Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is expecting another bruising battle against Penrith on Monday and admits a much-improved performance is required after last week’s loss to South Sydney.
The Roosters were run down by the Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium, losing 34-26 after letting slip a 10-point second-half lead.
They now face a Panthers side who have started the season in impressive fashion with wins over Canterbury and the Gold Coast.
Ivan Cleary’s side thumped the Titans 40-0 last Saturday in Bathurst and victory at Allianz Stadium will see them start a season with a 3-0 record for the first time since 1997.
The last time these side met was during last year’s finals with the Panthers pulling off a shock 19-18 win thanks to Jamie Soward’s late field goal.
The former Roosters and St George Illawarra playmaker will miss this game after undergoing surgery for a long-standing back issue this week but despite his absence Waerea-Hargreaves insists the Panthers are still the real deal.
“They have some real threat out wide and (Matt) Moylan at fullback is now one of the best fullbacks in the NRL,” Waerea-Hargreaves told AAP.
“We were very disappointed after losing to Souths and Penrith’s forwards match up against anyone. Defensively we need to be better because if we’re not they have players who can hurt you.
“They have a big and mobile forward pack but at home in front of our home fans for the first time this year we feel confident of turning things around.”
Despite the loss to the Rabbitohs, the Roosters still finished the game with a highly impressive completion rate of 88 per cent.
Young forward Kane Evans was singled by coach Trent Robinson after making a real impact from the bench, clocking up just under 100 metres and claiming a try assist in the 19 minutes he spent on the field.
Waerea-Hargreaves tipped the young Fijian international for a big future.
“He’s young, he’s raw and I love watching him,” he said.
“He’s getting out there and doing his best for the team. The attitude he brings, the enthusiasm really fires the team up. He’s a player who is going to be around for a very long time to come.”
KEY STATS
SYDNEY ROOSTERS V PENRITH PANTHERS
* Close games are a rarity between these teams in recent times with only three of their 12 matches since 2008 being decided by less than 16 points.
* Under Trent Robinson, the Roosters have won 22 of 30 matches at Allianz Stadium with six of their losses by eight points or less.
* The Panthers have not conceded a point in the first hour in either of their matches this season.
* Roosters back-rower Boyd Cordner has scored five tries in his past five matches against the Panthers.
