Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has long been one of our favourite players and this latest anecdote from Las Vegas only re-enforces big JWH’s reputation.
It’s been well-documented in the wake of the Ezra Mam-Spencer Leniu racism furore how a select group of Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters players were considering coming to blows back at the Resorts World Hotel where both teams were staying on the same floor.
The way we’ve heard it big Jared arrived on the scene just in time to put some sharp perspective into the situation.
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With players from both clubs throwing plenty of words around Jared simply walked in and put one simple option on the table.
Big JWH said words to the effect of if we’re going to do it let’s take it outside into the car park.
For the record, no one ended up in the car park.
At this point Roosters officials were promptly on the scene to douse the situation and ensure nothing further escalated.
Big JWH will return to the Roosters NRL side for Sunday’s clash against the Sea Eagles at Four Pines Park in what shapes as one of the games of round two.
Then in round three provided all things are equal Waerea-Hargreaves will play his 300th NRL match against arch-rivals South Sydney in what’s guaranteed to be a sold-out Allianz Stadium.
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‘IT’S GROWN ON ME’: API COPS PEROXIDE PENALTY
They might have collected back-to-back wooden spoons but the Wests Tigers are still driving a hard bargain when it comes to discipline and standards.
Like most clubs, the Tigers have a punishment policy if players are late to training of fail to adhere to team standards.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a development player or one of the most senior members of the squad the rules are the rules.
Which brings us to Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau and his recently-peroxided hair do.
The Wests Tigers captain might have been the club’s most consistent player for the past 12 months but that didn’t stop the creative dummy-half being forced to spin the club’s punishment wheel for being under a minute late to a team meeting.
“Yeah, I was 30 seconds late to a team meeting so I had to spin the wheel and it came up I had to dye my hair,” Koroisau told us.
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“It’s kind of grown on me now so I’m actually thinking of going around again with another round of peroxide.
“It’s all good. I understand the team has a set of standards and if you’re late then you’re late.
“I won’t be late again but like I said the look has actually grown on me quite a bit.”
If anyone can get away with the peroxide rinse, it’s Api.
The champion no.9 will captain the Wests Tigers again this season with the club hopeful Koroisau’s guile and craft out of dummy-half can help them shake a third-straight wooden spoon.
Koroisau is excited about the generation next local junior talent emerging at the club including debutant five-eighth Lachlan Galvin and young gun hooker Tallyn Da Silva.
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SOUTHS’ SWITCH AFTER BIG INJURY BLOW
South Sydney are preparing to unveil a new-look right edge with captain Cameron Murray set to be shifted from the middle of the field to the Rabbitohs right side.
With Jai Arrow’s rotator cuff injury meaning the red and green forward will be sidelined for up to six weeks, Murray has trained on the Bunnies right edge in place of Arrow with emerging forward Tallis Duncan to be South Sydney’s new starting lock.
Murray is widely-regarded among the absolute elite no.13’s in the game but has also shown at representative level for NSW and Australia the champion forward can be just as effective playing on an edge.
The Bunnies will be busting to get a win against the Broncos on Thursday given they’ve been dealt a brutal start to the new season.
After being beaten by Manly in Las Vegas, South Sydney now face Brisbane, the Roosters, Canterbury-Bankstown, the Warriors, Cronulla, Melbourne and then three-time premiers Penrith.
It’s a tough draw given the way the Rabbitohs fell off the cliff at the back end of last year but at least they’ll get star new recruit Jack Wighton back for the round three showdown with arch-rivals the Chooks.
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JUDICIARY GAFFES A BAD LOOK FOR NRL
We would have thought for a lightning rod NRL judiciary case as important as the Spencer Leniu-Ezra Mam hearing the NRL’s legal counsel Lachlan Gyles would have been right across all the finer points of the hugely-important brief.
Two of those finer points include Spencer Leniu’s surname is Leniu – not Luai as Gyles initially repeatedly called him – and he’s also of Samoan heritage, not Tongan.
As Gyles was beginning to make his opening address he swiftly pointed out to the three-member NRL judiciary panel how Leniu had played 83 NRL matches for Penrith, one for the Sydney Roosters and had also represented Tonga.
For the record Leniu is a proud Samoan who has played seven Test matches for the island nation including the historic World Cup final loss to the Kangaroos in November of 2021.
Thankfully judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew promptly intervened to correct Gyles.
Given the sensitive nature of the Leniu-Mam judiciary case it was a bad scene for the NRL.
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COWBOYS NAIL CAPTAINCY SWITCH
The North Queensland Cowboys’ decision to make a leadership change paid immediate dividends in the opening round of the competition.
The Cowboys two new co-captains Tom Dearden and Reuben Cotter were also two of their best players as North Queensland put on a clinic against the Dolphins.
Dearden might only be 23 and Cotter 25 but coach Todd Payten’s decision looks guaranteed to be vindicated given the way the Cowboys have started the season.
Dearden will no doubt find his voice as he grows into the role but if he continues to play with the control he displayed against the Dolphins then the Cowboys have a leader to follow.
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