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Shock loss fails to take gloss off Sonny Bill's freak talent
ROOSTERS 12 WARRIORS 23
Warriors stun Roosters
Two long-range tries by the New Zealand Warriors was enough to give the visitors' victory in entertaining clash against Sydney Roosters.
Sonny Bill Williams will this week return to Canterbury's home ground for the first time since walking out on the club five years ago in top form after starring for Sydney Roosters on Sunday night.
The Roosters may have lost to the Warriors at Allianz Stadium but Williams turned in a brilliant performance after being given a roving role by coach Trent Robinson.
Hand to handle: Sonny Bill Williams was the standout in a losing side at Allianz Stadium on Sunday night.
Hard to handle: Sonny Bill Williams was the standout in a losing side at Allianz Stadium on Sunday night. Photo: Getty Images
After spending most of the season playing as the Roosters right-side second-rower, Williams was switched to lock against the Warriors with devastating effect.
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With members of the touring British and Irish Lions rugby team looking on, the dual international helped the Roosters turn a 10-0 deficit four minutes before half-time into a 12-10 lead at the break after scoring just seconds before the siren sounded.
Briefly rested for seven minutes until Glen Fisiiahi raced 80 metres in the 58th minute to score one of two long-range second-half Warriors tries that sealed the win, Williams made two line breaks, three tackle breaks and four offloads in his 11 runs, which yielded 127 metres.
At least two more of those would have resulted in tries if not for a forward pass by Anthony Minichiello and a loose carry from Shaun Kenny-Dowall after Williams had created breaks with offloads.
After Minichiello crossed in the 36th minute and Williams scored on half-time, the Roosters players were given a standing ovation by the 11,040 crowd as they left the field, but it was a disappointing second half by the home side.
Fisiiahi regained the lead for the Warriors in the 58th minute after Todd Lowrie gathered the ball from an attacking kick by Roosters and NSW five-eighth James Maloney.
Not to be outdone, fellow Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei then sprinted 90 metres to score in the 70th minute after picking up a Kenny-Dowall grubber kick and finding no one in front of him.
Penrith-bound utility Elijah Taylor had earlier opened the scoring when he strolled through the defence in the fourth minute and Ngani Laumape grabbed their second try in the 17th minute.
But it was the Warriors' defence that won the match. Halfback Shaun Johnson ran 60 metres to chase down Roosters centre Michael Jennings in the 25th minute.
Fisiiahi also produced a try-saving moment when he knocked the ball from Kenny-Dowall's grasp as the Kiwi international was poised to score off a Williams pass in the 66th minute.
The win was the Warriors fourth in succession since being thrashed 62-6 by the Panthers in round 10.
Since then they have scored 125 points in wins over Newcastle, Brisbane, Manly and the Roosters, who boast the best defence in the NRL after conceding just 144 points in their previous 12 games.
The win was the Warriors first at Allianz Stadium since 2009 when they beat the Roosters 30-24 and they also lost to the Bondi club in Auckland earlier this season.
The Roosters remain third on the ladder, three points clear of Manly and four points ahead of Gold Coast, Cronulla, Canterbury and Canberra, while the Warriors, who have the bye next week, are 11th.
WARRIORS 23 (G Fisiiahi N Laumape E Taylor M Vatuvei tries F Mateo 2 S Johnson goals S Johnson field goal) bt SYDNEY ROOSTERS 12 (A Minichiello S Williams tries J Maloney 2 goals) at Allianz Stadium. Referee: Chris James, Ashley Klein. Crowd: 11,040.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz2WTIkxmxV
ROOSTERS 12 WARRIORS 23
Warriors stun Roosters
Two long-range tries by the New Zealand Warriors was enough to give the visitors' victory in entertaining clash against Sydney Roosters.
Sonny Bill Williams will this week return to Canterbury's home ground for the first time since walking out on the club five years ago in top form after starring for Sydney Roosters on Sunday night.
The Roosters may have lost to the Warriors at Allianz Stadium but Williams turned in a brilliant performance after being given a roving role by coach Trent Robinson.
Hand to handle: Sonny Bill Williams was the standout in a losing side at Allianz Stadium on Sunday night.
Hard to handle: Sonny Bill Williams was the standout in a losing side at Allianz Stadium on Sunday night. Photo: Getty Images
After spending most of the season playing as the Roosters right-side second-rower, Williams was switched to lock against the Warriors with devastating effect.
Advertisement
With members of the touring British and Irish Lions rugby team looking on, the dual international helped the Roosters turn a 10-0 deficit four minutes before half-time into a 12-10 lead at the break after scoring just seconds before the siren sounded.
Briefly rested for seven minutes until Glen Fisiiahi raced 80 metres in the 58th minute to score one of two long-range second-half Warriors tries that sealed the win, Williams made two line breaks, three tackle breaks and four offloads in his 11 runs, which yielded 127 metres.
At least two more of those would have resulted in tries if not for a forward pass by Anthony Minichiello and a loose carry from Shaun Kenny-Dowall after Williams had created breaks with offloads.
After Minichiello crossed in the 36th minute and Williams scored on half-time, the Roosters players were given a standing ovation by the 11,040 crowd as they left the field, but it was a disappointing second half by the home side.
Fisiiahi regained the lead for the Warriors in the 58th minute after Todd Lowrie gathered the ball from an attacking kick by Roosters and NSW five-eighth James Maloney.
Not to be outdone, fellow Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei then sprinted 90 metres to score in the 70th minute after picking up a Kenny-Dowall grubber kick and finding no one in front of him.
Penrith-bound utility Elijah Taylor had earlier opened the scoring when he strolled through the defence in the fourth minute and Ngani Laumape grabbed their second try in the 17th minute.
But it was the Warriors' defence that won the match. Halfback Shaun Johnson ran 60 metres to chase down Roosters centre Michael Jennings in the 25th minute.
Fisiiahi also produced a try-saving moment when he knocked the ball from Kenny-Dowall's grasp as the Kiwi international was poised to score off a Williams pass in the 66th minute.
The win was the Warriors fourth in succession since being thrashed 62-6 by the Panthers in round 10.
Since then they have scored 125 points in wins over Newcastle, Brisbane, Manly and the Roosters, who boast the best defence in the NRL after conceding just 144 points in their previous 12 games.
The win was the Warriors first at Allianz Stadium since 2009 when they beat the Roosters 30-24 and they also lost to the Bondi club in Auckland earlier this season.
The Roosters remain third on the ladder, three points clear of Manly and four points ahead of Gold Coast, Cronulla, Canterbury and Canberra, while the Warriors, who have the bye next week, are 11th.
WARRIORS 23 (G Fisiiahi N Laumape E Taylor M Vatuvei tries F Mateo 2 S Johnson goals S Johnson field goal) bt SYDNEY ROOSTERS 12 (A Minichiello S Williams tries J Maloney 2 goals) at Allianz Stadium. Referee: Chris James, Ashley Klein. Crowd: 11,040.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz2WTIkxmxV
BTW just fyi, our former captain playing in the pack at lock tonight made 4 runs for 19 metres. People on here crying about how we're going need to take it easy and enjoy this year.
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