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Teenage five-eighth Sam Walker has provided a lot of the spark for the Sydney Roosters in their 22-14 NRL win over the Warriors at the SCG.
Sam Walker has followed in the footsteps of NRL premiership-winning five-eighth of 20 years ago Brad Fittler in helping the Sydney Roosters subdue the spirited Warriors 22-14 at the SCG on Sunday.
Before the match honouring the 2002 NRL grand final between these two sides, Fittler presented Walker with his jersey at a celebratory function during the week.
And that exchange seemed fitting as the 19-year-old showed the same sort of bamboozling footwork that was Fittler's trademark.
Walker busted out of three tackles, sent deceptive grubbers or crisp passes left and right, kicked five goals and scored a try for a personal tally of 14 points.
"I like the fact that he's playing the No.6 role and I like the fact that he's taking opportunities, seizing moments and he's not shy - he's enjoying playing the game and using his vision to play those moments," Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.
When Walker planted the ball with his fingertips in the 60th minute after some nifty footwork, it gave the Roosters the momentum they needed to wrap up the match even though the Warriors scored later through winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
The loss snapped a three-match winning streak by the New Zealand team, who now head to Melbourne for the traditional Anzac Day match against the Storm.
It did take 52 minutes before the Roosters managed to grab the lead, largely off some staunch and smart defence from the Warriors.
A ruling that Reece Walsh wasn't stripped of the ball over the line by Roosters forward Fletcher Baker seemed the turning point in halting the Warriors momentum.
"It was one of those 50-50 ones. And when you're the aggressor like they were you tend to get those ones - when you're on the front foot," Warriors coach Nathan Brown said,
"The referees are certainly not why we're sitting on the losing side."
Brown did stand up for Roosters forward Victor Radley, who was placed on report for a high tackle making contact with winger Edward Kosi as he was falling.
"I'd be disappointed if he got suspended. I understand we should have got a penalty and free interchange (Kosi passed his HIA) but you can't suspend a bloke for that," Brown said.
A second Roosters forward in Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was placed on report for his collision with prop Aaron Pene.
With a host of 2002 Roosters players and coach Ricky Stuart as special guests at the SCG on Sunday, both teams wore replica jerseys from two decades ago.
But the party schedule didn't go to plan for the hosts with the visitors jumping out to a lead when Edward Kosi -- the man who replaced suspended Marcelo Montoya - crossed.
The Warriors hung on for an 8-6 half-time lead despite a fine Daniel Tupou try, when fullback James Tedesco chimed into the left edge to provide the extra man.
In the second half, a Luke Keary bomb was misfielded and Kevin Naiqama scored on opportunistic try in his third game for the Roosters.
Walker's four-pointer followed eight minutes later and it seemed to put out the last bit of fire in the Warriors.
The match also marked the first NRL game this year for another bright young Roosters teenager, 18-year-old winger Joseph Suaalii wasn't even born when the Roosters hoisted the NRL trophy in 2002.
