The winger stayed on the ground, clutching his jaw before he was helped to a sitting position. Photo / news.com.au
The winger stayed on the ground, clutching his jaw before he was helped to a sitting position. Photo / news.com.au
Former Balmain Tigers hardman Steve Roach has called out Warriors winger Edward Kosi for “feigning injury” early in his side’s 22-14 win over the North Queensland Cowboys.
The win sees the Warriors stay in the top four with matches for the Panthers, Broncos and Titans potentially able to affect wherethe side sits at the end of the round.
It was a hard-fought win for the Warriors, who move to 5-2 for the season with a third-straight win at home in 2023.
However, it was a moment early in the match that had the rugby league great fuming over one of the true blights on the game.
After just eight minutes, Kosi took a hit up with the Cowboys’ Reece Robson going high in a two-man tackle.
Fox League commentator Roach was fuming after the incident.
“I’ve got to say, I’m starting to get annoyed with players staying down, feigning injury,” Roach said. “They’ve obviously been told by the coaches if you get hit on the chin, you stay down.
“You see straight away as they got the penalty, straight up to his feet.”
Co-commentator Andrew Voss didn’t bite but said the tackle appeared to be more of a “domino effect” than a blatant high shot.
In the end, it didn’t impact the match as the Cowboys defended a set on their own line.
A beefed-up head injury assessment process is supposed to have stopped the issue but it comes less than 24 hours since Roosters coach Trent Robinson pointed out the Sharks’ Briton Nikora played 65 minutes after he clutched his ankle on what was deemed a hip drop tackle from Nat Butcher.
It appeared if Kosi was hit by anything, it was his own arm as he put it up to fend off the defenders. Photo / news.com.au
While Robinson didn’t accuse Nikora of laying down directly, it’s not hard to read between the lines.
Shaun Johnson’s incredible comeback continued as he shows no signs of slowing down after the veteran halfback produced a vintage display to heap more misery on a Cowboys side that could finish the round in the bottom two.
There were plenty of good judges ready to write off Johnson after a couple of indifferent years, but the magic man continues to wind back the clock with clutch plays when it matters most.
Johnson was the best player on the field again, delivering three telling plays in the second half to get his side over the line.
Shaun Johnson is back at his best. Photo / Getty Images
He got the ball rolling with a short pass to set up a hard-running Josh Curran for the first try of the second half, he then showed the reflexes of a startled cat to gather a deflected kick to set up Dylan Walker, before he landed a late penalty goal to push the margin out beyond a converted try.
He had strong support from his outside backs who got through plenty of work, including an epic run by Marcelo Montoya that saw him fend away four defenders before he offloaded to Kosi for a special try before the break.
It also adds to a horror start to the year for Todd Payten’s men after the Cowboys had nothing work in attack, despite dominating possession and territory for much of the game.
North Queensland had 55 tackles inside the attacking 20-metre zone compared to just 24 for the Warriors, yet they could only muster three tries with one of those coming from a splendid Scott Drinkwater grubber.
They do have some players missing but their spine is intact and should be a lot more creative than what we saw on Saturday.
The loss leaves them on four competition points and miles behind where they were last year, with the top four seemingly out of reach if they can’t turn it around.
