The newest chapter within the NRL’s oldest and fiercest rivalry has been written — and it ended with two gamers within the sin bin after a fiery finish to Friday night time’s recreation.
The Roosters completed 20-18 winners, with winger Jaxson Paulo haunting his former facet because the 23-year-old scored two tries within the victory.
But alongside the highlight-reel performs was loads of spice and the feelings boiled over late within the recreation, leading to Joseph Manu and Michael Chee-Kam each being despatched to the sin bin.
It got here after South Sydney desperately tried to attain a strive late within the second half, trailing 20-12 on the time with simply over three minutes on the clock.
Going down its deadly left edge, Alex Johnston raced down the sphere and was stopped by a determined Paulo deal with, passing again inside to Isaiah Tass in assist.
Manu, scrambling in cowl defence, then collected the Rabbitohs centre excessive to power a mistake and save the strive earlier than strolling proper over Tass as he celebrated the play.
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The shot and his actions after didn’t appear to go down nicely with Cameron Murray, who confronted Manu and rapidly a number of different gamers began to get entangled too.
“Manu and Murray are into it and now Nat Butcher and Cody Walker,” mentioned Dan Ginnane in commentary for Fox League.
“It takes something for Cameron Murray to get involved in something like this,” added Greg Alexander.
“I don’t know what’s happened.”
Manu surfaced from the scrum of gamers bleeding from his cheekbone and sporting fairly the shiner.
Murray backed himself when requested in regards to the incident after the sport.
“I let my emotions get the better of me,” he mentioned.
“I was just sticking up for my teammate.
“I won’t go and start something, but I will stick up for myself and my teammates, and I felt like it was valid there. That’s why I did what I did.”
Roosters coach Trent Robinson believes Manu was making an attempt one other try-saving deal with — just like the one he pulled off earlier within the recreation on Tass. But Robinson conceded he “got it wrong” this time.
“He was trying to make the tackle on Tass that he made the play before (when he saved a try),” Robinson mentioned.
“He got it wrong. I think that’s enough, and then running in and then everything that went on after that is what it is.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
