Junior Report Finals Week 1: SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Advance
The Tarsha Gale Roosters Indigenous Academy and the Sydney Roosters SG Ball sides are one week away from a Grand Final as they both face the Illawarra Steelers in their respective Preliminary Finals this weekend.
It was a shutout from the Tarsha Gale side in the first week of finals as the Red, White and Blue recorded a 20-nil victory over the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
A sole try from Courtney Tamati in the seventh minute of the match was the only scoring play in the first half as the Tricolours went into the sheds 6-nil up in an arm wrestle.
But the Roosters made sure to put the foot down in the second half, scoring two quick-fire tries through Keilee Joseph and Avalon Pallier in the first ten minutes upon resumption, with Otesa Pule putting the icing on the cake in the shadows of full-time.
Tarsha Gale Head Coach Blake Cavallaro had plenty of praise for his side, in particular highlighting their defensive efforts.
"It was a very good win for us," Cavallaro recalled.
"Defensively our girls were strong, especially considering they didn't let any points in and they worked on their effort areas which was also very pleasing.
"They were committed on the weekend and they are looking forward to taking on a strong Illawarra side."
Both the Sydney Roosters and Central Coast Roosters Harold Matthews Cup sides fell short in their finals matches, going down to the Penrith Panthers and Western Suburbs Magpies respectively while the ladder-leading SG Ball side come off a bye in the first round of finals.
The Sydney Roosters had a strong start, with winger Dylan Roach bagging an early double which helped the Tricolours gain an 18-12 lead at half-time.
Penrith would own the second half, however, and after the Roosters went over again, their opponents hit back with four tries of their own in the second half, taking out the match 36-24.
The Central Coast Roosters fought tooth and nail in a close contest against the Magpies, falling short 18 to 16.
Their opponents would make an immediate impression, scoring in the first minute, however, the Roosters would hit back soon through winger Mason Stottelaar after 10 minutes.
From there, an arm wrestle ensued, with the scores remaining as the sides went into the sheds with Wests holding a slender 6-4 lead.
In contrast to the first half, it was the Tricolours who struck first, with the lead going back and forth before the Magpies laid the final blow with a try in the 54th minute, as a missed conversion proved to be the difference between the two sides.
The Tarsha Gale side take on the Illawarra Steelers
SCOREBOARD FINALS WEEK 1
TARSHA GALE CUP
Sydney Roosters 20 (Courtney Tamati, Keilee Joseph, Avalon Pallier, Otesa Pule tries; Ruby Smith 2 goals) def Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 0
Ladder Position: 3rd
Finals Week 2: Illawarra Steelers (2nd vs 3rd semi-final)
SG BALL CUP
Sydney Roosters BYE
Ladder Position: 1st
Finals Week 2: Illawarra Steelers (1st vs 6th semi-final)
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
Sydney Roosters 24 (Dylan Roach 2, Cassius Tia, Modotinrowson Siu tries; Josh Durkin 4 goals) def by Penrith Panthers 36
Final Ladder Position: 6th
Central Coast Roosters 16 (Mason Stottelaar, Robert Toia, Benaiah Ioelu tries; Haydan Ritchie 2 goals) def by Western Suburbs Magpies 18
Final Ladder Position: 5th
