Rugby League: Jason Cayless out with knee injury

By PETER JESSUP

The Roosters harangued the Kiwi management for playing Jason Cayless in Friday night's test but had no qualms backing him up in the annual Roosters-Dragons Anzac Day game yesterday and paid the price when he suffered a recurrence of his knee injury.

Cayless left the field in the 48th minute of his team's 11-8 win, and will undergo scans today to determine the damage. It is likely to require surgery.

Brad Fittler won a tightly contested and entertaining game with a piece of genius, running at a tiring Lance Thompson when 30 metres out then shimmying past Ryan Powell and stepping the fullback Ben Hornby to score their only try after 62 minutes. Thompson made 34 tackles and 18 hit-ups in the game.

Dragons wing Reece Simmonds had scored their only touchdown late in the first half, when Chris Flannery lost a high pass while the Roosters were bringing the ball off their own line. They missed 30 tackles to the Roosters' 16.

Brett Finch slotted a field goal at the 70 minute mark and the game wound down with both teams throwing themselves into it fatigued, errors resulting. All three Roosters' internationals, Kiwi Cayless and Aussies Anthony Minichiello and Michael Crocker backed up.

* A bumper home crowd helped lift the West Tigers to a stirring 30-22 win at Leichhardt Oval.

Trailing 16-8 early in the second half with Manly dominating every area of play, the Tigers fought back with a stunning final 25 minutes to take the two points.

When Tigers centre John Wilson scored to peg the deficit back to 16-14 in the 57th minute, the crowd came alive and screamed themselves hoarse as the Tigers lifted.

Tries to centre Shane Elford, prop Bryce Gibbs and replacement Jeff Lima got the Tigers home in an inspired 15 minute burst.

The only bad news for the Tigers was what appeared to be a serious leg injury to halfback Ben Cameron, who was carried from the field on a stretcher shortly after half time.

The Sea-Eagles were cruising at 16-8 following tries to fullback Andrew Walker, centre Albert Torrens and five-eighth Jye Mullane, but they didn't count on the Tigers' fighting spirit.

Manly captain Steve Menzies scored a consolation try just before fulltime and Walker's conversion left the team eight points apart.

* Brisbane took the competition lead on points differential with their 32-14 defeat of last season's champions, Penrith, at Suncorp Stadium.

Both teams had plenty of players backing up from Friday night's test but few showed the effects of the exertion, with Darren Lockyer directing operations well for Brisbane and Tony Puletua giving his all and bulldozing over for a fine try for the Panthers.

There were plenty of errors in a fast-paced game but the Broncos finished the stronger, scoring six tries to three with fullback Karmichael Hunt nabbing two of them.

* Nigel Vagana turned around a horror Friday night to score a golden point try as Cronulla beat the Eels, and most valuable player David Kidwell starred when Melbourne beat the Cowboys.

Vagana silenced the 11,000 crowd at Parramatta as he stormed on to a pass from Michael Sullivan a minute into extra time to dot down under the posts for an 18-14 win.

Kidwell said he was sore after the test but a pre-game massage loosened him up and he was keen to play for the Cowboys. He pulled off major tackles in a 28-6 win.

Storm captain Stephen Kearney was unable to back up after playing for the Kiwis.

* The Raiders edged the Knights 19-18 thanks to a Brad Drew field goal on a freezing night in Canberra.

Kangaroo Matt Gidley starred for the Knights, scoring one of three tries, and test hooker Danny Buderus was also good but the Raiders hung tough through the last seven minutes for victory.

The Bulldogs play South Sydney today.

NRL points table and fixtures