Walker on track as DCE eyes fairytale Suncorp farewell
- Author
- Timestamp
Roosters star Sam Walker is on track to make a shock comeback from an ankle injury in Friday's preliminary final as halves partner Daly Cherry-Evans targets a fairytale farewell to Suncorp Stadium.
Coach Trent Robinson expressed his confidence after his side's semi-final win over the Sharks that Walker will return just four weeks after undergoing ankle surgery for Friday's showdown with the Dolphins in Brisbane.
Most fans thought the halfback's season was over when he limped from the field in a Round 26 loss to the Dolphins, but Walker went under the knife the following day and immediately set his sights on defying medical predictions.
Sam Walker leaves the field with an injury
Cherry-Evans has watched on in awe as his halves partner has ticked every box on the path to a preliminary final return and backed Walker to deliver with a spot in the grand final on the line.
"He's just been relentless in his recovery," Cherry-Evans said. "It's been so great to watch him and to be honest it hasn't been surprising.
"He's an extremely competitive person. The team means a lot to him, the opportunity to play deep into finals means a lot to him. There is no surprise he is putting himself in the frame to play next weekend."
Match: Roosters v Sharks
Finals Week 2 -
home Team
Roosters
4th Position
away Team
Sharks
5th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
The Roosters booked their place in the preliminary final with a dominant 46-10 victory over the Sharks in front of nearly 40,000 fans at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Cronulla were always facing an uphill battle from the moment halfback Nicho Hynes suffered a head knock in just the second minute and the Tricolours flexed their premiership muscle to pull away from their opponents in the second half.
There was plenty to celebrate for the Roosters, gun backrower Angus Crichton making a successful return from a long-term foot injury with a 30-minute cameo off the bench.
The representative star ran for 90 metres and broke six tackles in his first outing since Round 15.
Gussy in the middle: Robinson relishing rejuvenated Crichton
Crichton has trained alongside Walker in the rehab squad throughout the past few weeks and has been impressed with the youngster's focus on progressing through each stage of the recovery rather than simply focusing on the end goal.
"He is running, kicking and doing everything at training," Crichton said. "It's pretty impressive. He is a big part of this team and worked so hard like all of us have.
"A lot has to go right, you've just got to put one foot in front of the other. You don't want to get carried away looking at the end goal. If you look too far ahead you will trip over and keep worrying about each other. That's what matters."
Friday's preliminary final marks a homecoming for both Walker and Cherry-Evans, the pair growing up in Queensland before moving south and developing into elite playmakers.
Cherry-Evans was a Redcliffe junior growing up, playing his first game for the club as a five-year-old. Both his father and grandfather played first-grade for the Dolphins in the QRL competition.
While determined not to get caught up in the romanticism of a Brisbane return, the 37-year-old is aware every match could be his last before moving to England to finish his career with Hull FC next season.
A strange twist of fate led Cherry-Evans on a collision path with the Dolphins, the playmaker missing a late field goal in last week's tight loss to Penrith.
Daly Cherry-Evans Try
The former Queensland captain quickly brushed aside the disappointment to lead the Roosters past Cronulla on Saturday night and said he's learnt throughout his career not to dwell on past mistakes.
"I reckon I have been pretty consistent on this message throughout my career," Cherry-Evans said. "You won't find anyone harder on my own game than myself. It's as simple as that.
"But what happens next is if I carry my divots, I'm then not only putting myself out but my team out. From the words of the great Ted Lasso, memory of a goldfish."
After 27 epic rounds, it all comes down to this. One play can define a season. These are the moments that matter. Click here to secure your seats and get behind your team.
