ALTONA Roosters had ample time to secure their Victorian Rugby League first grade finals spot, despite the referee calling a permanent halt to play after 50 minutes of the last-round encounter with Waverley Oakleigh Panthers on Saturday.
The game was halted so an ambulance crew could attend to an injured Panthers player at the Fregon Reserve encounter.
The Roosters went into half-time sporting a healthy 32-6 lead, but there was to be no further addition to the score after match officials were forced to call the game off so paramedics could attend to the player down.
The margin of the result did not have an impact on finals placings with the fifth-placed Craigieburn Phoenix – the only team that could have disrupted the top four – copping a hammering from lowly Doveton Steelers.
“One of their boys got seriously injured and we had to wait a while for the ambulance to come,” Roosters player-coach Jason Warr told The Weekly.
“We made a good start to the game and carried it into the second half until the injury occurred.”
Interestingly, the Roosters face a rematch with the Panthers in a cutthroat semi-final this Saturday at Loft Reserve.
The Roosters stole third spot in the win, but a home final was already assured with the Roosters holding hosting rights for week one of all finals.
Warr says his side is not getting carried away with the ease of its victory.
“We’ll have a heap of confidence going into the finals, but we can’t rely on what we did last weekend because they rested three or four players,” he said. “Playing at home is going to be good for the club as we’ve got all three teams – the senior, reserves and women’s tag – playing. We should get a good crowd down there.”
Ben James had a scintillating game for the Roosters. The forward snapped at the line with ball in hand and muscled up well in defence.
But James was desperate to score a try in the last regular-season game to avoid having to perform a “nudie run” for going try-less this season.
“He ran 55 metres with the ball and got caught a metre short of the line,” Warr said. “We spoke about it after the game and it was decided the guys without a try after the home-and-away season will have to do a nudie run.”
Young winger Saia Vaka will definitely keep his clothes on after scoring two tries.
The 18-year-old’s speed and elusiveness was too much to handle for the Panthers’ defence.
Sebastian Lagaaia was in a menacing mood with a number of pack-busting runs. Lagaaia is a fan favourite for his lively try celebrations. “When he scores a try, he certainly lets everyone know about it,” Warr said with a chuckle. “He always puts in a good celebration.”
-Lance Jenkinson
VRL scoreboard
First grade: Waverley-Oakleigh Panthers 6 lt Altona Roosters 32
