NRL 2021: Roosters hold off spirited Bulldogs in wet conditions to keep in touch with top four

Playing for the first time since serving a five-game ban, Roosters firebrand Victor Radley produced a stirring performance in a match that ended on a very strange note.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 10: Victor Radley of the Roosters is tackled during the round 17 NRL match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters at Bankwest Stadium, on July 10, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

This time, the shot was inflicted on Victor Radley.

And the Sydney Roosters firebrand wore it, earning his team a game-sealing penalty, and completing a welcome return in their hard-fought 22-16 triumph over Canterbury.

Playing in his first game since serving a five-game ban for his fiery round-nine outburst, Radley and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves inspired the Roosters in a bruising encounter at a wet Bankwest Stadium.

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Victor Radley made an impressive return from a five-week ban.

A determined Radley, who had also been admonished by coach Trent Robinson for getting kicked off a Gold Coast flight last month, came back with a vengeance.

The hard-hitting lock produced a series of trademark jolting hits in a stirring 55-minute opening cameo, including a signature shot that forced an error out of Jack Hetherington.

Radley, who was also poised to make his State of Origin debut for NSW before his ill-timed suspension, returned late before finishing with a team-high 55 tackles.

He wore a late shot from Hetherington late, allowing Sam Walker to seal the gritty win with a penalty goal and snap a two-game losing streak.

“It’s hard to keep him quiet on and off the field (and) that was the case (tonight),” Robinson said.

“He dominates quite a lot when he’s on there and he went about his business straight away.

“It’s not as if he was injured, he was obviously suspended. So yeah, he adds a lot of questions to opposition teams. I thought it was really well controlled from him on both sides of the ball.

“He’s combative and he’s classy. He’s got endurance as well, so that makes him valuable to us.”

It was a dogged bounce-back from the last-placed stragglers, who were left humiliated by a 66-0 thumping by Manly at the same ground just a week ago.

Canterbury were within striking distance for most of the contest, and drew level midway through the second half when Nick Meaney sliced through the Roosters defence.

But Roosters winger Matt Ikuvalu produced the game-turning moment, coming up with an acrobatic catch only to fall awkwardly under Bulldogs rookie Falakiko Manu.

Ikuvalu was rewarded two minutes later when he latched onto a looping Walker cutout and stepped past two defenders for the go-ahead try.

We may have just witnessed the NRL equivalent of the Underarm Delivery? #NRLBulldogsRoostershttps://t.co/6IrbmKbLdv

— NRL CONSPIRACIES 🤔👀🏉 (@NrlConspiracies) July 10, 2021

That's the most pathetic way to finish a game in my book, PlayStation stuff not first grade. Hope Trent gives the kid a few words.
Great game however #nrlbulldogsroosters

— Brendan Gough 🇦🇺 (@bjgough86) July 10, 2021

Forrest Walker running away like his life depended on it #NRLBulldogsRoosters

— Morton Paragon (@OutFlops) July 10, 2021

keary laughing, cordner was so confused and robinson was straight pissed #NRLBulldogsRoosters

— monique (@reidonfilm) July 10, 2021

Walker ensured his team finished with the ball by bizarrely running almost 100 metres back to his tryline with 10 seconds left on the clock before running over the sideline.

“It’s smart to manage the clock. It goes against what some purists would say owning the game, but he took the risk out of the last play and finished the game off,” Robinson said.

Joseph Manu slides in for a four-pointer.

DOGS CHEER DUFFMAN

Canterbury fans received an enormous boost prior to kick-off with speculation the club is closing in on signing unwanted St George Illawarra fullback Matt Dufty on a one-year deal next season.

His impending signature continues a positive recruitment drive that includes another speed demon in NSW State of Origin star Josh Addo-Carr, as well as Penrith duo Matt Burton and Brent Naden.

Throw in the return of Nick Cotric from his season-ending toe injury, and coach Trent Barrett will field a markedly improved backline next season.

“The game’s lending itself to players with x-factor at the moment. He’s certainly got that,” Barrett said of Dufty.

“Addo-Carr, Burton, Naden, you’ve got young blokes like (Aaron) Shoupp coming through here who’s only a 19-year-old kid. We’ve got a good, young centre back there Pauli Alamoti, he’s a gun.

“There (are) some green shoots coming and there’s good things happening at the club.

“We’ve just got to keep punching.”

But what started as a positive night was quickly soured when their defence was twice opened up early, with Billy Smith and Sitili Tupouniua both scoring in the space of three minutes.

Then came the revelation the club is looking at a fine for starting Renouf Atoni despite naming Joe Stimson in the run-on side.

The Bulldogs finally got on the scoreboard through Lachlan Lewis’ audacious play-two chip-and-chase, mercifully ending their scoring drought at 167 minutes of action.

A soft Joseph Manu try kicked the Roosters clear again, only for the fill-in fullback to gift a four-pointer back with a turnover in-goal for Lewis to pounce just before halftime.

Corey Allan is greeted by half of the Roosters pack.

BILLY THE KID

It was also an emotional return for Roosters centre Billy Smith, who was making his first appearance since September 2019 after suffering an ACL injury and needing a shoulder reconstruction.

Smith, playing ahead of exciting teenager Joseph Suualii, scored the opening try with his first touch, before coming through unscathed and finishing with 68 metres from one run.

Smith was filling in the centres for Manu, who was also one of the Roosters’ best with a game-high 254 metres and six tackle busts to go with his try.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Roosters hold off spirited Bulldogs in wet conditions to keep in touch with top four