Cronulla ace learns fate after ugly act as Roosters make mockery of Origin backlash
A severely depleted Roosters side have made a mockery of calls to pause the NRL during the State of Origin period after thumping a full strength Cronulla 42-16 on Saturday night. The Sharks' heavy defeat was compounded by an ugly high shot from winger Ronaldo Mulitalo that saw the flyer sent to the bin. On Sunday, the NRL match review committee slapped Mulitalo with a one-game ban, with an early guilty plea.
The incident was a sour note in what was an outstanding against-the-odds triumph for the Roosters, who were missing five players to Origin duty, along with several more injured stars. The Origin situation had already led to renewed calls for the NRL to implement a standalone period for the representative game, after the ladder-leading Bulldogs were thumped by the struggling Dolphins on Thursday night.
Penrith were also missing five Origin stars and were thrashed by Newcastle in Saturday night's earlier game, to leave the four-time defending premiers rooted to the bottom of the ladder. But the Roosters flipped the script against premiership contenders Cronulla in Gosford, running in seven-tries-to-three to score an extraordinary 26-point victory.
Roosters No.7 Hugo Savala showed that the club's interest in veteran Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans may be unnecessary as he delivered the most mature display of his nine-game first-grade career. Savala scored one try and contributing three try assists with his pin-point kicking a particular highlight in the big win.
The Roosters led 14-0 in as many minutes, with left winger Daniel Tupou catching and grounding two superb Savala cross-field kicks. Both tries were converted by Savala's excellent halves partner Sandon Smith, who added a penalty and finished the night with seven goals from eight attempts.
Savala's long-term future at the Tricolours has been subject to scrutiny this season, with his agent declaring he would explore loan options if Robinson lands the signature of Cherry-Evans. But on the evidence so far this season - and with first-choice No.7 Sam Walker still not due back from injury for a month - Savala and Smith have established themselves as bona fide NRL playmakers.
"I've been really clear with my intentions, and I also don't think it's the right time to talk about that," Robinson said when asked about his club's move for Cherry-Evans. "On a night like tonight, to shift direction towards that, I don't think it's the right time - I think it's right to celebrate the team and the players."
The match was overshadowed by a brutal high shot from Mulitalo on Roosters centre Mark Nawaqanitawase that saw the Sharks winger sent to the sin bin midway through the first half. Nawaqanitawase caught and passed in quick succession, with replays showing Mulitalo making forceful contact with his shoulder to the head of the Roosters star, in an incident some fans labelled a 'dog shot' and many thought should have been a straight send-off.
Dog shot by Mulitalo on Nawaqanitawase #nrlroosterssharks
— Osman (@osmankarolia) May 24, 2025
Ronaldo should be sent off, not 10m bin.Shocker.#NRLRoostersSharks
— RichitiGrub (@WSWanderingEels) May 24, 2025
How is Ronaldo not sent off? #NRLRoostersSharks
— Ray Stone's the Doggies! (@RocksBicep) May 24, 2025
Mulitalo lucky not to be sent off
— 🟦🟥⬜ KCN ⬛ ⬜ x 🔴⚫️⚪️ (@EastsToWin1994) May 24, 2025
The Sharks trailed 20-6 at halftime, and Savala helped extend that advantage after the break with another kick that fell kindly for Nawaqanitawase, who crashed over for his eighth try in nine games. Roosters prop Xavier Va'a made it an NRL debut to savour after crashing over for a try with just his second touch of the footy and while KL Iro and Mulitalo pulled tries back for the Sharks, Roosters skipper James Tedesco and Dom Young hit back to put the exclamation mark on a big win.
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"Back down to earth with a thud," said Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon in a press conference that lasted just 80 seconds. "I don't make excuses ... we got outperformed, and it was a real attitude check for us that we're going to have to work on." The win lifts the Roosters into 11th on the ladder, while the Sharks remain fifth after missing the chance to break into the top-four.
with AAP
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