Flying first half sees Roosters to dominant win

Game Summary

After a dominant first-half display, the Sydney Roosters have started The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup season in style with a 48-14 Round One win over Premiers the Warriors at Go Media Stadium, Auckland.

Within a few minutes the visitors had worked their way into attacking position and found first points after some quick thinking from halfback Reece Foley, jumping into dummy-half on last tackle then floating a pass to Tom Rodwell in the corner for four points.

In the ensuing set the Roosters regained possession from the Warriors after a contest from a last-tackle kick. A handful of tackles later it was another pinpoint pass from Foley that put his side ahead 8-0, this time on the left wing for Junior Tupou.

Five-eighth Lachlan Dooner was next to score in the 15^th minute with the No.19 converting his own try, before back-rower Hayden Barton produced arguably the try of the match when he busted through a gap at halfway and left the fullback in his wake, handing the Roosters an 18-0 lead.

The Tricolours ran in two more tries just before half-time through Tommy Talau from close range on the left edge, then hooker Jaxson Allen backing up Foley to score under the posts, giving the away side a 28-0 advantage.

The Warriors needed a strong start to the second half and did exactly that in the 45th minute as wing recruit Haizyn Mellars leapt to the air on last tackle to score, but the Roosters halted the momentum when Talau crossed for his second shortly after.

Mellars was on the scoreboard once more at the 53-minute mark, before bench forward Tepatasi Laumalili powered over beneath the posts to give the Warriors back-to-back tries and lessen the margin to 34-14.

The late comeback was not to be, however, as Brett Morris’s side produced three more four-pointers to round out a commanding 48-14 victory. The first of those came via centre Ben Johnson on the end of an Allen grubber, then the No.9 racing away for a double from a Warriors short kick-off attempt, and finally second-rower Salesi Foketi crashing over next to the upright.