Easts Defeated in Fiery NSW Cup Encounter

An early break from his own try-line by Sea Eagles fullback Kaeo Weekes looked as if it would result in the game’s first points, only for a sensational chase down effort by Roosters back-rower Riley Meyn to deny the speedster and keep his side level.

The Roosters defence held steadfast despite being under the pump early, forcing errors out of Blacktown Workers on several occasions in the early stages as the hosts waited patiently for their time to attack.

Easts shifted the momentum of the match as they forced the visitors into conceding back-to-back goal-line dropouts, but the Sea Eagles defence stifled the barrage of Red, White, and Blue attack, forcing an error and a turnover 18 minutes into the match.

After chances at both ends of the field, the deadlock was finally broken eight minutes before the break by winger Jaxson Paulo, who latched onto a short ball from Prop Josh Bevan to score next to the posts. Paulo converted his own try to give the Roosters a narrow 6-0 lead.

The visitors hit back just seconds before the interval with a scorching full field effort, ending with winger Clayton Faulolo crossing acrobatically in the corner to finish it off. The try was converted by Cooper Johns to level the scores at six apiece heading into the break.

An early penalty for an illegal strip to begin an energetic second half prompted the Roosters to take a shot at goal, however Paulo couldn’t convert and the scores remained locked at six-apiece.

Moments later, Ethan Clark-Wood came very close to giving Easts the lead back when he seemed to have scored off the back of a chip kick from five-eighth Noel Aukafolau, but the referee judged that he had placed the ball down outside the field of play.

It was Blacktown Workers who were the first to strike after the break when halfback Latu Fainu found a gap in Easts' defence and scurried across the line. Johns converted the try to make the score 12-6.

With 23 minutes to play, what seemed to be a try saving tackle in the corner from Roosters winger Jade Anderson sparked a melee in the in-goal area, resulting in Morgan Harper being placed on report for the Sea Eagles, and a penalty try being awarded for foul play by Anderson in the act of denying winger Jackson Ferris. Johns converted from in-front to extend the visitors lead to 12 points.

The Red, White, and Blue hit back five minutes later through their mercurial five-eighth Joseph Taipairi, who scooped up a loose ball close to the line and put on some fancy footwork to sneak over and score. The try was converted by Paulo to make it 18-12.

From the kick-off, a scintillating break downfield by Robert Toia gave Easts a prime opportunity to level the scores, but an error over the try line handed possession back to the visitors.

A penalty to the Sea Eagles released some of the newfound pressure placed upon them and allowed them to test the Roosters' line once again. The hosts couldn’t hold on as Harper crossed in the corner to extend Blacktown Worker’s lead to 10 points with nine minutes to play.

The visitors put the game to bed when Fainu was on the end of the final pass once more, scoring his second of the match due to a classy left edge move from the Sea Eagles backline. Johns converted the try to make the score line 28-12 with only five minutes of play remaining.

A beautiful spiral pass from Jaxson Paulo with only a minute and a half remaining in the match put Ethan Clark-Wood over the line, but it was too little too late for the Roosters, who fell to a 28-18 defeat.

The Sydney Roosters will look to take a step towards finishing their season away from the base of the ladder when they take on the table-topping North Sydney Bears at North Sydney oval next Sunday afternoon.

Sydney Roosters 18 (Jaxson Paulo, Joseph Taipari, Ethan Clark-Wood tries, Jaxson Paulo 3 goals) def by Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles 28.