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Victor Radley with a Roosters’ trainer after suffering a shoulder injury.Credit:Getty Images

“I didn’t mean to do[that to] Brandon. I know he’s come up with a bad injury and stuff,and I’m sorry to him for that,” Whitehead said. “I went over to ask about Brandon and Trent Robinson’s had a go at me. I went to apologise,and he’s turned on me,so the way he’s done that I thought[he] was out of order.”

Robinson said he had told Whitehead the hip-drop tackle was too prevalent in his game.

“He came up and just wanted to ask how Brandon was,and I just said it was too many times. The hip-drops been pretty common in his game for a long time,and I just said it’s too many times. It’s cost us a player,” Robinson said. “That was it. He said it was an accident,and I just said look you’ve done it too many times. That was it.”

Walker was the Roosters’ first casualty of the afternoon after he was left in pain after attempting to tackle Simi Sasagi in Canberra’s in-goal. He dropped to the ground and grabbed his left knee.

Brandon Smith is assisted from the field.Credit:Getty Images

The injury is to the same knee that kept Walker sidelined for three months last year.

Roosters hooker Smith was also assisted from the field after the hip-drop from Whitehead,while Canberra fullback Jordan Rapana left the field with a season-ending fractured cheekbone after a collision with James Tedesco.

Whitehead was later sent to the bin again for trying to kick the ball out of Angus Crichton’s hands during a tackle.

Victor Radley added to the Roosters’ injury list after suffering a suspected AC joint (shoulder) injury,and Nat Butcher came off for a head injury assessment (HIA) with 18 minutes to go.

Butcher failed his HIA which means Robinson could be missing up to four of his regulars for their round 27 clash with the Rabbitohs next Friday.

Joseph Suaalii was already missing from the Roosters’ lineup on Sunday after he suffered a shoulder injury last week. He is expected to return next week.

The Roosters were allowed to activate 18th man Zach Dockar-Clay because Smith left the field due to an act of foul play,but the team still struggled.

Tensions between the teams hit boiling point with two minutes left,and the Roosters kicked for goal to make the difference one converted try after being awarded a penalty for a high tackle from Danny Levi.

The Roosters had one last chance to even the score with 90 seconds on the clock,and Keary sent a cross-field kick to Daniel Tupou who scored as the full-time siren sounded. Keary was unable to guide his conversion attempt between the posts.

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