Brisbane’s Injury Woes and a Frustrating Loss
Brisbane’s challenges have escalated as Adam Reynolds suffered a serious concussion before the team fell short of a remarkable comeback in a 38-24 defeat to the Sydney Roosters. The match at Allianz Stadium was marked by chaos, with several key players from both teams sustaining injuries.
Mark Nawaqanitawase, Angus, and Lindsay Collins were all injured during the game, with the Roosters taking an early lead of 30-0. This led to a difficult night for the defending premiers, who struggled to recover from the initial onslaught.
Reece Walsh sparked a late rally for Brisbane, narrowing the gap to 30-24 with just 13 minutes left on the clock. However, a series of errors and critical moments saw the comeback falter. Patrick Carrigan’s mistake and Kotoni Staggs’ brain-snap proved to be the final nails in the coffin.
Nawaqanitawase’s injury has ended his hopes of playing in the NSW State of Origin, as he is expected to require surgery for a syndesmosis rupture. Meanwhile, there is some hope that Crichton’s knee injury is not as severe, allowing him to play in Origin I on May 28.
The injury also opened the door for Cody Ramsey to make a remarkable return to the NRL after 1337 days away and a long battle with ulcerative colitis.
Brisbane’s injury list is getting longer, with 10 players already sidelined. Reynolds, who was left groggy after a second-half tackle, will miss next week’s clash with Manly.
Jordan Karapani suffered an ankle injury in a hip-drop tackle from Victor Radley, forcing him off the field and prompting Deine Mariner to return after also sustaining a cork.
For the first 50 minutes, the Roosters’ attack was unstoppable, scoring 205 points across a five-match winning streak. James Tedesco was a standout performer, with every touch adding to his case for a State of Origin recall. Reece Robson also made a strong impression, leading the Roosters’ first try and scoring their last.
Radley’s return at lock provided an extra dimension to the Roosters’ attack, contributing to their second try before Daniel Tupou joined Billy Slater on 190 career tries.
“We’re very clear on how we want to attack, probably as clear as we’ve been in a couple of years,” said Roosters coach Trent Robinson. “It’s the clarity and simplicity and then we’re just working on the combinations as we go.”
Naufahu Whyte and Nat Butcher were also impressive up front, while Sam Walker set up one try with a grubber and scored another when a Connor Watson kick rebounded off Ezra Mam.
However, the Tri-colours faltered when Hugo Savala missed a try and was denied by Walsh at 30-0. Walsh then went over from dummy-half, followed by Tom Duffy putting Xavier Willison into space.
Carrigan scored after Ramsey put down a Duffy bomb, and it was 30-24 with 13 minutes remaining when Walsh drew in two defenders and put Jordan Riki into a gap. At that point, the biggest comeback in premiership history seemed possible, only for a Carrigan error to kill off the next attacking raid.
When Staggs was sin-binned for dropping his elbow into Savala’s head after a tackle was complete, the comeback was over. Staggs now risks time on the sideline as well.
“That was my fault,” Carrigan admitted. “I made an error down in the good ball set, just a loose carry turned over the ball and put us on the back foot and released pressure of the game. Kotoni plays aggressive, he wouldn’t have meant to do any harm.”
