Updated ,first published
If ever there was cause to bring back the fabled marquee player โwar chestโ Dave Smith never actually used as NRL chief executive, Mark Nawaqanitawase is it.
The greatest entertainer in rugby league is rugby union-bound at seasonโs end. Peter Vโlandys should be moving the chess pieces already. (And whoโs to say he isnโt?)
In the Roostersโ 27-8 rebound to winning form over Cronulla on Sunday night, Nawaqanitawaseโs every touch was must-watch and for opposite number Ronaldo Mulitalo, must-match, by any means or forearm necessary.
A year on from the pairโs eye-catching Central Coast stoush, when Nawaqanitawase sledged and sprayed Mulitalo just weeks after first meeting over a Magic Round beer, it was the Roosters flyer prevailing once more with a hat-trick at Allianz Stadium.
Mulitalo finished an enthralling man-on-man contest having words with Roosters trainer Patrick Lane too, before immediately embracing Nawaqanitawase with a cuddle and a smile after full-time.
โItโs a good footy battle, by my summation itโs 2-1 Mark,โ Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said after full-time.
โTheyโre in a contest, theyโre going after each other and sometimes Ronnieโs an emotional guy, it spills over. It doesnโt mean he doesnโt respect his opponent. Heโs just trying to get to himโฆ but what does he say after the game? โWell done, you got meโ. Ronnie will eat that.โ
Before kick-off, Blayke Braileyโs shock return from a broken arm โ 20 days after popping the bone back in himself โ had set up a NSW Origin hooking battle with under-pressure incumbent No.9 Reece Robson.
By half-time, neither hooker had a run to their name. Blues fullback James Tedesco did wear brutal, legal contact that left his nose badly broken and apparently bleeding until the end of time.
News also came through from the sideline that rugby-bound teammate Angus Crichton is also facing at least six weeks out with a foot injury. If surgery is required, a significantly longer lay-off may mean he has played his last game for the Roosters.
On every other front though, it was Nawaqanitawase and Mulitalo putting on the show.
Fresh from a two-try, somewhat defensively suspect Origin debut, Nawaqanitawase threatened to reprise his stunning MCG touchdown after 11 minutes, only for a toe on touchline and Braydon Trindallโs desperate cover defence to deny him.
Instead, it was veteran prop Lindsay Collins with the spectacular opening try, a 40-metre bust in which he handled twice either side of offloads from Daly Cherry-Evans and James Tedesco.
Nawaqanitawase battled early with an ankle issue, but was fit enough to peg a ball at Will Kennedy and engage in some pushing, shoving and sweet nothings with Mulitalo soon after.
The Sharks winger then added a forearm to Nawaqanitawaseโs face to the mix, conceding a penalty for his troubles, which led to the Roostersโ second try when Toia fell on the crumbs of yet another aerial battle on their wing.
โItโs a part of Ronnieโs game and I think we enjoy watching it when itโs not your team,โ Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.
โI really liked the way that Mark reacted to it as well. He stood his ground but also played footy on the back of it.โ
The Nawaqanitawase โfootyโ Robinson so enjoyed came next when the cross-code international roamed in-field, his fashionably late offload had Connor Watson, Sam Walker and eventually Billy Smith tryline-bound.
Fittingly, it was Mulitalo sliding over in response a centimetre inside the touchline before half-time, albeit with heavy contact that landed Tedesco on report for his own slide into the Sharks flyer.
Cronulla trimmed a 14-4 deficit further immediately after half-time, the returning Nicho Hynes piloting a perfect cut-out ball across three defenders for Sione Katoa to stroll over.
As the second half ebbed on, Nawaqanitawase flew high again. With 19 minutes to play, Mulitalo was pinged for bumping him into error.
When Cherry-Evans kicked their way once more, Nawaqanitawase snaffled the match-winner right over the top of his Sharks opposite, before adding another in the final minute as he stepped back inside a scrambling KL Iro.
Nawaqanitawaseโs NRL record of 38 tries from 34 outings is now, according to Fox Sports, the best try-scoring strike-rate of any player since 1980.
Mulitalo can attest, despite gallantly keeping up with him, and once the match was won, wearing a few final insults for the road.
Michael Chammas and Andrew โJoeyโ Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.
Dan Walsh is a sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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