Lewis turns tide for victory
A GAME-CHANGING play from Cairns speedster Bernard Lewis has steered the Sydney Roosters to the Holden Cup title over Penrith Panthers.
The winger has been up in lights for his tryscoring feats this season but it was without the ball where his sheer effort was crucial to the result with the game in the balance and his side down 28-18.
After a Roosters backline play broke down with his side on the attack, Lewis gave chase to Panthers winger Daniel Brown, who scooped up the loose ball and threatened to put the game beyond doubt with a solo dash to the try line.
Brown stepped and appeared to beat approaching Kangaroos junior Lewis, but he reached out at the ball-carrying arm and forced the Penrith flyer to knock-on.
Three minutes later the Roosters scored through Joseph Manu to draw within four, before a Johnny TuivasaSheck try in the 73rd minute and subsequent conversion put them in front despite having trailed 28-6 at halftime.
Even Roosters coach Anthony Barnes was sceptical his side could come back after Panthers’ dominant first half.
“I was starting to doubt it. Then the boys started to roll and as they’ve done in the last two weeks, they started to roll and get a bit of belief,” Barnes said. Roosters captain Nat Butcher won the Jack Gibson medal for player of the match.