Sam Walker was brilliant in his comeback game from a concussion as Joseph Suaalii gave Michael Maguire a decent NSW Origin headache.
The Roosters were at the top of their game as they thumped St George Illawarra 60-18 at Allianz Stadium on Thursday. It was the biggest-ever Anzac Day victory in matches between these clubs.
Walker finished with a personal haul of 24 points and had a hand in everything.
And to think it was on the corresponding weekend last year he was playing NSW Cup at Wentworth Park.
Walker had missed the past fortnight as he overcame a head knock but made an immediate impact under brilliant blue skies on a day where rugby league happily took a back seat.
The way Luke Keary hobbled around in the final minutes could mean Walker’s role becomes even more vital in coming weeks.
His short-kicking game was all class. He finished with a penalty try, and a kick to the face courtesy of a stray boot from Tyrell Sloan.
Nat Butcher, Luke Keary and Sam Walker celebrate a try.Credit: Getty
Walker also put through an early kick for Joey Manu’s first try and set up Nat Butcher, who moved just like Manu when finishing with his own double.
His proud father Ben was in the stands and would have lapped up every moment. Walker senior has always wanted his son to play what he sees. He did that against the Red V.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson said of Walker: “Sam does that to us every day when we train. If a fullback comes into the line, he’ll pull you apart.
“It was great to see him do that. Plus also the goal-kicking, it’s such a key part of that as well.
“He sees the game slightly differently. Sam is out of the box when it comes to seeing where defensive lines are, and numbers, and fullbacks … when players are moving for you, and he can see them he can really tear them apart.”
The Roosters have more injury concerns than just Keary, who left the ground in a moonboot. Michael Jennings failed to finish the game because of a tricep injury. Daniel Tupou (knee) and Victor Radley (hamstring) were already late scratchings.
The Roosters looked so much better with Walker. The premiership debate will only start if they can get the job done against the Broncos in Brisbane next Friday.
Suaalii is in the final year of NRL before he takes up a lucrative three-year deal with Rugby Australia, but is doing everything to make sure he exits the game an Origin player.
It was fitting Suaalii scored the final try of the afternoon, his first since round 26 last season, and with Zac Lomax the last line of defence. The contest between Suaalii, 20, and 24-year-old Lomax was tense throughout. Lomax tried to rag doll Suaalii, while Suaalii refused to shy away from the physicality.
A growing debate in the countdown to the first Origin game in June will be whether new Blues coach Maguire should even consider Suaalii because of his code switch.
Maguire wants to win, and you get the impression he will pick the best 17 available at the time.
Dominic Young fends off Kyle Flanagan at Allianz Stadium.Credit: Getty
Lomax set up the Dragons’ first try, the best four-pointer of the afternoon, when he took on Keary, then snuck a pass to Sloan on his wing. It looked effortless. Then Lomax threw a pass that was never on, which led to the Roosters scoring through Angus Crichton. It was a lead they never relinquished.
Lomax came into the game the form outside back in the competition, but there were a few cracks on the big stage and in front of a cracking 40,727-strong crowd.
To be fair to the Red V, they lost Moses Suli in the first play of the game when flattened by Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. There was nothing wrong with Waerea-Hargreaves’ hit-up.
Kyle Flanagan was forced to move and defend in the centres, and the Roosters sent a mountain of traffic his way. The Dragons were out of gas well before half-time.
“I couldn’t wait until it finished to be honest; we came back to earth with a thud,” coach Shane Flanagan said after the game.
At least Flanagan knows his players have a 10-day turnaround to freshen up for the derby against Cronulla.
Flanagan led the Sharks to their only premiership in 2016, and said of the showdown: “It’s been marked in the calendar for a while. It won’t be an emotional week. I won a comp there. I don’t think they’ve won one since.
“My job is to get these boys back up … I need to get them back to where they were the past couple of weeks.”
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