Sydney Roosters hammered the Dolphins to keep their NRL play-off hopes alive in a game that saw a whopping four sin bins.
The Roosters ran in eleven tries as they ran riot in Brisbane, winning 64-12, but the game will be remembered ore for the fact that four players were sent to the sin bin inside ten minutes after a wild brawl erupted.
Just after the second of Mark Nawaqanitawase’s three tries, a scrap began with the Roosters’ enforcer Spencer Leniu at the heart of it.
He, along with teammate Naufahu Whyte and the Dolphins’ Francis Molo and Aublix Tawha, were all sent to the sin bin as the teams set about a ten-minute game of eleven versus eleven.
Tevita Naufahu would score the first of his two tries in that period as the Dolphins looked to get back into it but a late first half blitz saw the Roosters lead 36-6 at the half, a lead that they’d extend with five more tries in the second forty before Naufahu’s late consolation.
NRL match sees brawl erupt after ten minutes
England’s Victor Radley was among the try-scorers but the tries were not the talking point with that ninth-minute brawl the major matter in the match.
Leniu seemed to square up to some of the Dolphin’s players after his Roosters teammate Nawaqanitawase scored and that saw almost every player on the field get involved.
The actions of Leniu were called out by Fox League’s Warren Smith, who said: “That’s ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous behaviour from Spencer Leniu.”
Leniu squaring up to Aublix Tawha saw Whyte come in to protect his teammate, something which Molo then took issue with, resulting in all four being sent to the stands for ten minutes.
Smith continued, asking: “How can you explain the behaviour of Spencer Leniu. What is Tahwa supposed to do and then Naufahu Whyte comes and grabs him?”
You can see the brawl here.
