A final ‘cheap shot’
WESTS Tigers enforcer Martin Taupau was under fire last night for a late “cheap shot” on a defenceless James Maloney.
On a night when the competition favourites hardly set the world on fire to secure their sixth straight victory, Taupau finished the game in the sin bin and on report for an ugly swinging arm on the Roosters playmaker in the 76th minute.
The incident sparked an immediate push and shove between the rival players and a debate among league legends Peter Sterling, Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns.
Sterling labelled it a “cheap shot” while Johns and Fittler argued it made another case for the no-punch rule to be reviewed.
While Roosters heavyweights’ Aidan Guerra and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves wanted to step in to hand out their own justice, Taupau will face a nervous wait to see what charge the match review committee hits him with on Monday.
The moment overshadowed an otherwise gutsy effort from the young Tigers who hung in for as long as they could against a team that simply had too much class, power and experience.
The Roosters finished five tries to one winners to remain in third spot while the Tigers are anchored at the bottom of the ladder. Against the odds, Jason Taylor would have been more than happy to be down 8-4 at half-time.
Given it was a try apiece with James Maloney’s boot separating the premiership favourites with the wooden spoon hot shots. And that was after the Tigers’ hopes suffered an early setback when an ankle injury ended Chris Lawrence’s game after just two minutes.
But their resilience in defence was worthy of special mention despite only completing 11 of 20 first-half sets.
Daniel Tupou registered the Roosters’ opening touchdown midway through the first half only try when he somehow kept his left boot inside the touchline to defy a desperate David Nofoaluma.
James Tedesco then hit the turbo button in the 26th minute and powered straight past Michael Jennings.
A last tackle bomb from Mitchell Pearce passed straight through Blake Ferguson’s clutching hands. It then cleaned bowled Pat Richards’ through the legs to gift rookie winger Brendan Elliot probably the easiest NRL try he’ll score. When Sam Moa steamrolled over for the Roosters’ third try in the 54th minute, the margin was out to 20-4.