Sandon Smith has led the Roosters to a commanding ANZAC Day victory with a dominant five-eighth performance.
He scored two tries and produced a great try assist, scoring 22 points, almost half of his team’s total in the 46-18 victory, with the win getting the Chooks off the bottom of the table.
It took less than two minutes for players to let off steam, as things got fiery when Tyrell Sloan slammed Billy Smith into the ground over the sideline.
It even led to the heavyweights Dave Klemmer and Victor Radley getting in each other’s faces, but it wasn’t considered worthy of a penalty according to the officials.
But just a minute later, the Roosters landed the first blow on the scoreboard, with the first try coming through Sandon Smith. It would set the tone for a dominant afternoon for himself and his team.
There was an almost immediate hit back by the Dragons, after the Roosters passed the ball into Val Holmes’ head with his teammate Sione Finau picking up the ball and running more than 80 metres to level the scores inside the first 10 minutes of the game.
In a see-sawing scoreboard, Mark Nawaqanitawase soon gave his side the lead again, after a big overlap on the wing, he used his rugby union experience to put his head down and dive for the corner.
Dragons were letting themselves down with mistakes in the first half as Nawaqanitawase scooped up the ball after an opponent’s error while attacking the line. He gave the Roosters great field position and a penalty goal soon after, allowing them to take an eight-point lead.
Sandon Smith of the Roosters celebrates a try. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Smith produced his second try of the first half to extend the margin to 14, when he stood up Clint Gutherson to run straight past without even throwing a dummy – it was just a bad defensive read by the fullback.
The score was 20-6 at the break, but the Dragons were simply starved of the ball, with a 64-36% possession count in favour of the Roosters in addition to 5-0 linebreaks, 104-62 runs and the Red V making 202-132 tackles in the first 40 minutes.
Smith was sent to the sin bin early in the second half after the Bunker picked up a high tackle, with both teams scoring while he was off the field.
Upon his return, Smith came up with a scintillating try assist, with a perfect kick for James Tedesco to score a brilliant try.
The Dragons thought they had scored a late consolation try to Tyrell Sloan to make it an 18-point margin, but the Roosters scored twice in the final five minutes to close the game out in style.
Skipper Tedesco crossing for his second before laying on a perfect pass for halfback Hugo Savala, who scored his first NRL try in his sixth game.
The Dragons were able to improve the possession percentage after the break to 55-45%, but struggled all game to make it count on the scoreboard.
Knights’ NRL season on tilt after fifth-straight loss
Newcastle’s NRL season is threatening to implode as the Warriors consigned the Knights to a five-game losing streak with their 26-12 win in Christchurch.
The Knights’ attack was once again their biggest issue on Friday night and now averages just 7.2 points across the side’s last five outings.
Their right edge also struggled to defuse Chanel Harris-Tavita’s kicking game close to the line as Newcastle fell to a match-defining 16-0 half-time deficit.
Newcastle have not led any game on their longest losing streak for nearly three years and could slip to last on the ladder if they fall to South Sydney at Magic Round next week.
The drums will no doubt beat louder for sixth-year coach Adam O’Brien should they drop that must-win game.
The Knights will take some confidence from recent history; they memorably sat 14th on the ladder after 19 rounds in 2023 before riding a Kalyn Ponga-inspired surge into the top eight.
But even superstar fullback Ponga is struggling to spark the 2025 Knights, who never had this long a losing streak two seasons ago.
Halves pairing Harris-Tavita and Luke Metcalf were superb for a Warriors side that remains entrenched in the top four through eight rounds with a 5-2 record.
The Warriors’ first two tries came on the back of Harris-Tavita’s kicks inside the red zone, first as Kurt Capewell regathered the ball to find Adam Pompey, then as Ali Leiataua sent an inside pass to Jackson Ford.
Metcalf dragged Greg Marzhew’s arm into touch as the winger looked certain to score the Knights’ first try before grabbing an intercept from opposite man Jack Cogger and sprinting 65 metres ahead of Wayde Egan’s second-half try.
By contrast, the Knights’ halves Cogger and Fletcher Sharpe each sprayed a kick dead on the side’s first two advances towards the line.
In another wasted chance, James Schiller dropped the ball when he looked certain to score from a Dane Gagai tap-on, the toughest moment on a tough night for the right winger.
The Warriors scored minutes after each of Newcastle’s two first-half tries were scrubbed out by the bunker, with Ford backing up in support to seal his first double.
Gagai set Schiller up by burning Leiataua down the right edge 10 minutes after the break.
But Metcalf’s intercept dampened the Knights’ spirits only minutes later, and Pompey sealed his own double to confirm the result in the last 10 minutes.
Marata Niukore and Leo Thompson could be charged by the match review committee after landing in the sin bin for high shots in the opening five minutes.
– with AAP
