NRL: Roosters to the fore

Frank-Paul Nuuausala helps provide the forward momentum which has turned the Roosters into title favourites. Photo / Getty Images

Roosters 28
Raiders 22

This was a good result for the Warriors. In 10th place but only two points behind the Raiders, they needed the seventh-placed Canberra team to fail here after their embarrassing 68-4 hiding at home by the Storm last week.

The top-of-the-table Roosters obliged, even without the suspended Sonny Bill Williams. The new favourites for the NRL crown have strength in depth and it showed last night, though they had an anxious last five minutes as the Blake Ferguson-led Raiders somehow came back to 28-22 with five minutes left.

Halves Mitchell Pearce and former Warrior James Maloney are arguably the hottest combo in the league at the moment and they keep the percentages ticking over nicely.

Maloney was probably the most influential figure in this match, with some sublime passing, kicking and support play.

The Roosters also have the meanest defence in the competition and, even without Williams, they have forward thrusters like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Issac Liu and Sam Moa.

There was a theory doing the rounds before this match that the Warriors have shown that teams can recover immediately from a 60-point pasting - and the Raiders certainly did their best to prove that. They are a different team with bruising centre Ferguson on the field and his combination with fullback Anthony Milford was their best weapon and provoked their opening try by Joel Edwards.

Ferguson also showed his class later in the half, keeping the Raiders in the contest. Josh Papalii, the Kiwi defector to Queensland's State of Origin team, made a cannonball run and offload and Ferguson embarrassed Roosters winger Daniel Tupou before blasting through the attentions of Roosters fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

It was a scratchy old first half, with both sides making too many errors, and it was an awful pop pass from Josh McCrone which was intercepted by Maloney for a jog to the line that began the scoring.

The Roosters made yards easily out of defence and their pinpoint play was highlighted when a Maloney bomb was comfortably touched back by tall winger Tupou for a Michael Jennings try and a 12-6 lead. Then Pearce steered the ball left and right, with passes making defenders statues, and Jennings had his second try. The percentages were piling up.

Veteran Terry Campese retains his craftiness and he, Ferguson and Papalii kept the Raiders in it. Errors kept them out of it. A botched play-the-ball by former Warrior Shaun Berrigan halted the Raiders' promising progress early in the second spell - and sizzling passes by Pearce, Maloney and quick hands from Mitch Aubusson saw Kiwis winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall breeze over in the corner and the Roosters up by 22-10.

Maloney then pulled another trick from his bag - a bullet pass which left two Raiders standing still and Tupou cantered in at the corner for Maloney to nail yet another sideline conversion.

That seemed to be that - but Ferguson wasn't done yet.

There was time for a searing break by Milford and Ferguson for winger Sandor Earl to score a converted try and the Raiders pressed hard. An eye injury to Campese hurt their creativity but all they needed was Ferguson who somehow kept moving through four defenders to score a solo try of strength and determination.

But those percentages held good.

Roosters 28 (J. Maloney, M. Jennings 2, S. Kenny-Dowall, D. Tupou tries, Maloney 4 goals)
Raiders 22 (J. Edwards, B. Ferguson 2, S. Earl tries; J. Croker 3 goals).
Halftime: 16-10.