At a glance
possibility,’’ he said at the postmatch press conference.
‘‘Kodi possibly could have played tonight but the way the kid’s been going, it just gave me confidence to make the decision early in the week,’’ he said explaining why he had kept faith with Harris-Tavita.
Whatever permutation is picked for the Roosters rumble, Tevaga has again underscored his willingness in the dummy half role in the absence of injured specialist hookers Nathaniel Roache and Karl Lawton and Kiwis veteran Issac Luke’s threegame ban for a dangerous tackle.
Tevaga completed 41 tackles – Warriors 24 (Ken Maumalo 2, Ligi Sao, Jazz Tevaga tries; Chanel Harris-Tavita 4 goals) Sea Eagles 16 (Reuben Garrick 2, Joel Thompson tries; Garrick 2 goal). HT: 18-0. second only to backrower Isaiah Papali’i with 46 – and made 33 metres from five dummy half runs.
He took control for the Warriors’ final try, scurrying over from dummy half to score at the base of the post pad, leaving two despairing tacklers stranded.
Tevaga said there was no way he was going to release the ball in the wet, greasy conditions.
‘‘I didn’t want to pass the ball over my shoulders. I was just going to carry it and try and keep the ball down there and I was lucky enough to get over.’’
The Warriors are in 11th place after the Manly victory but are just two points off the top eight, and Tevaga has not given up on a playoffs place.
‘‘We’ve got four games to go. We’ll just take it a game at a time, but we’d like to get back into the eight.
‘‘We can take a lot of confidence out of our defensive effort.’’