The Sydney Roosters surged into the NRL’s top eight, at least temporarily, with a 32-12 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs at Allianz Stadium, driven by Sam Walker’s precise kicking and Naufahu Whyte’s powerhouse performance.
Daniel Tupou scored a hat-trick, surpassing Steve Menzies to move to fourth on the all-time try scorers list, while Whyte crossed twice and dominated the forward battle.
The Roosters outscored the Bulldogs five tries to two, maintaining their hot form with 19 tries in their past three matches.
Despite a spirited start and an 85m intercept try from Matt Burton, the third-placed Bulldogs couldn’t match the home side’s intensity.
Roosters captain James Tedesco hailed Whyte’s growth into a forward leader, with the win setting up a blockbuster final home clash against the Rabbitohs in round 27.
