Roosters Clucking on Gas

Sydney Roosters 30-6 Penrith Panthers

NRL Round 8
Allianz Stadium
Attendance: 11,176

The boot of James Maloney (left) ensured that the Australian Children’s Charities with which his Sydney Roosters side and sponsors Streggles are associated reached the $1M mark. 

The initiative, which has been in operation for over three years, sees players and sponsors donate $250 and $1000 respectively for every point that the side win by.

The Children’s Cancer Institute Australia, Lifestart, Children’s Health Foundation Queensland and The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children have, and will continue – on today’s impressive showing - to benefit from the best efforts of Trent Robinson’s outfit, who sit third in the league.

The bruising Kiwi forward pair of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sonny Bill Williams laid the foundations for the 24-point win with a less than charitable approach to their opposition.

Without touching the ball, the Panthers were 6-0 down after four minutes as Jake Friend scooted over from dummy half on the back of repeat sets.

The next half hour came as a great frustration to the hosts as the visitors dug deep and were rewarded with a chunk of fortune after Luke Walsh’s high kick provided a game of pinball inside the Roosters in-goal area and full-back Matt Moylan stole in to apply the wizard’s touch. 

Second row Williams barraged his way through five defenders to plant on the try line six minute before half time, but Maloney’s only miss of the afternoon provided a nervy four point cushion at the interval.

Twelve unanswered points within 17 second half minutes took the game away from the injury-plagued visitors though. 

Maloney’s superb 40/20 set up Michael Jennings for the first of his two tries and the in-form half back notched the million dollar kick from close to touch before a ‘gimme’ penalty from bang in front of the posts.

The two protagonists were at it again midway through the second half, Maloney’s bomb wrong-footing two Panthers defenders and bobbling kindly in to Jennings’ grateful grasp, for the former to convert.

With ten minutes remaining, Mitchell Pearce span out the back of a tackle and almost took the upright with him as he dived over for try number five, which was conjured up by the fleet of foot shown by prop forward Waerea-Hargreaves, to complete the mauling.