The Sydney Roosters host the St George Illawarra Dragons before the Raiders and Knights wrap up round 18 in Canberra.
Special attention will be paid to Knights centre Bradman Best, who is in the running to replace the injured Latrell Mitchell for the State of Origin decider. Roosters centre Joseph Sua’ali’i will serve the final match of his suspension and is reportedly in the running as well.
Meanwhile, Kalyn Ponga returns from injury to face the Raiders and will be closely watched by Queensland coach Billy Slater, who is in the market for a bench utility.
NSW will announce its squad for the July 17 clash after the Canberra-Newcastle game.
Follow the live blog below, keep up to date with all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.
Key events
Live: Roosters vs Dragons at the SFS
The Dragons finally go in! And they want an eight-point try
The Dragons spin it left and Christian Tuipulotu gets on the outside to dive in. But Victor Radley has KO’d himself in trying to stop him.
Radley’s day is likely over, but the good news for the Roosters is he wasn’t pinged with an eight-point try for his attempted tackle on Tuipulotu that looked a lot like a shoulder charge.
48′ The Dragons are offering nothing in attack
But it’s another penalty as Sam Walker hits Kyle Flanagan high on the last as he just jogs into the line.
Another shot for the Dragons, but their attack is looking insipid.
36′ The Dragons are over, but it’s no try
Ben Murdoch-Masila grounds the ball next to the posts, but it looks like Luciano Leilua played the role of disruptor in the lead-up.
Leilua leapt very early for the high cross-field kick and into the back of Sam Walker. They’re tangle falls into the legs of a flying Sitili Tupouniua and he knocks on, but so too does Leilua before Murdoch-Masila gets the ball.
All that to say, no it’s not a disruptor, with the bunker saying Leilua’s contest was genuine, but no it’s not a try. Roosters knocked on first. The Dragons get another chance.
45′ The Dragons are back on the front foot
As it was so often in the first half, the Dragons are pressuring the Roosters’ tryline. Ben Hunt’s grubber is grounded by James Tedesco, so the Dragons get another set.
41′ Out come the teams for the second half
Ben Hunt is sporting a pristine white top after a half-time change, but he’s one of the only ones. Every other kit is muddy and brown courtesy of an SFS pitch that is still sporting rugby union and soccer markings.
HALF-TIME: Roosters lead the Dragons 14-6
Sam Walker squibs a long-range shot at two-point field goal, so the Roosters’ lead remains eight points heading to the sheds for half-time.
The Roosters can’t be too miserable about the way the game has gone, but Walker tells Fox Sports he’s “disappointed” because the team was on top for the entire half but allowed that late try by the Dragons.
A very soft try for the Dragons
Another repeat set on the Roosters’ line finally yields points for the Dragons, with Jacob Liddle spotting a yawning gap to the right of a play-the-ball and diving in. Nat Butcher completely fell asleep there.
35′ Lomax almost creates more magic but Daniel Tupou comes up with a miracle try-saver
The bomb goes out to the right and Daniel Tupou is all turned around, allowing Zac Lomax to fly through and catch the ball at full speed without breaking stride.
He offloads to Max Feagai, who looks tryline-bound, but a diving Tupou somehow grabs his shorts and holds him back with one hand.
Feagai’s offload back in-field is eventually broken up by the Roosters, so they’ll still have to weather another full set on their line.
33′ Standing ovation for a bloodied Waerea-Hargreaves
The milestone man is subbed off with blood pouring from his head after a nasty head clash. And the fans love it as he grins while making his way around the field back to the bench.
30′ Enormous Roosters on the field
As Jared Waerea-Hargreaves returns, Terrell May comes on or Lindsay Collins and Spencer Leniu is subbed on for Brandon Smith.
So Connor Watson goes to hooker and he’s surrounded by JWH, May, Leniu, Angus Crichton and Victor Radley.
The 12-man Roosters score as their milestone man returns!
The Dragons give away a penalty for offside in the middle of the field and the Roosters march downfield and immediately strike as they spin it right and James Tedesco puts Dom Young one on one against Christian Tuipulotu and he tramples over the top to score.
Not only has JWH returned after that try, but Spencer Leniu joins him in the middle for his first minutes.
25′ The Dragons can’t take advantage of extra man
The Roosters haven’t been challenged despite the Dragons having time on their line with an extra man on the field.
“They keep going to where the numbers are,” Luke Lewis says with frustrated incredulity on ABC Sport.
“They’re attack has been impotent,” John Gibbs adds from the sideline as Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’s return is a minute away.
17′ Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is sin-binned in his milestone game
No special treatment for the veteran prop in his 307th game for the Roosters, with his high shot on Max Feagai seeing him sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.
But not before this delightful exchange.
JWH: “I didn’t swing, Ashley. That’s not 10.”
Referee Ashley Klein: “It will be.”
JWH: “That’s not 10. That’s not 10, Ashley. That’s not 10.”
Klein: *signals 10 in the bin*
A penalty probably would have been sufficient as Feagai was falling and Waerea-Hargreaves’s arm was down by his side, but the bunker said the force was too great and he had to be reported and binned.
10′ Brandon Smith making an impact early
After a long post-contact run in the Roosters’ own half, the hooker gets the ball on the left and freezes the defence before turning it under for James Tedesco.
But Smith was hit late by Jaydn Su’A and the Roosters will add a penalty to make it 8-0.
Victor Radley goes in for the Roosters!
After Jared Waerea-Hargreaves scatters defenders and goes within centimetres of scoring under the posts, Sam Walker just dinks in a left-footed grubber out to the right for back rower Victor Radley to dive on.
Walker gets the try assist, but that preceding charge from JWH had a big hand to play in creating the holes in the Dragons’ defence that Walker and Radley exploited.
5′ The Dragons pepper the Roosters’ line but are repelled
Daniel Tupou knocks on his first kick return, and the Dragons get over the tryline twice off cross-field kicks, but the Roosters hold them up.
The first tests passed.
1′ The Roosters kick off at the SFS
And of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is the chief tackler in the first hit-up of the game.
Roosters, new and old, form a guard of honour for Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
James Tedesco leads today’s team out and they join the 1974/75 Easts team and a few of JWH’s former teammates in a guard of honour for the veteran prop.
His partner and three kids meet him at the end.
Are those some misty eyes I see on the hard man?
Another special day for Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
It feels like we’ve had about five celebrations of the Roosters prop this season, and this one makes him the most capped Rooster with his 307th game for the Tricolours.
He’ll run out with a golden number eight on his back.
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