SYDNEY Roosters' delight at winning the inaugural Foundation Cup was tempered by a devastating injury to Chris Flannery with the Queensland Origin utility set to spend an extended stint on the sidelines with a suspected broken ankle.
Flannery, a late inclusion for the Roosters' first NRL trial of the season after Adam Schubert succumbed to a knee injury, was taken from the field on a medicab just eight minutes from full-time in the match won 10-4 by the Roosters at Aussie Stadium.
"I felt something go, it may be a fracture or a break in the ankle," a dejected Flannery said just before setting off for an x-ray. "When I came up here (the dressing room) it was sort of moving all over the place. It doesn't feel too good."
Club doctor John Orchard said the best case scenario would see Flannery return in eight weeks while a four-month stint on the sidelines was the worst prognosis.
The news may also be bad for new prop Chris Beattie after he was put on report for a high tackle on Tigers hooker Robbie Farah. The double blow took the gloss off what was an ideal way for the Roosters to kick off the club's 100-year anniversary celebrations, with a healthy crowd of 16,198 turning up.
Both sides rested several stars with Craig Fitzgibbon, Braith Anasta and Anthony Minichiello missing for the Roosters and Brett Hodgson and five-eighth Benji Marshall amongst the Tigers absentees.
The game never reached any great heights as both teams blew out the cobwebs following a long off-season.
New Roosters coach Chris Anderson was upset at a couple of bombed chances which cost his side an easier win.
He also admitted he was still none the wiser as to who he will play in the halves after both Mitchell Pearce and Jamie Soward impressed for the home side.
Pearce played the first 40 minutes while Soward came on after the break to score the match-winning try after wingers Taniela Tuiaki and John Williams traded first half four-pointers.
"The way we executed the things we've been doing at training I thought was good... we lost our shape a bit in attack but that's what happens when it's a new attack," Anderson said.
"I thought both the halfbacks did some good things, I was really pleased with Mitchell Pearce – first game stepping up – he copped a couple of good whacks.
"It was a bit harder for Jamie in the second half because we got a bit tired and we lost a bit of shape.
"It hasn't sorted (the halfback dilemma) out really."
Tigers new half John Morris was amongst his side's best with Tim Sheens more than happy to see no new injury worries come out of the match.
TIGERS 4 v ROOSTERS 10(Foundation Cup)
Scorers Tigers: T Tuiaki try. D Collis 0/1 goals.Scorers
Roosters: J Williams try. J Soward 1/1, S Foley 0/1 goals.
Aussie Stadium, Sydney, NSW
7.30pm
HALF TIME: 4-all
FULL TIME: Roosters 10-4
Crowd: 16,128
