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Mornings live on SN ExtraNawaqanitawase caps big week starring in Roosters' win
Jasper Bruce, AAP •  June 21st, 2026 11:45 pm
Mark Nawaqanitawase has led the Roosters' Origin contingent in a 19-point win over Cronulla | Photo: Steven Markham/AAP
Mark Nawaqanitawase has returned from his whirlwind State of Origin debut to star in the Sydney Roosters' 27-8 defeat of Cronulla and claim bragging rights over frequent tormentor Ronaldo Mulitalo.
Sunday's win at Allianz Stadium lifts the Roosters back into the top four and comes after a rough patch that had yielded three losses from their previous four games.
Five-eighth Daly Cherry-Evans paid tribute to the Roosters' representative contingent, who backed up from Wednesday night's Origin II and proved the difference.
"It's not easy (backing up)," the former Maroons captain said.
"Even on the last game of the round, all of that time, you do get that time to recover but you also have time to think about how sore you've become as well."
Nawaqanitawase was instrumental in the win, including scoring two tries | Photo: Steven Markham/AAP
NSW fullback James Tedesco played through a broken nose suffered in a collision with Sione Katoa that required constant attention from the Roosters' trainer.
"He's not as pretty as what he was before the game," coach Trent Robinson said of his captain.
"It was a bit of a whack there but you really like to see someone go all out on a play and have eyes for the ball."
Queensland's game two man of the match Sam Walker threw the last pass for Billy Smith to touch down, then came up with a try-saving tackle on Billy Burns.
Maroons prop Lindsay Collins was again an unlikely try-scorer, tearing past KL Iro on the 50-metre line and connecting with Cherry-Evans and Tedesco en route to the line.
Tedesco had an impact on his return from Origin despite a broken nose | Photo: Steven Markham/AAP PHOTOS
But Nawaqanitawase shone brightest of all, lauded as "an amazing athlete" by Cherry-Evans.
The Roosters' right winger racked up two tries and 215 metres only days after Casey McLean's leg injury brought him onto the wing for a surprise NSW debut.
Not for the first time, the rugby union-bound winger played out an enthralling tit-for-tat with his opposite man Mulitalo.
Fresh from his heroics for Queensland, Sam Walker (r) celebrates the try he handed Billy Smith (l) | Photo: Steven Markham/AAP
The pair confronted each other throughout, most notably after Mulitalo jammed his forearm into Nawaqanitawase's face in a first-half tackle.
Mulitalo had the Sharks' first try in the final minutes of the opening half following a cut-out pass from Braydon Trindall.
But Nawaqanitawase had the better of the heavyweight match-up.
First, Nawaqanitawase outleapt the Sharks winger ahead of Robert Toia's try down the right side.
Nawaqanitawase then offloaded to Connor Watson at close range and the utility carved through the middle to help Walker put Smith over.
When Nawaqanitawase beat Mulitalo to Cherry-Evans' crossfield kick with 15 minutes to play, the Roosters winger had a try of his own and pushed the lead to 12 points.
For good measure, Nawaqanitawase helped Tedesco bundle Mulitalo into touch as the Sharks chased late points, then skipped past Iro for his second try in the last two minutes.
"It's a good footy battle. To my estimation, it's 2-1 (to) Mark at the moment," said Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
"We came out the wrong end of that tonight but Ronny respects him, Ronny definitely rates him as a player. Look what he did tonight."
