Rockingham Sharks 12 – Fremantle Roosters 44
By PETER ROWE
Fremantle player-coach Duane Butler watched his side get back into the winners’ circle at Rockingham on Saturday afternoon as the Roosters overcame a young but fired up Sharks side to maintain third spot on the Fuel to Go & Play Premiership ladder.
Butler, who is currently injured, stood on the sidelines, aided by crutches as his team, missing several players, took a 20-6 lead into the half-time break, but they were made to fight for it.
After a ten-minute arm wrestle the visitors were first to cross when winger Misi Gasu scored in the left-hand corner.
But the Sharks were not going to let this one slip and led y skipper Chris Siddons, lock Terence Rameka levelled the scores nine minutes later, grabbing a short pass from Siddons as he was tackled going over the line to score.
A quick play-the-ball from Ishmael Leilua saw the halfback race through to score and Roosters’ man-of-the-match Te Toa Parkinson added another on the right edge on the half-hour mark.
Unable to go through the middle the Roosters were finding space out wide, which they capitalised on.
But through the middle they eventually went three minutes before the halftime siren when hooker Jahkayis Mabbett offloaded to the backing up Lleyton Cameron to cross.
“Te Toa is getting better week-by-week,” Butler said. His kick chase was excellent and he put in a lot of hard work both in attack and defence.”
Six minutes after the break Fremantle increased their lead when Leilua offloaded to Roydon Gillett after a Sharks error had given the ball back to the visitors and Harry Debique kicked and regathered to score five minutes later.
Sharks coach Reece Potter called it the worst period their game. “We were really poor just after half-time, which is not usually like us,” he said.
“We made the game too hard for ourselves.”
A Delane Edwards kick on last tackle was taken by Leilua which Taiapa Graham finished off for another try and the Roosters were home and dry.
A clever short inside pass from Sharks halfback Dave Quinlin to Detroit Tamanui saw the fullback cap off a solid day with a smart individual try before Parkinson grabbed his second of the afternoon a minute from time.
Hooker Kane Briggs, on debut, was Rockingham’s best on field, just in front of Tamanui and Siddons.
“We played really well in bits and then errors cost us,” Potter said.
Butler praised his side’s performance, although was quick to point out it was only a 65-minute showing.
“We missed a few things we have to work on,” he said. “But it was a tight contest for much of the game and Rockingham, while a young side, were well led by Siddo and they never gave up.”