Siua Wong was penalised and placed on report for a shoulder charge on Jack Wighton in the opening moments of the Roosters' Round 2 clash with South Sydney on Friday night, setting an aggressive tone in one of rugby league's most storied rivalries.
The incident occurred within the first four minutes at Allianz Stadium, where the two clubs with the longest continuous history in the competition have carried their fierce rivalry since 1908. The rivalry between the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league teams is regarded as the fiercest in the NRL and the oldest continuing rivalry with both clubs founded in 1908.
Wong had been named to start in the back row in place of Nat Butcher, who went to the bench, providing the young forward with an opportunity to make an impact against the defending minor premiers. The Roosters had struggled in their opening round loss to the Warriors, conceding 42 points, making the home derby clash a crucial opportunity to reset their season.
The Rabbitohs, by contrast, arrived at Allianz with genuine momentum after an impressive 40-30 win over the Dolphins in Round 1. The Rabbitohs are a very different proposition with Latrell Mitchell and Campbell Graham back on deck and a rampaging David Fifita adding significant firepower to their attacking formations.
The match also served as a backdrop for Alex Johnston's pursuit of rugby league history. Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston requires two tries to break the all-time premiership tryscoring record, with the winger needing just one more to equal Ken Irvine's legendary mark.
Recent form heavily favoured the Roosters heading into the contest. The Roosters have won five of their last six games against the Rabbitohs, establishing a degree of dominance that the Rabbitohs have struggled to overcome in recent seasons.