NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 8 SYDNEY ROOSTERS 12
TOM SMITH, McDonald Jones Stadium, Saturday
SIUA WONG’S 71st-minute try clinched the Roosters’ gutsy comeback over the Knights.
The Tricolours lost Victor Radley and Egan Butcher to failed head-injury assessments, and had to defend 84 more tackles than the hosts.
But captain James Tedesco produced two try assists in the last 20 minutes to erase Newcastle’s advantage.
For Ridley it’s a second head injury of the season and is believed to be his seventh in four years – a concerning record for the England forward, who may face an extended sit-down.
State of Origin took its toll on both line-ups, with Newcastle losing their main attacking spark and skipper Kalyn Ponga, and the Chooks minus Angus Crichton, Connor Watson, Lindsay Collins, Robert Toia and Spencer Leniu.
Ex-Rooster Jackson Hastings made his first NRL appearance of the year against his old club, while Sam Walker failed to return from a nine-month ACL layoff due to an ill-timed broken thumb.
Newcastle forward Brock Greacen made his first-grade bow off the bench.
It may also prove to be Dom Young’s last game in red, white and blue before a rumoured return to the Knights.
Kyle McCarthy sliced through the Chooks’ right-edge defence to open the scoring inside just four minutes — the 21-year-old’s maiden NRL try.
But after stand-in skipper Dane Gagai’s conversion, neither side bothered the scorers for the remainder of the half.
An escort penalty against Butcher gave Gagai another two points, putting Newcastle ahead by eight with just 20 minutes remaining.
But moments after Daniel Tupou denied James Schiller in the corner, Salesi Foketi followed up a Tedesco bust to gallop away and get the visitors on the board.
Then Wong grounded a Tedesco grubber to secure the Roosters’ result.
KNIGHTS: 4 Fletcher Hunt, 2 James Schiller, 3 Dane Gagai, 18 Kyle McCarthy, 5 Greg Marzhew, 6 Jackson Hastings, 7 Jack Cogger, 8 Mat Croker, 9 Jayden Brailey, 10 Brodie Jones, 11 Dylan Lucas, 12 Kai Pearce-Paul, 13 Phoenix Crossland. Subs (all used): 15 Thomas Cant, 16 Jermaine McEwen, 17 Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, 21 Brock Greacen
Tries: McCarthy (4); Goals: Gagai 2/2
ROOSTERS: 1 James Tedesco, 2 Daniel Tupou, 3 Billy Smith, 4 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 5 Dom Young, 14 Sandon Smith, 6 Hugo Savala, 8 Naufahu Whyte, 9 Benaiah Ioelu, 10 Salesi Foketi, 11 Egan Butcher, 12 Siua Wong, 13 Victor Radley: Subs (all used): 15 Zack Dockar-Clay, 16 Blake Steep, 19 Makahesi Makatoa, 20 Taylor Losalu
Tries: Foketi (61), Wong (71); Goals: S Smith 2/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0; 8-0, 8-6, 8-12
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Dylan Lucas; Roosters: James Tedesco
Penalty count: 6-3; Half-time: 6-0; Referee: Gerard Sutton; Attendance: 24,849