Replay: Finals-bound Roosters thrash the Dragons in the final round of the Harold Matthews Cup (NSWRL Junior Reps )

The Roosters have run the cleaners through the Dragons in the final game of the Harold Matthews Cup season, flogging the Red V 54-6 at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium. WATCH THE REPLAY

The Roosters have run the cleaners through the Dragons in the final game of the Harold Matthews Cup season, flogging the Red V 54 to 6 at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

The Tricolours centres Cooper Toy and Kade Maguire had a try each after eight minutes, but St George hit back through Cyrus Stanley-Traill with a quarter of an hour played.

Eastern Suburbs didn’t relent, however, with big bopper De La Salle Va’a and fullback Zac Sarfati scoring before the end of the half.

WATCH THE REPLAY IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

Roosters halfback Toby Rodwell stepped around a couple of defenders to score under the posts early in the second half and straight from the kick off the visitors were in again with Toy leaving the Dragons in his wake.

The floodgates opened up in the final third of the match with Javahn Stevenson-Hala getting his first, Sarfati getting his second and Toy getting his third - the Roosters running out 48-point victors.

Zac Sarfati has the Dragons defence in panic mode. Pic: Damian Shaw.

The Roosters proved too strong for the young Dragons. Pic: Damian Shaw.

St George finished the game with 12 players after highly-rated St George forward Corey Ackers was sent off for a late hit on Roosters five-eighth Lachlan Dooner with about 10 minutes to play.

Chooks coach Elias Hourani was delighted for his charges who finished the regular season in second spot, earning a week off in the first week of the finals.

“It’s a good result,” Hourani said.

“We nutted out a couple of issues in the first half and once we did that we were in full swing. All props to the boys and how they’ve been throughout the season – happy days at the moment

The Roosters powered to a big win. Pic: Damian Shaw.

“This season finishes and a new season starts. We’ve just got to get back to training and get ready for the finals.

“[The week off] gives the boys an opportunity to address some of the minor knocks and injuries and fingers crossed we’ll be all good.”

The Dragons finish the season in ninth – three points outside the top six.

ETHAN ROBERTS FINDS HIS WAY TO THE TRYLINE

Ethan Roberts can’t stop finding the tryline with the Roosters back rower going into the final round of the Harold Matthews Cup having scored in every game.

The Tricolours tearaway will be going for seven from seven when the Chooks face the Dragons at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Kogarah from 2pm on Saturday.

If the Roosters win the match, which will be streamed live and exclusive on The Daily Telegraph website, against the seventh-placed Saints by more than 28 points they’ll be in with a shout of taking out the minor premiership.

Roberts, 17, heaped the praising on his teammates for his try-scoring exploits and the Paddington Colts product said the round 9 clash was just about preparing themselves for the final series

“It‘s probably all just because of the lads,” he laughed.

“Guys like (halfback) Toby Rodwell and (hooker) Jaxson Allen and the boys playing through the middle giving us good go forward.

“That makes it easier for me to score out on the edge.

“We are just preparing for the Dragons and hopefully we can get a win before getting ready for the finals.”

Roberts said he tries to replicate parts of two-time premiership winner Sonny Bill Williams’ game and that he’s been getting some pointers from some of the Roosters’ greatest ever clubmen.

“I looked up to Sonny Bill Williams,” he said.

“He just had this presence, especially in defence and with the way he ran the ball. He always attracted heaps of defenders and was still about to get a pass out the back.

Mitch Aubusson and Jake Friend have really helped us around training.

“It’s good that you can just go up to them and ask them anything. They just want to help us boys improve.”

Originally published as Replay: Finals-bound Roosters thrash the Dragons in the final round of the Harold Matthews Cup (NSWRL Junior Reps )