Trent Robinson did not quite say the Roosters would put a target on Melbourne’s biggest and meanest man. And neither Jared Waerea-Hargreaves or Nelson Asofa-Solomona were made available to the media this week, even though the Roosters prop is potentially playing the last NRL game of his career. But the looming final clash between two of the last genuine rugby league enforcers is undoubtedly the storyline of Friday’s preliminary final, along with the Storm’s five-year dominance of Robinson’s Roosters.
That’s because the distinguishing feature of the Roosters’ only two wins over Melbourne in their past 12 clashes has been their take-down of Asofa-Solomona and physical dominance of the southern powerhouse. “They wanted a street fight tonight, and Jared gave them one,” was the crux of Robinson’s post-match address to his players after the Roosters’ last win in Melbourne – a memorable 2022 clash when the two Kiwis saw red and hunted each other all night, with Waerea-Hargreaves sin-binned for roughing up Asofa-Solomona after hitting Cameron Munster high a moment earlier. The last preliminary final between the two sides, in 2019, began in similar fashion – even with Waerea-Hargreaves suspended and watching from the sidelines.
All in: Storm and Roosters players collide early on. Credit: Getty Images Asofa-Solomona and Siua Taukeiaho threw punches after the former took the very first carry of the match, finding themselves sin-binned within 20 seconds of kick-of.