Official Match Day Thread: Roosters v Saints

[fletch]

Trent Robinson has finalised his side to take on the St George Illawarra Dragons at Allianz Stadium for Old Boys' Day.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves set to be the most-capped Rooster of all time in his 307th appearance when he takes the field.

Ethan King will make his debut as Rooster #1232. Naufuha Whyte comes out of the side today, and Sandon Smith is 18th man.

[mightyrooster]

Why has Whyte been dropped?
Good to see King finally get his chance.
Let’s do it for Jared!!!

[ism22]

Trent Robinson has finalised his side to take on the St George Illawarra Dragons at Allianz Stadium for Old Boys' Day.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves set to be the most-capped Rooster of all time in his 307th appearance when he takes the field.

Ethan King will make his debut as Rooster #1232. Naufuha Whyte comes out of the side today, and Sandon Smith is 18th man.

Kingaaaaaaw off the bench. Presumably if it's not a defensive grind of a game, he goes on and we open up in attack?

IMO Lomax and Ravalawa are the only real threat.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Whyte playing NSW cup? Who comes on the bench for him? Is Ethan king making his debut today?

Yes

[King Salvo]

Strange one having your 18th player play a full match in NSW Cup.

[Steggles]

Disgrace Whyte playing reserves

I’d have Whyte in the team, if not starting at 13, then definitely on the bench. He offers more than Nat Butcher in my opinion and Sitili can cover an edge if Robbo actually gives King some game time.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will become the most capped player in Roosters history on Sunday afternoon when he runs out against St George Illawarra for his 307th game. But things could have been very different.

If Raiders coach Ricky Stuart had got his way, Waerea-Hargreaves would have left the Sydney Roosters to become the highest-paid player in the game a decade ago.

The man affectionately known as JWH overtakes Mitch Aubusson (306 games), who took over from Anthony Minichiello (302), who took over from Luke Ricketson (301).

It is an almighty achievement when you consider the position the 35-year-old Waerea-Hargreaves plays. The giant front-rower’s love of the contest and physicality go a long way to explaining his longevity – and the 23 weeks he has served in suspensions.

However, Waerea-Hargreaves almost quit Bondi for Canberra in 2014.

This masthead can now reveal that such was his respect for Waerea-Hargreaves that Stuart was prepared to pay the Kiwi more than $1 million a season to move to the nation’s capital.

That money was unheard of back then, especially for a prop.



Greg Inglis is widely regarded as the first player to earn $1 million a season after he signed a four-year deal with South Sydney in 2011. Inglis was not expected to reach that mark until the back end of that contract.

Stuart had just completed his first year coaching at the Raiders in 2014, but loved everything about Waerea-Hargreaves, and knew he was the perfect man to build a club around.
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Quentin Pongia was one of the hardest men to pull on the Canberra colours, and Stuart hoped Waerea-Hargreaves – who was about to turn 26 at the time – would follow suit.

Stuart didn’t get his man, but he’s still been proven right. Waerea-Hargreaves has gone on to win another two premierships (to add to the one he collected in 2013) with the Roosters, including one against the Raiders in the 2019 grand final.



“To say we chased him pretty hard would be an understatement,” Stuart recalls. “We met Jared and his wife, Chelsea, for breakfast with my family, and that’s when I explained to him what I was trying to build here. He was the first big name I really targeted.

“I could see the growth he gave players around him. His presence was a winning presence, a tough presence, and he made young players around him grow. Jared is a winner. I loved his style and aggression, and it’s why we offered him over $1 million a season to come to Canberra.”

Waerea-Hargreaves still had 2015 to run on his Roosters deal, but the plan was for him to start in Canberra the following year. A young Josh Papalii was at the Raiders at the time, but playing as a back-rower on the edge.

Despite Stuart’s best efforts, Waerea-Hargreaves recommitted to the Roosters until the end of 2017, then again, and again, to the point he will now create Roosters history.

The Roosters’ 300 club

Luke Ricketson can still remember his two daughters mistaking Waerea-Hargreaves for Hollywood actor The Rock when he once stopped four lanes of traffic on Military Road.

Ricketson and his wife, Kate Waterhouse, are Mosman neighbours of Jared, Chelsea and their three young children, and this particular day the prop had spotted Kate in the traffic.


“Kate was driving through the shops when Jared spotted her and stopped traffic, just to say g’day,” Ricketson says.

“People were beeping at him on Military Road, but Jared didn’t care. My kids had just watched Moana, and they were convinced it was The Rock [who plays the character Maui] walking towards them.

“He stuck his big head through the window and wanted to make sure the family were all OK.

“He’s so intimidating on the field, but such a nice guy off it. When we played, we had ‘Moz’ [Adrian Morley] to protect us, and talking to the boys now they feel the same way about Jared. The early moments in any of those big games, Jared dominates.

“He sits alongside Arthur Beetson when it comes to our club and what he has done. I can’t see this record getting done for a while.”

Ricketson was the first to reach 300 games for the Roosters, easily eclipsing previous record holder Kevin Hastings. The now 51-year-old remembers Hastings not being overly impressed. There were whispers at the time Hastings had questioned Ricketson’s new mark given Ricketson had spent his share of games coming off the bench.

Minichiello, a fitness and nutrition fanatic recalls the one pre-season Waerea-Hargreaves wanted a “six pack”. Front-rowers struggled to chisel out a two pack, but Minichiello admired his determination this particular summer.

“He was having six black coffees a day, and always going to the toilet to try to shed,” Minichiello recalls. “I was like, ‘Jared, you’re a 120kg front-rower wanting a six pack. Mate, give it a rest’. He got really lean. I don’t know if he got to six; he definitely ended up with a couple.

“He was such a lovely bloke off the field, but as soon as he crossed that white stripe, he was an absolute beast.”

Minichiello recalls how Waerea-Hargreaves was always the team’s minder on nights out, and would not leave a venue until he knew all his teammates were on their way home or tucked in bed.

Aubusson, one of the most versatile and reliable players of the modern era, handed Waerea-Hargreaves his milestone jersey during the week, and described it as “one of the proudest moments in my Roosters’ life”. The club’s New Zealand players performed a haka at the same presentation inside Allianz Stadium.


“The big game that stands out for me was the 2019 grand final,” Aubusson says. “The Raiders had a big pack and went after Jared, but I don’t think we win that game without him.”

Aubusson said Waerea-Hargreaves’ record would remain in place for at least a decade, with Sam Walker, the 22-year-old halfback who has already played 70 NRL games, the next likely member of the exclusive 300 club.

Wests Tigers forward Simon Dwyer still gets asked about the night he absolutely floored Waerea-Hargreaves in a qualifying final in 2010. It remains one of the greatest games in the modern era.

In the 79th minute, Dwyer lined up Waerea-Hargreaves and dropped him with his right shoulder. Had the game been played in 2024, Waerea-Hargreaves would have been ruled out for 11 days with concussion protocols after he stumbled around and struggled to get to his feet.

Dwyer, whose career was cut short the following year because of nerve damage in his right shoulder, said this week of that infamous run-in with JWH: “We’d gone head-to-head a few times that night. I was getting back on side, he ran at me, so I threw everything into the tackle. I was just hoping I hadn’t given away a penalty.

“After the game, he actually came into our sheds and said to me, ‘good hit’, and how there were no hard feelings. I didn’t really know him before that game. He’s a really good bloke.

“I get asked about that tackle all time. Even 14 years on, I get asked. With all that contact in the middle, it’s a cool achievement for him this weekend.”

[Chook2]

Average game in nsw cup the apple doesn’t fall far from the ttee
20 errors and 46 missed tackles
whyte was strong making 200mtr, playing full 80 min and also 100 of those post contact Mtrs
wong was also solid
I don’t mind sandon playing and being 18th man as he needs game time and tbh how often does a 18th man for one get activated to be used and 2 then actually get on the field? Not often

I can not presume robbo may be wanting to give Whyte 80 min today with the bye coming and come back on bench following week v the storm instead of playing 20 min off the bench today in nrl and not playing again got a fortnight? Also sitili closing on 100 matches for chooks
I hope it’s something like this as it average by robbo otherwise to drop him as it’s not form

[BTRD]

Hope King gets on.

Whyte over Butcher = WRONG.

GO ROOSTERS.

[roosterchook]

Should be a comfortable win except for a few things. The dragons will be on fire seeking revenge for their embarrassing loss against us. Complacency that we won’t have to earn the win just turn up. They have strike players that can cause an upset. Could go either way.

[BraveTheWorld]

Really surprised to see Whyte not in the side. Not sure what else he has to do to nail down a starting spot.

I was very confident we'd win this game, but getting more nervous as it gets closer. Definitely concerned about some of the Dragons outside backs. Win by a point and I'll be happy, heading into the Bye. It's an important one.

[King Salvo]

Not a good start with Dragons winning both lower grade games

NSW Cup - 18-14
Jersey Flegg - 34 -24 - Roosters led 24-10 early in the second half - conceded 3 converted tries in 8 minutes

[Seventy Five]

An Official Match Day Thread worthy of one of the greatest Roosters ever.

There's a lot of love and respect floating around for Jarred at the moment and as a Roosters fan it is satisfying to see it not only coming from within our club and its supporters but from peers, past greats and rivals.. I hadn't heard about JWH knocking back a million bucks from Ricky and the Raiders until recently but it shows the regard for which he has been held in for so long but equally the regard and loyalty that he has for his mates and our great club.

I'm trusting the boys will deliver a performance that truly honors JWH and this incredible achievement today. Up the Roosters!.

[King Salvo]

Should be a comfortable win except for a few things. The dragons will be on fire seeking revenge for their embarrassing loss against us. Complacency that we won’t have to earn the win just turn up. They have strike players that can cause an upset. Could go either way.

I gather from what you're saying that it will be a victory they must earn and it won't be handed to them on a platter.

It will depend on what Dragons side turns up, as the Roosters should be well prepared for the game, so there are no excuses if they don't play well.

[RoosterFanNZ]

looking forward o the game hope everyones fired up.

why has Whyte been dropped?

hes been dominating top grade and weve been winning, why do we need to change things??

even though butcher is usually mr reliable, Whyte has more of an impact than butcher