CANBERRA RAIDERS 0 SYDNEY ROOSTERS 26
CALLUM WALKER, GIO Stadium, Friday

MARK NAWAQANITAWASE registered a superb hat-trick as the Roosters proved far too strong for Canberra in the capital.

The Sydney winger had been sidelined with a syndesmosis injury for over a month, but he returned with a vengeance to help Trent Robinson’s side edge back into the top four.

His first came off the back of good link-up play, but Nawaqanitawase still had to finish with expert aplomb in the corner on eleven minutes.

A stunning move saw the Roosters get their second with the half-hour in sight as Sam Walker fed Billy Smith on his own ten-metre line after Hudson Young had lost possession for Canberra.

Smith rounded the Raiders’ defence before offloading to Hugo Savala, who had just enough to power and pace to go in from halfway.

Nawaqanitawase got his second when Robert Toia somehow kept a Walker grubber in play, then Reece Robson got on the end of a Walker pass five minutes before the break.

Canberra, 22-0 down at half-time, simply had no reply. The Raiders had to score first in the second half to have any chance of mounting a comeback, but Nawaqanitawase finished off his hat-trick on 49 minutes to round off the scoring.

RAIDERS: 1 Kaeo Weekes, 2 Savelio Tamale, 3 Daine Laurie, 4 Matthew Timoko, 5 Xavier Savage, 6 Ethan Strange, 7 Ethan Sanders, 8 Corey Horsburgh, 9 Tom Starling, 10 Joseph Tapine, 11 Hudson Young, 12 Zac Hosking, 13 Jayden Brailey. Subs: 14 Owen Pattie, 15 Ata Mariota, 16 Morgan Smithies, 17 Jed Stuart, 18 Chevy Stewart (not used), 21 Vena Patuki-Case (not used)

ROOSTERS: 1 James Tedesco, 2 Billy Smith, 3 Hugo Savala, 4 Robert Toia, 23 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 6 Daly Cherry-Evans, 7 Sam Walker, 8 Naufahu Whyte, 14 Connor Watson, 15 Spencer Leniu, 11 Angus Crichton, 12 Siua Wong, 13 Victor Radley. Subs: 9 Reece Robson, 10 Lindsay Collins, 16 Nat Butcher, 17 Salesi Foketi, 19 Egan Butcher (not used), 21 Tom Rodwell (not used)

Tries: Nawaqanitawase (11, 32, 49), Savala (25), Robson (35); Goals: Walker 3/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-16, 0-22; 0-26

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Raiders: Joseph Tapine; Roosters: Mark Nawaqanitawase

Penalty count: 6-4; Half-time: 0-22; Referee: Gerard Sutton; Attendance: 13,836