SYDNEY ROOSTERS 20 CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 18
TOM SMITH, Allianz Stadium, Friday

SYDNEY ROOSTERS overcame gritty Canterbury in a see-sawing thriller that felt like a preview of September.

The Chooks fought back from ten points down with less than 15 minutes remaining to claim their seventh straight victory.

The Roosters scored the only two tries of the first half, before the Dogs slammed on three soon after the restart to take the lead. 

But two-try hero Billy Smith and Salesi Foketi crossed twice in three minutes, giving Sam Walker the chance to drill the match-winning conversion. 

The result sends Trent Robinson’s men joint-top of the ladder, level with Penrith heading into their mammoth clash this Thursday, and leaves Canterbury just outside the top eight. 

Both teams carried sizzling form into this match, with the Dogs dropping just one of their past seven to mount a raid on the play-off places. 

Canterbury travelled to Moore Park knowing they hadn’t won on the Chooks’ turf since 2016 at the old Sydney Football Stadium.

They looked like ending that decade-long drought until the Roosters mounted their late charge. 

Robinson copped a huge blow before kick-off, with captain and gun fullback James Tedesco ruled out with an ankle complaint. Cody Ramsey deputised at fullback. 

In positive news, Queensland enforcer Lindsay Collins lined up for his first game in six weeks following concussion. 

Ex-Rooster Sitili Tupouniua returned to Cameron Ciraldo’s team sheet after a hamstring lay-off, but suffered another one in the first half. 

An escort penalty against Daly Cherry-Evans handed Stephen Crichton the first two points, before the Tricolours took control of the first half. 

After Mark Nawaqanitawase reclaimed a spilled Cherry-Evans bomb to earn six more tackles, some quick hands sent Smith into the left corner. 

And another high kick by the veteran playmaker led to the Roosters’ second, as second-rower Siua Wong pounced on the scraps then wheeled out a Spiderman celebration. 

Momentum turned straight after the restart. 

Dummy-half Bailey Hayward split the hosts’ defence then found Jacob Kiraz for a long-range four-pointer that levelled things up. 

Then Lachlan Galvin dummied his way past Reece Robson for a superb solo try that thrust Canterbury ahead. 

The blue-and-white tsunami continued with Kiraz’s second, this one courtesy of a Ramsey error. 

Crichton missed that conversion, leaving the Bulldogs’ advantage at ten points as the clock ticked over the hour mark. 

Smith sparked the comeback. Atoning for his earlier mistake, Ramsey speared a cut-out pass to the unmarked winger on the left flank. 

Then just three minutes later, Sam Walker lobbed a bomb that a clutch of Dogs allowed to bounce and Foketi beat Kiraz and Connor Tracey to the ball for a try that made it 18-all. 

Walker missed his first two shots at goal but converted this much more straightforward attempt to put the home side up by two. 

The halfback missed a late shot at goal via a penalty, but it didn’t matter as his side found the finish line. 

Canterbury have have another Friday night blockbuster to come, next time against the Rabbitohs with a top-eight berth at stake.

GAMESTAR: Back from illness, Billy Smith opened the scoring then kick-started the Chooks’ late fightback with his second try.

GAMEBREAKER: After Salesi Foketi levelled the scores thanks to a Dogs mix-up in the 70th minute, Sam Walker booted the decisive conversion to get the Roosters back in front.

MATCHFACTS

ROOSTERS
18 Cody Ramsey
2 Billy Smith
3 Hugo Savala
4 Robert Toia
5 Mark Nawaqanitawase
6 Daly Cherry-Evans
7 Sam Walker
8 Naufahu Whyte
9 Reece Robson
16 Nat Butcher
11 Salesi Foketi
12 Siua Wong
13 Victor Radley
Subs
10 Spencer Leniu
14 Connor Watson
15 Lindsay Collins
17 Egan Butcher (not used)
19 Tommy Talau (not used)
20 Max Bassingthwaighte (not used)

Tries: Smith (14, 67), Wong (26), Foketi (70)
Goals: Walker 2/5

BULLDOGS
1 Connor Tracey
2 Jacob Kiraz
3 Matt Burton
4 Enari Tuala
5 Jethro Rinakama
6 Stephen Crichton
7 Lachlan Galvin
8 Max King
9 Bailey Hayward
10 Leo Thompson
11 Viliame Kikau
12 Jacob Preston
13 Jaeman Salmon
Subs
14 Kurt Mann
15 Josh Curran (not used)
16 Harry Hayes
17 Sitili Tupouniua
19 Bronson Xerri (not used)
20 Jake Turpin

Tries: Kiraz (45, 56), Galvin (52)
Goals: Crichton 3/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 4-2, 8-2; 8-8, 8-14, 8-18, 14-18, 20-18

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Roosters: Billy Smith; Bulldogs: Jacob Kiraz

Penalty count: 4-6
Half-time: 8-2
Referee: Grant Atkins
Attendance: 30,306