SCG: Super Saturday descended into Slaughter Saturday as the Sydney Roosters completed a day of embarrassing blowouts.
The Roosters made it six wins on the trot by thumping the Wests Tigers 72-6.
The victory was the biggest rugby league margin ever recorded at the Sydney Cricket Ground, eclipsing St George’s 65-5 win over University in 1937.
It was Easts’ second-biggest score in their proud history, falling short only of the 87 points they posted in 1937.
The Roosters have called the SCG home the past four years, and what a memorable way to say farewell before moving next door to the shiny new Allianz Stadium in a fortnight.
Earlier in the day, Parramatta lapped Canterbury 42-6, while Cronulla smashed Manly 40-6 in their own backyard.
The Roosters celebrate one of their 12 tries against the Tigers.Credit:NRL Photos
The combined scoreline of 152-18 was almost on par with the 148-6 Saturday Shocker in round 16 last season.
Tigers skipper James Tamou had certainly had enough. He was marched by referee Ben Cummins in the final minutes when he was overheard by the TV microphones yelling, “f—ing incompetent you are”.
Tamou apologised for his outburst. “I’ve got four kids at home, and that’s how they have to see their dad act,” he said. “I apologise for my actions towards Ben Cummins,” Tamou said. “They [the referees] do a terrific job. It wasn’t directed towards him.
“The frustrations got the better of me and I’ll wear any criticism that comes my way. I’ll be accountable for my actions. The actions aren’t acceptable. I probably took the easy way out instead of shaking their hands and looking them in the eye.”
Daniel Tupou gets in on the act as the Roosters pile on the points.Credit:Getty
Tamou has always aimed up in a side that hasn’t.
The Chooks, on the other hand, are humming and deserve respect. In fact, they almost deserve to be rated second favourites by the bookies behind Penrith, especially because of the star power they have all over the park.
As it stands, they will likely nail down fifth or sixth on the ladder, and be required to win four weeks in a row if they want to take the title.
Good luck trying to tell skipper James Tedesco, coach Trent Robinson, Joey Manu and the gang they cannot do it.
Angus Crichton touches down for the Roosters.Credit:Getty
“It felt like for a month or two now we’ve been dominant for periods, but that 80 minutes of pure dominance and relentlessness, we haven’t been able to do it,” Tedesco said.
“There were a few things to play for. It was our last game at the SCG, it was old boys’ day as well. We also know we have two tough games coming up, but our focus was on a great performance tonight, and I’m glad we could do it.”
Tedesco added Butcher’s four tries were fantastic, and “it’s the first time he’s ever smiled on the field”.
The best thing about the Roosters was their desire to batter the Tigers the entire 80 minutes.
They led 30-0 at half-time and would have been entitled to take it easy. Nat Butcher scored a try when three Tigers players basically looked at each other before realising he was past them and over for his first career hat-trick. He then went one better to bag four.
Daniel Tupou bagged a double, as did Angus Crichton in the first half.
The news gets better for the Roosters with Lindsay Collins and Sio Siua Taukeiaho due back from injury next week and available for the tough trip to Melbourne.
Now that will be a hell of a game, especially after the Storm racked up their own cricket score 24 hours earlier in Brisbane.
This time last year, Robinson would have been tempted to strap on the boots, such was the club’s shocking injury toll.
The Bondi boys head south, then return home for a ding-dong battle against Souths.
The Tigers were awful and looked more suited to the Ron Massey Cup. They dropped the ball, came up with poor kicking options, and finished the match with just one player on the bench after Luke Garner (concussion), Ken Maumalo (groin) and Alex Seyfarth (shoulder) all hit the showers early.
Interim Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley did not know which way to look. At least a few souped-up fans provided some light entertainment every time the TV beamed on to Kimmorley in the box. Who knows how Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall were feeling.
It felt like the Roosters were pushing hard for points from the opening whistle.
Victor Radley was placed on report for being the third man in when collecting Joe Ofahengaue below the knee, but the Roosters enforcer can consider himself hard done by should he be charged by the match review committee.
Seriously, what a mismatch. The Chooks are the real deal.
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