The Roosters have suffered a double blow in their finals push after losing halfback Sam Walker to a concussion in a shock loss to Parramatta.
Walker lasted just eight minutes before suffering a category-one concussion while attempting to tackle Eels forward Kelma Tuilagi.
Sam Walker is concussed while trying to tackle Kelma Tuilagi.Credit: NRL Images
That knocked him out of his side’s 30-10 loss to the Eels and will also sideline him for Friday’s clash with the Storm.
The injury and the result add intrigue to the finals race, with Manly’s win against the Dolphins leaving four teams in contention for the final spot in the top eight.
The Roosters finish the regular season with two difficult assignments: Melbourne in Melbourne and then a showdown with arch-rivals South Sydney.
The Dolphins, Sea Eagles, or even the Tigers (they need some big wins and big Roosters losses) could still qualify for the post-season should the Tricolours slip up again.
Sam Walker is taken of for a HIA.Credit: NRL Images
“I’m not happy tonight,” said Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who will pull Sandon Smith out of Sunday’s NSW Cup game with a view to the halfback replacing Walker.
“That’s really disappointing what happened. This is our life, this is what you do. You play a game, you get up, and you can’t repeat what you did last week, whether you won or lost.
“You have to recreate every match. We have to dust ourselves off and believe in what’s possible for us and our style of play and get it done.
“It’s really simple, there’s a purity in that, so game on next week.”
The Roosters have no shortage of halves on their books, with the likely arrival of Daly Cherry-Evans to add further to their depth. However, none of that helped at CommBank Stadium.
Walker’s spark and game management were sorely missed against an Eels side that ran harder, completed higher, and led from start to finish despite seemingly having less to play for.
In a game full of highlights, opposing wingers Josh Addo-Carr and Mark Nawaqanitawase provided the majority of them. “The Foxx” showed why he is still one of the NRL’s fastest flyers, scoring a length of the field intercept in scoring one of his two tries.
Nawaqanitawase, meanwhile, was producing plays that no other player is capable of. Whether it was an around-the-back try assist, a water polo-style pass to set up James Tedesco, or any number of try-saving efforts, “Marky Mark” made the unthinkable look easy.
However, his efforts were not nearly enough.
As the most senior half on the field, Mitchell Moses took control. Whether it was a spiral bomb that Tedesco couldn’t get a hand to or the grubber that he grounded to seal the result, the Parramatta captain was a class above.
With Daniel Tupou missing with a concussion, replacement winger Junior Tupou was successfully targeted all night.
Moses wasn’t the only Eel with the golden boot. Walker found Addo-Carr with the second kick in a sequence, but even better was to come.
The ball was kicked three times before Jordan Semrani dived on the loose ball to score the first of his two tries. Beware the third kick.
The finals are out of reach in Jason Ryles’ first year, but he hasn’t struggled to motivate his troops at the back end of the season.
“I find no matter what time of year it is, our training schedule and how we prepare is very similar,” Ryles said.
“Regardless of what round it is, we’ll continue to prepare the way we do. Everything has an element of fight and effort in it in regards to what the game looks like. I think we’ve seen that tonight … we’re getting ready to put the badge on and win.”
The win ensures there is no world in which Parramatta can earn the wooden spoon. The fate of the Roosters, whose for-and-against copped a hammering, is also unclear.
