Watch the act of defiance that will leave the NRL fuming after controversial footy star Michael Jennings was brutally snubbed by the league after scoring 300 games.

The Sydney Roosters launched a clear counterpunch towards the NRL on Thursday as Michael Jennings led his team to their 300th game.

The NRL decided not to honor Jennings’ achievement in the match against Newcastle due to his “past conduct”.

Jennings recently returned to the code following a three-year ban for steroid use after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2020 while on Parramatta’s books.

While suspended, Jennings was ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in damages to his ex-wife Kirra Wilden following allegations of sexual and verbal abuse in a civil lawsuit.

Jennings denies the claims.

The Roosters said they would celebrate the milestone behind closed doors, but Jennings led the team with his two sons before beating the Knights 22-20.

Attention quickly focused on Kalyn Ponga when the star fullback was injured trying unsuccessfully to prevent Daniel Tupou from scoring the first of his two tries.

“I was thinking, please, ‘keep the battle going,'” Knights coach Adam O’Brien said of Ponga.

In pain and struggling to run, Ponga continued to play, but his suspected hip injury changed the momentum of the game midway through the first half.

Roosters hooker Brandon Smith and substitute fullback Joey Manu combined to help the visitors rack up two more tries in the first half, turning an 8-4 deficit into a 16-14 half-time lead .

Talisman Ponga was too sore to inject himself into the Knights’ attack until after the half, when he returned revitalized and dangerous as usual.

The medical staff tended to Ponga after the game, with Dane Gagai taking over kicking duties mid-game and Jayden Brailey filling in for Ponga at the Knights’ press conference.

‘I can see it now in his face, he’s pale. He’s in a lot of pain,” O’Brien said.

“I’ve never had one (a hip injury) but apparently they are unbearable.”

After Adam Elliott broke in in the final five minutes, Ponga burst down the right side on a line break that looked like he could have taken the lead.

But it was too late for the home team, and Manu took a touch on his ankle to save the try and win the game.

The NRL announced on Monday that Jennings’ “past conduct” would prevent him from being honored in the usual way in his important game.

Jennings served a three-year drug ban between 2020 and 2023 and was found in a civil case to have sexually and verbally abused his ex-wife. He denied the claims.

Jennings, the subject of scrutiny all week, played only a small role for the visitors as he led the team and was dominated by opposite center Bradman Best in the first half.

It was on a Best kick return that Jackson Hastings opened the scoring for the Knights in the first five minutes, before the cross went through just before halftime.

Jennings wasted a chance to put the Roosters in front midway through the first half when he spilled the ball from close range and was left with virtually no vision in the second quarter.

Hooker Brandon Smith had one of his best games as a Gallo, diving for the visitors’ third try when a sore Ponga was slow to regain his footing.

“If you create some speed in the ruck there, Brandon will go and create some opportunities,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

Manu, replacing a concussed James Tedesco at number one, was equally valuable.

He looped the cut pass to Tupou that gave the Roosters their first try and took a short ball from Smith to set up Victor Radley for a try.

“(Manu) is always going to touch the ball at the beginning of the set, at the end of the set and when necessary,” Robinson said.

Sitili Tupouniua’s head injury assessment returned to category one in the second half, ruling the Roosters forward out of next Thursday’s clash with Melbourne.