NRL: Roosters out to clinch top two

Sydney Roosters are fighting to hold on to second place on the NRL ladder when they take on Canberra Raiders on Sunday.

The Roosters sit in second courtesy of a superior points difference over the Sharks and Panthers, so just need to keep the wins coming to stay there.

Trent Robinson’s men are looking good to mount a push for the premiership and appear to have another couple of gears in them.

It would come as no great surprise if they did go on to win the 2024 NRL grand final.

Canberra may have missed out on the top eight, but they are not willing to let the season just peter out.

That was on show when they pulled off a big upset to beat the Penrith Panthers last week.

The green machine will be keen to do the same again to the Roosters, and an intriguing battle looks to be on the cards.

. What: Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders
. Where: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
. When: 16:05 (AEST), Sunday 1st September
. How to watch: Kayo, Foxtel, Channel 9
. Odds: Sydney Roosters 1.18, Canberra Raiders 5.00

Roosters on song

Sydney Roosters continue to fly and the 48-22 win over Gold Coast Titans last weekend was their fourth on the bounce.

They appear to be peaking at the right time and many believe the Roosters can still take their game to another level in finals.

The Bondi outfit have dominated against teams outside of the top eight this season, winning 10 out of 10.

They are the hot fancies to make it 11 from 11 against the Raiders and can be backed at 1.68 to win by 13+ points.

Dominic Young has been a fantastic addition to the Roosters' ranks this season and the winger has scored 11 tries in the last seven games at Allianz.

The Englishman is sure to be a huge threat on Sunday and can be backed at 6.50 to score the first try of the game.

The Roosters are also boosted by the return of Brandon Smith and Connor Watson from injury and concussion respectively.

Raiders playing for pride

The Raiders showed they are still up for the fight when beating the Panthers 22-18 last weekend.

Now they will be out to prove it was no fluke by knocking over the Roosters on their home deck.

A strong end to the season can help build some momentum for 2025, and coach Ricky Stuart will be demanding a big performance.

Stuart has named the same 17 to face the Roosters, and they can be backed at 11.00 to edge the game by 1-5 points.

They have not been great away from the nation’s capital this season, however, winning just three games out of 10 on the road.

It will be a big upset if they can get the job done and Xavier Savage has a key role to play.

The winger has five tries in the last six games and is 2.35 to grab another at anytime.