Allianz Stadium: Cameron Murray was concussed, Joey Manu hobbled off with a calf injury, and Latrell Mitchell was sin-binned while being booed incessantly the entire night.
Rugby league’s most bitter rivals did not disappoint on the opening night of Allianz Stadium on Friday night.
Hopefully, the sequel is even better when they meet next week in an elimination final.
The Roosters christened their new Moore Park digs with a 26-16 victory. They have now won eight straight games and are the form team heading into the finals.
Manu will not feature in next week’s rematch after he clutched at his right calf and immediately signalled to the trainer that his night was done.
He was making a tackle approaching the hour and looked in pain. Despite knowing his night was done, Manu jumped to his feet to make one more tackle before coming from the field.
Egan Butcher scores a try at Allianz Stadium.Credit:Getty
Manu is a game-breaker who has played a key role in the Chooks’ resurgence. What a shame it will be if he is sidelined for all of September.
The Bondi boys are still to welcome back Joseph Suaalii (shoulder), Victor Radley (concussion) and Daniel Tupou (groin), as well as the suspended Lindsay Collins. Does Suaalii make the move to Manu’s right centre position?
You would love to know what Roosters coach Trent Robinson said to them in the sheds after their last loss to Penrith.
It is a shame the Roosters and Penrith will meet in a preliminary final, provided the premiers dust Parramatta in week one and the Bondi boys continue their winning ways.
Skipper James Tedesco was the star and may have done enough to bag the three votes on offer to steal the Dally M Medal.
Souths, meanwhile, will have major concerns about Murray who was knocked out – again – in the opening minute.
Murray went low on Kevin Naiqama in the second tackle of the game and looked dazed. Like Manu, he is at long odds to play next week.
Murray came from the field and was ruled out with category-one symptoms, which meant there was no hope of returning.
Latrell Mitchell is sent to the sin bin.Credit:Getty
The Souths star was knocked out in the opening minute of Origin III, and also ruled out of the 2020 end-of-season Origin series because of concussion.
Murray will follow concussion protocols for the next few days, then require a medical clearance from an independent doctor to play.
The skipper is known for his brilliant work rate and relentless defence, but his health is starting to become a concern.
And while Souths desperately need him if they are to turn the tables on their red-hot rivals in week one of the finals, they will also be mindful of playing the long game and preserving him for plenty of Septembers to come.
When asked about his worrying number of head knocks, Murray told the Sun-Herald’s Danny Weidler in July: “I just think when I go out with the mindset of what my life’s gonna be like in 10 or 15 years’ time, then I’m not giving you 100 per cent now. And I just can’t play like that.”
Because Friday’s result was only going to have a bearing on whether next week’s game was played at Allianz Stadium or Souths’ home ground at Accor Stadium, the excited fans who shuffled into the country’s shiny-new digs were expecting both teams to adopt a conservative approach with one eye on the serious stuff.
But Jared Waerea-Hargreaves set the tone when he ran downfield and tried to iron out Mitchell.
The Roosters were brutal in defence, especially with Mitchell who was booed the entire night. Mitchell had three or four Roosters on him every time he caught the ball. It felt like the place was about to erupt when he was given 10 minutes in the bin for getting his hand in a play-the-ball.
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