While the Roosters got a repeat set just before they scored the match-winning try, Waerea-Hargraves and Hetherington had words, with the Warrior pushing the Rooster before the pair pushed and shoved at close quarters.
After Joseph Manu's match-sealing try, the pair came together again as Waerea-Hargraves went looking for Hetherington with the referee intervening.
But just two days after the Eels' Nathan Brown and Tigers rookie Dean Blore had a run in on the field which ended with hugs and some nice words, the experienced Waerea-Hargraves wanted nothing to do with it after the game ended.
As Hetherington went to drape an arm around Waerea-Hargraves' shoulder, the Rooster ducked out and walked away from the Panthers player on loan to New Zealand.
The Wests Tigers media boss Dan Talintyre took note about the bad blood after the Warriors and Roosters clash.
Speaking post-match, Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary didn't want any part of the battle.
"I'm not quite sure, I was trying to stay away from both of them," Keary joked. "I was looking for Nikorima."
It was a tough match for both teams with the under-strength Warriors shocking the Roosters by going to the halftime break 10-6 up.
The Roosters didn't take the lead until the 52nd minute when Keary scored off his own grubber ricochet to score from close range.
The Warriors scored early after a Kodi Nikorima bomb was knocked back and passed to the unmarked Ken Maumalo, in the player's last game before he and three other players return to Auckland.
A bomb worked to get the Roosters over the line through Sitili Tupouniua, before Eliiesa Katoa crashed over just before halftime to make it 10-6 at the break.
But mountains of defence finally wore the Warriors down, with two second-half tries all it took for the Roosters to claim the victory.
