Round 8
Cowboys 18 l. Roosters 22

2006 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Roosters topple Cowboys
Sun April 30, 2006
North Queensland have suffered their first home loss of the season with the Sydney Roosters finally proving what a terrific side they are defeating the Premiership leaders 22-18 in front of 21,175 fans.

The Roosters have started the season slowly this year as coach Ricky Stuart was unable to settle on a play making combination but after finally deciding to use Braith Anasta, Brett Finch and Craig Wing in the important 6, 7 and 9 roles and not mess them around, the Roosters haven't taken long to click into gear.

North Queensland were their own worst enemies and had ample opportunities to win the match but they played extremely dumb football and failed to hold the ball at crucial moments. Johnathan Thurston saved his worst performance of the season for the most important whilst Wing was on the Roosters stars. The mail is that Thurston is likely to get a bench spot but representative selectors are known to pick players from ARL alligned clubs on the strength of one game prior to Test selection.

The Roosters got off to a great start with tries to Sam Perrett in the 8th minute where they capitialised on the numbers outwide and than Amos Roberts scored 11 minutes later when he was on the spot to collect a grubber kick to score under the posts.

Matt Bowen got the Cowboys back into the match when he turned defence into attack on a kick return linking up with Matt Sing outwide who made the break to find Thurston in support who scored next to the posts.

North Queensland could have gone into halftime in front if it wasn't for Carl Webb being penalised for a very clear double movement when some patience probably would have got the Cowboys over the line.

Aaron Payne put the Cowboys into the lead after 54 minutes when he dashed from dummy half to score under the posts.

The Roosters found new energies with Finch creating tries for Anthony Tupou in the 68th minute and Vince Mellars four minutes later with the Roosters up 22-12 and poised for victory.

Neil Sweeney scored in the final stages to setup a possible thrilling finish but another Cowboys mistake saw the Roosters home.

Even though the Roosters lost to the Dragons in the previous round, they would have taken so much good out of that match and has put them in a great stead for the season ahead. Even though the Roosters have struggled, they do have a blistering side on paper but Stuart has struggled to sort out the amount of chiefs and indians in his side and the balance of it all.

North Queensland's great start to the season has hit the wall with two successive losses and the loss to the Roosters is significant as both sides should be there in September when the whips are cracking.

Roosters halfback Brett Finch after the match said on national TV to the club's supporters, "It just does us such an enormous amount of confidence for the team. Braith Anasta was just fantastic and all those critics, especially some of the Roosters fans, so-called fans, they can kiss our arse."

Finch has been known to brain explosions in the past and his comments about the small but faithful Roosters fan base is nothing short of disgraceful. The Roosters showed against the Cowboys they are one of the top two sides in the game but haven't been performing with that consistency on a weekly basis, in particular Finch who was bought from Canberra back in 2003.

Advanced Search