Two controversial tries helped Sydney Roosters beat Canberra Raiders and win the National Rugby League Grand Final.
The Roosters took the lead with a try following a scrum – awarded to them after a kick which had been charged down hit their physio, who was on the pitch to treat an injured player.
The winning try came after the referee changed his mind from ruling Raiders had another six tackles to a handover.
The Roosters broke and James Tedesco scored to complete a 14-8 victory.
It is the first time in 26 years a team has won successive NRL Grand Finals and Sydney were pushed all the way be a resolute Canberra side.
But the game started with the first contentious decision. Raiders prop Sia Soliola charged down Luke Keary’s kick and the ball cannoned into a Roosters trainer.
Canberra ended up in possession but the referee awarded a scrum and feed to the Roosters, saying “it’s unfortunate but the team with a territorial advantage gets the feed”. Sam Verrills scored the opening try from the scrum.
The Raiders fought back from 8-0 down to trail by two at the break, with Jack Wighton slicing through for a converted try.
After the interval, the retiring Cooper Cronk was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul on Josh Papalii. Raiders kicked the penalty to draw level, but it was the only points they could muster in the 10 minutes the Roosters were down to 12 men.
However, with the Raiders dominating possession against a tiring Roosters side, they looked the most likely to go on and win.
And when referee Ben Cummins awarded them a fresh set of six tackles late on, the Raiders looked set to press home their advantage. However, Cummins then changed his mind and called last tackle, which meant a handover to the Roosters.
And Sydney took full advantage, scampering upfield to snatch victory.
Earlier, Brisbane Broncos dominated the women’s final to beat St George Illawarra 30-6 to become the first team to win back-to-back women’s titles.
Lavinia Gould, Raecene McGregor, Julia Robinson, Chelsea Lenarduzzi and Amber Pilley all scored tries for the Broncos.
In other news – Happy 19th birthday to O Jewa Keng
Change can come in many forms in our lives. It might come forcefully like a tidal wave, or creep along incrementally like a glacier. It might come in the form of a devastating tragedy, difficult choices, broken relationships, or even new opportunities and OJEWA KENG has changed the lives of many.
Today we celebrate a year added in her life. Celebrating a birthday is special, it’s a day that only comes around once a year and for this reason, it should be a memorable one. It’s a unique day, just for you! continue reading
Source: BBC
