Kiwis prop faces nervous judicial wait
Roosters enforcer Jared WaereaHargreaves can ill-afford a charge by the match review committee for a swinging arm on Penrith’s Brent Kite, given his dire record with the NRL judiciary.
Waerea-Hargreaves was put on report in the first half of the Panthers’ upset 19-18 finals win over the defending premiers on Saturday night and the Roosters now face an anxious wait to see if their most damaging prop is facing time on the sidelines ahead of Friday’s elimination date with North Queensland in Sydney.
A typically fired-up Waerea-Hargreaves was on a mission early in the qualifying final, crunching Panthers hooker James Segeyaro and then going in hard on veteran Kite, who was forced off the field for a concussion test as a result of the high contact.
Waerea-Hargreaves argued on-field with referee Jared Maxwell that Kite was falling in the tackle and that the palm of his hand was ‘‘open’’ but if the match review committee deem the swinging arm was careless or reckless, he will likely be suspended.
The Kiwis prop has already been suspended twice this year and has 70 carryover points.
That means a grade one charge would result in a one-week suspension, if he was found guilty, and a grade two could end his season.
Asked if he was worried about Waerea-Hargreaves being put on report, Roosters coach Trent Robinson simply replied: ‘‘No.’’
Waerea-Hargreaves missed a match during last year’s finals for a raised forearm and his ill-discipline has cost the
A dejected Jared Waerea-Hargreaves contemplates the Roosters’ last-gasp loss to the Panthers on Saturday night. The Kiwis prop may miss Friday’s match against the Cowboys after being cited for a swinging arm. Roosters dearly in the past. But, as the side’s top metre-eater, he would be difficult to replace, given fellow front-rower Dylan Napa is currently serving a suspension.
Meanwhile, the beneficiary of Penrith whiz kid Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s magic hands also served as the inspiration.
Dean Whare had the best view in the house in Saturday night’s thrilling NRL qualifying final, when Watene-Zelezniak leapt outside the field of play and miraculously flicked the ball back inside for his centre to touch down for the matchdefining try.
But the fact Whare was part of the theatrics was no coincidence.
The Kiwis international produced a similarly freakish play for New Zealand at last year’s World Cup, and he and Watene-Zelezniak have been practising the flashy move at training for this very moment.
With the Panthers down 18-12 and only three minutes left on the clock, brilliant young wing Watene-Zelezniak refused to give up on a Jamie Soward grubber that appeared destined to go into touch.
He had too much awareness for Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello, who was a spectator as WateneZelezniak kept his body airborne and whipped the bouncing Steeden back for an expectant rather than surprised Whare.
‘‘It’s pretty funny. I’d done a similar one in the World Cup against England [in the semifinal] and we were talking about it and practised it a few times and it came off tonight,’’ said Whare.
Thanks to Watene-Zelezniak and the laser boot of Soward, Penrith join the Rabbitohs – who hammered Manly 40-24 on Friday – in having a week off before they attempt to qualify for their first grand final since the fairytale Panthers side of 2003.
Meanwhile, Ashton Sims has warned the Roosters will ‘‘bury’’ North Queensland in their week two elimination final, if the Cowboys lapse as badly as they did against Brisbane on Saturday night.
While the Cowboys ran out comfortable 32-20 winners in the all-Queensland do-or-die derby, the club was given a mighty scare in the second half.
Leading 24-0 and looking destined to run the cleaners through the eighthplaced Broncos, North Queensland leaked four second-half tries – all through their right edge.