Representing the Club's proud history in the Bondi Blue Wartime Jersey, the Sydney Roosters hosted the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the clash for the Anzac Cup on Tuesday afternoon, coming away with a one-point win.
Easts Strike Early
The Men from Bondi were raring from the kick-off, quickly opening their account after four minutes of play with a spectacular 70-metre try.
Tedesco Sprints Away for Anzac Day Try
They kept the intensity up for the remainder of the half, finding another two tries to give them a handy eight-point lead heading into the break.
Picking up where they left off, the Roosters struck early in the second half with a piece of individual brilliance from Joseph Manu, who carried a defender over the line to put the Tricolours in the box seat.
Magnificent Manu Muscles His Way Over
Forwards Link Up to Re-establish the Lead
The sides traded blows early in the contest, locking the score up at six apiece before the forward pack took matters into their own hands.
Receiving the ball out of dummy half, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves delivered a slick no-look pass to Victor Radley who charged through to score and re-claim the Red, White and Blue's lead.
Radley Gets His First for 2023
They added another two points to their tally with a penalty goal minutes later after Egan Butcher was caught high by St. George's defence.
Suaalii Finds the Mark
In just his second Anzac Day match, 19-year-old Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was tasked with goal kicking for the afternoon.
He faced the challenge head-on, striking the ball perfectly to convert all four Roosters’ tries and a penalty goal to finish the evening with a perfect five-from-five record.
His goal-kicking proved pivotal in the result of the game, as the Roosters went on to re-claim the Anzac Cup by a single point in front of a sold-out home crowd.
Anzac Day Returns to Allianz
Tuesday marked the 22nd annual clash for the Anzac Cup between the Sydney Roosters and St. George Illawarra Dragons, the first at the new Allianz Stadium.
A total of 40,191 people attended the game, the second highest amount in the venues' history - only beaten by the Stadium opening match between the Roosters and Rabbitohs last season.
After only playing four home games in 2023, the Roosters have recorded the biggest average attendance (28,500) of any NSW-based team in NRL history.
Leaders Lift for Roosters
Captain James Tedesco, as well as vice-captains Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves all rose to the Anzac Day occasion, helping the Roosters obtain a 27-26 win.
Tedesco amassed 236 run metres, broke seven tackles and scored a try, while Waerea-Hargreaves ran for 116 metres in his 47-minute stint and assisted Victor Radley's try in the 20th minute.
Irish International Keary was awarded the Ashton-Collier Spirit of Anzac Medal for his performance that included one try, four tackle breaks, a try assist and the match-winning field goal.
Robinson & Tedesco: Round 8 Press Conference
The Roosters will aim to string together back-to-back victories when they face the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland for the first time since 2018 on Sunday afternoon.
