That’s the latest label that can be attached to Mark Nawaqanitawase.
asserted
that → ’ → Nawaqanitawase
As speculation surrounds whether the Roosters winger will return to the NRL after switching back to rugby union, let us take a moment to appreciate his ability to deliver the biggest plays on the biggest days.
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us → surround → days
The Roosters had enough possession to win not only this game, but half a dozen others.
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Roosters → have → game
Yet, it took a couple of moments of brilliance from Nawaqanitawase to sink the valiant Knights 19-18 in a thriller.
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it → take → thriller
Few others could have scored his first try.
uncertain
others → score → try
When centre partner Rob Toia came down with an attacking kick and batted the ball back, it bobbled tantalisingly on the turf.
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it → come → turf
Not only did Nawaqanitawase regather it to score, he kicked it ahead twice – using both his feet to do so.
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he → regather → feet
There was also an air of freakishness about his second try, when a Daly Cherry-Evans kick ricocheted off the uprights before the ball ended up in the safest of hands.
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ball → be → hands
When he wasn’t scoring, he was flying above the pack to either defuse a short dropout or soar for one of the many attacking kicks that came his way.
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that → score → kicks
His contribution ensured he finished on top at the Roosters and the 13-man game.
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he → ensure → Roosters
It’s often said that, whenever a player switches codes, they are replaceable.
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they → say → codes
Cherry-Evans earned his own fairytale farewell after kicking the field goal that proved the difference.
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that → earn → difference
James Tedesco ran for more than 300 metres.
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Tedesco → run → metres
Spencer Leniu, meanwhile, had the game of his life.
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Leniu → have → life
All of that and more was required to defeat a Newcastle side that had no right to get this close.
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that → require → right
From the very first set, the Roosters powered up the field to ram home a territorial advantage.
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Roosters → power → advantage
It set the tone: 84 per cent of the game was played on Newcastle’s side of halfway.
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cent → set → halfway
No other team has scored more tries from its own side of halfway, and they would soon add to the tally.
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they → score → tally
The opening try came from a rare sojourn into opposition territory, and in somewhat controversial circumstances.
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try → open → circumstances
It was made possible when the Roosters conceded a penalty for a supposedly high shot on Mat Croker, who dropped the ball before contact.
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who → make → contact
From the ensuing set, with the Roosters defence fixated on Kalyn Ponga lurking out the back, Fletcher Sharpe hit Francis Manuleleua with a pass as he ran back against the grain.
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he → ensue → grain
The rising back-row star, three weeks after dislocating his elbow, ran a superb line that led him all the way under the posts.
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that → rise → posts
As the fans went berserk, the DJ chose – of all the celebratory songs at his disposal – to play Dance Monkey.
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DJ → go → Monkey
Make of that what you will.
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you → make → what
Despite being under intense pressure, everything was going Newcastle’s way.
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everything → go → way
On any other day, Ponga would have spent time in the sin bin – if not worse – for his challenge on Victor Radley.
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Ponga → spend → Radley
While Radley was falling in the tackle, Ponga’s shoulder clearly collected the forward in the head.
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shoulder → fall → head
A crowd of 80,814 held its collective breath as the bunker had several looks at an incident that changed the game.
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that → hold → game
Would Ponga – Newcastle’s captain, fullback and talisman – be removed from the fray?
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Ponga → remove → fray
Video referee Chris Butler decided that putting him on report was sufficient.
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putting → decide → report
In those 10 minutes that Ponga probably should have been off the field, he came up with two plays that could have altered the result.
uncertain
that → come → result
The first came when Nawaqanitawase flew high above Greg Marzhew, grabbed the football and seemingly scored yet another try.
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Nawaqanitawase → come → try
But just as he was about to put the ball down, Ponga created just enough interference to prompt the smallest of bobbles.
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Ponga → put → bobbles
And then, another example of why you can never switch off on this Newcastle team.
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you → switch → team
It was again the same protagonists: Nawaqanitawase tapped the ball back, but rather than finding a teammate, Ponga pounced, scooped the ball up and ran the length of the field to score.
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Ponga → tap → field
As he made the 95-metre dash for glory, with Cherry-Evans running in pursuit in vain, the question had to be asked: should Ponga have been on the field?
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Ponga → make → field
It will be a point debated long after the final siren.
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It → debate → siren
When Cherry-Evans kicked early in the tackle count, it wasn’t just the Knights caught out of position.
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it → kick → position
The kick was partially charged down by, of all things, the cable holding the Spidercam camera.
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kick → charge → camera
And when Ponga accidentally made incidental contact with the referee, again no action was taken.
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action → make → referee
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
