‘Sure there will be fireworks’: Benji ready for Utoikamanu v JWH round two
The best way Stefano Utoikamanu can prove he is the game’s next $1 million-a-year prop is to get one over battle-hardened opponent Jared Waerea-Hargreaves on Sunday.
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall is among those looking forward to the heavyweight clash between Utoikamanu and Waerea-Hargreaves at Allianz Stadium.
Waerea-Hargreaves will join Mitch Aubusson on 306 games as the most-capped Sydney Roosters player.
The last time he played against the Tigers, Waerea-Hargreaves, 35, was sin-binned for headbutting 24-year-old Utoikamanu, who later told this masthead: “I know Jared is a nice bloke off the field, but he’s a bit of a grub on the field. I wanted to get into him a bit.
“I might have said something [about his age], calling him old, but I didn’t mean it.
“If he wants to go [next time], I don’t care, I’ll go.”
Who remembers this: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Stefano Utoikanau square up last year
Utoikamanu has been in the headlines this week after formally telling the Tigers he wanted to test the open market for next year.
Canberra, St George Illawarra and Melbourne have all expressed an interest, while the Tigers have already tabled a five-year, $4 million extension.
Marshall on Saturday said of the front-rowers’ duel: “That’s why people watch the game. When we took our game to Vegas, we pride [ourselves] on the collisions and how tough they are.
“To see those two go at it, if they are on the field at the same time – I think Jared comes off the bench – but if they do, I’m sure there will be fireworks.
“Jared is a great player. The way he plays on the field doesn’t represent who he is off it. He’s quite the opposite and a really good bloke.
“For us, Stefano is a big part of our forward pack and what we do. We need all of the players backing him up and doing the same thing. He can’t do it by himself.”
Marshall said the Tigers remained “very hopeful” they could keep Utoikamanu, and wanted him to only focus on his game.
“I told him, ‘You have to do what’s best for you at all times’,” Marshall said.
“That [final] decision, hopefully we get enough games on the board where he can see where we’re going, and he wants to be a part of it.
“If he doesn’t, good luck to him. At the moment, we’re still very confident.”
The Tigers have not won three straight games since 2018. They welcome the return of John Bateman from a pec injury for the first time since round 10.
The Roosters also have James Tedesco, a former Tigers favourite, celebrating 150 NRL games for the Bondi club.
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