Rabbitohs 20 Roosters 34
AS FAR as Russell Crowe was concerned, 100 years of hatred was supposed to dry up last night. As he might say, it was all about the love. "We love playing the Roosters, they always turn up," Crowe told the Herald from Washington DC, where he is shooting a feature film. "They're historically great competitors and they have earned our respect."
Crowe might consider retracting that statement this morning after having watched his side slide to an inglorious 34-20 defeat to the Roosters in the opening match of rugby league's centenary season at Homebush Bay.
And he might have yoinked it like a bad line from the set of Gladiator when, in the eighth minute, Roosters hooker Riley Brown - a kid from Singleton who probably grew up oblivious to the poison between these clubs - sprinted in, lowered his shoulder and buried it deep into the back of halfback Craig Wing.
As Wing left the field, his shoulder dislocated and his season in tatters, some wondered if it was late and a cheap shot. Roosters five-eighth Braith Anasta clapped with glee.
That sad and early departure merely spliced in perfectly with the rest of the script. The Roosters effectively secured their victory when they pulled away to 24-4 at half-time thanks to two storming tries from back-rower Anthony Tupou as soon as Wing left the field.
After the interval, the pressure valve from weeks of pointed fingers and screaming headlines was released as the Roosters raced out to a 34-4 lead. Souths fought back to come within 14 points but it wasn't enough. Fittingly, Souths captain Roy Asotasi picked up Brown and dumped him on his back.
Wing watched all of this unfold, his arm in a sling, on the sidelines - a million miles from the press conference where he sat alongside Crowe last July and announced his homecoming to the Rabbitohs.
His decision to rejoin his junior club after eight years at the Roosters had not offended any of his former teammates. But when he accused them of giving him the cold shoulder during the off-season, red mist descended on many of the red, white and blues. Last night, they delivered on their promise to shorten him up.
Hate is such a strong word but it had been the underlying theme during the build-up to the match.
While South Sydney fans remember the pamphlets the Roosters distributed around their suburbs after being struck from the competition in 1999 asking them to "Come see your boys play for us", the Roosters themselves often believe they are above the paranoia. At a fundraising lunch at Darling Harbour yesterday, Roosters coach Brad Fittler had left the stage and remarked, tongue planted firmly in cheek: "I hate Souths. Go the Roosters."
His tongue was nowhere near his cheek when, in the minutes before kick-off, he requested a newspaper be brought to the sheds so he could highlight a small story in which Souths players had talked up their chances of finishing in the top four this season.
The crowd of 29,386 was lost in the leviathan that is ANZ Stadium but a section certainly gunned for Roosters star recruit Willie Mason like he'd played in the tricolours his entire life. "Once a dog, always a cock" read one banner. Security made them pull it down but the point was made.
Mason started from the bench and his entrance in the 23rd minute marked a series of firsts. His first match for the Roosters, and later in the first half a penalty went against James Aubusson for a grapple tackle. Considering he once played for the Storm, it was the first insinuation of where the practice originated.
For his part, Crowe wasn't pointing fingers but extending an olive branch to Roosters supremo Nick Politis. For obvious reasons, Crowe could not share a cleansing ale with him afterwards, something he used to share with former Souths chairman George Piggins.
"I'm glad he nominated beer and not Metaxa, that stuff is harsh," Crowe said. "My dear friend the late Kerry Packer had a lot of time for Nick, spoke very highly of him. That's good enough for me. I've also heard he is a huge movie fan and lists Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, The Insider and Cinderella Man amongst his favourites of all time. How can you not like a guy with such good taste?"
Wing might be reaching for the Metaxa now.
SYDNEY ROOSTERS 34 (S Sa 2 A Tupou 2 N Myles S Kenny-Dowall tries C Fitzgibbon 5 goals) bt SOUTH SYDNEY 20 (N Merritt 2 Y Gordon G Paulson tries I Luke 2 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: T Archer. Crowd: 29,386.
