Roosters Star Ruled Out of Grudge Match After E-Bike Mishap
A significant blow has struck the Sydney Roosters on the eve of their highly anticipated grudge match against fierce rivals South Sydney. Centre Billy Smith has been officially ruled out of Friday night’s clash at Allianz Stadium after sustaining a concussion in an e-bike accident.
This unfortunate incident, which occurred in Moore Park, close to the club’s headquarters, not only sidelines Smith for the immediate fixture but also casts a shadow over next week’s crucial encounter with the Penrith Panthers, due to the NRL’s strict concussion protocols.
Smith, 26, required stitches after being assessed by club medical staff following the accident. While he reportedly felt confident that the injuries were not severe, he will now be a spectator from the grandstand. His absence from the Roosters’ squad was confirmed in an update released on Thursday night, with Fetalaiga Pauga stepping in to fill his spot.
This latest setback adds to a career that has been unfortunately plagued by injuries for Smith. He had only managed to play more than 15 games in a single season last year, highlighting his resilience in overcoming various physical challenges. Despite his injury woes, Smith was noted as one of the Roosters’ standout performers in their surprising loss to the Warriors in the previous round.
The use of electric scooters and bikes is a common sight among Roosters players as they navigate the Moore Park precinct, a necessity given the distance between the club’s training fields and the gym facilities within Allianz Stadium.
Focus Shifts to Johnston’s Record Bid Amidst Smith’s Absence
Smith’s unfortunate accident has, at least temporarily, diverted attention from the looming milestone of South Sydney flyer Alex Johnston. Johnston is on the cusp of overtaking Ken Irvine’s long-standing competition try-scoring record.
He currently needs just one try against the Roosters to draw level with Irvine on 212 career four-pointers. A double would see him etch his name in the history books, breaking a record that has stood since 1969.
The Rabbitohs would undoubtedly relish the prospect of Johnston achieving this feat on Friday night, particularly given the ongoing rivalry and historical significance of Allianz Stadium, which has long been considered the Roosters’ traditional home ground.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson expressed his team’s determination to prevent Johnston from reaching his target on their home turf. “We don’t want him (Johnston) to score any tries,” Robinson stated. “That hasn’t been brought up because our job is to allow no tries on that edge… so there’s no discussion about don’t let (a certain) somebody score.” He added, “Hopefully the following week he will break that record. Alex is a really good person, a good man and a great footy player and he deserves everything he gets. I’m really happy for him and what he’s done in the game, and I look forward to seeing him celebrate, hopefully on a television from a distance.”
Despite the narrative surrounding Johnston’s potential record, Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett insisted on Thursday that the team had not specifically discussed the milestone, suggesting they would not be trying to engineer opportunities for him to score.
Roosters Aim to Shore Up Defence Against Potent Rabbitohs Attack
To contain Johnston and the formidable South Sydney left edge, who collectively boast an impressive 483 NRL tries, Robinson acknowledges that the Roosters must significantly improve their defensive effort on the right side. This area was a particular weakness in their last outing, with five of the Warriors’ seven tries coming down that flank in their decisive 42-18 victory. This performance represented a challenging start for the Roosters’ new star recruit.
The Roosters will see the return of centre Robert Toia for Friday night’s game. Additionally, Siua Wong has been promoted to start at left second-rower, taking precedence over Nat Butcher.
Robinson elaborated on the team’s defensive focus, stating, “There were probably two things we identified, which I won’t go into, that we felt like we needed to fix to improve that edge.” The team is clearly looking to address these defensive frailties to present a stronger challenge against the Rabbitohs.
