Jacob Tinsley (hooker).
Glebe’s season will conclude on Sunday when they play 6th placed Ryde-Eastwood at Wentworth Park.
See the latest results below for all the Senior Representative and Affiliate club sides.
| Competition | Home Team | Away Team | Match Info | Next Round | Ladder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW Cup | Sydney Roosters (26) | South Sydney Rabbitohs (24) | Match Stats | v Bears | 6th |
| Jersey Flegg Cup | Sydney Roosters (44) | South Sydney Rabbitohs (12) | Match Stats | v Storm | 8th |
| NSW Women's Premiership | South Sydney Rabbitohs (26) | Central Coast Raiders (18) | Match Stats | v Knights | 8th |
| Ron Massey Cup | Bye | v Hawks | 4th | ||
| Sydney Shield | Moorebank Rams (22) | Glebe Dirty Reds (20) | Match Stats | v Hawks | 7th |
