Melbourne star Xavier Coates to miss remainder of NRL season after rupturing Achilles

And that will do me. Thanks for stopping by, hope you had a good time with it.

Be sure to check in tomorrow, we’ll be blogging both games, like we will for every game for the rest of the season.

See you next time.

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Roosters coach Trent Robinson is speaking now.

“It’s a really pleasing 80 minute performance. We feel like we’ve had the tools over the last six weeks to do it (hold a team to nil) and it was really pleasing.

Robinson wraps the kicking game of Walker and Cherry-Evans and the way they played together.

“It was the best combination those two have had all year.”

He also goes into bat for Nawaqanitawase for Origin II, says he’d be a good choice for New South Wales.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is speaking now. He’s not happy and in a very terse mood.

“They had too much class for us,” Stuart said.

“It’s one game. I just have to worry about next week.”

He doesn’t have a major update on Ethan Sanders but says he’ll play next week.

“It was the opposite of what we did last week,” says Raiders captain Joe Tapine.

“We had the game plan, the boys just didn’t do it.

“Every week should be must-win. That’s what we get employed to do, is win games.”

And that’s it, presser wraps up. Could feel the frustration there.

Mark Nawaqanitawase has made a triumphant return from ankle surgery, providing the fireworks to power the Sydney Roosters to a rousing 26-0 victory against Canberra.

After a glittering start to their NRL season, the Roosters’ star-studded side were held to a mere 16 points in the past two rounds, raising questions of their premiership credentials.

But Trent Robinson’s men (8-4) showed that they shouldn’t be ruled out as they transformed from their error-riddled performance against Melbourne last Saturday, at a nippy Canberra Stadium on Friday.

Nawaqanitawase’s trio of tries, 164 run metres, and eight tackle busts proved crucial on the night, providing a timely reminder for NSW coach Laurie Daley of why he deserves a spot on the team for State of Origin game two on June 17.

It comes after the acrobatic winger was floated as an option for the Blues in the series opener, but his hopes were dashed when he picked up a syndesmosis injury that required surgery in May.

On Friday, it wasn’t just Nawaqanitawase that dazzled as halfback Sam Walker (three try assists) and prop Naufahu Whyte (143 metres) were also typically inspirational to help the Roosters ease to victory.

Coach Ricky Stuart has been critical of his team’s ill-discipline across their minor premiership defence campaign, and the Raiders’ crucial first-half errors will only compound his discontent.

Canberra (5-8) were looking to pick up their fifth win in eight games, but they looked a shadow of their usual lively selves as they were held scoreless for the first time in two years.

Both teams started fast, but Nawaqanitawase drew first blood when the Roosters shifted right and found the diving winger.

Canberra’s Hudson Young dropped the ball metres from Easts’ line, and the Roosters moved left before Billy Smith broke down the edge and handed it off to a running Hugo Savala.

The Roosters continued to tighten the screws, and Nawaqanitawase scored his second when a Sam Walker grubber kick was slapped back by Robert Toia, and the winger flopped on top of the ball.

Three minutes later, hooker Reece Robson burrowed over to help the visitors lead 22-0 at the break.

The Roosters continued their momentum into the second half as Nawaqanitawase wrestled over in the 48th minute, but they wouldn’t find another try as the Roosters faithful erupted in their own rendition of Canberra’s Viking clap to celebrate the win.

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And that’ll do us. A comprehensive win for the Roosters over a very ordinary Canberra side.

The young halfback has gone off with a glute problem but given the game is gone the Raiders are saying it’s just a precaution.

The Roosters spread it right, Smith gets into some space, he looks to put it down but can’t do so under pressure from Weekes.

Roosters haven’t lit it up since halftime but they haven’t needed to. Trent Robinson will be very pleased with their defensive effort. Canberra ruck it out.

The Roosters give away a penalty inside the ten on the last and Canberra have a chance at some late points. Crichton knocks down a pass to give them another set.

Sanders puts a kick in but Tedesco is there to clean it up easily. I don’t think Canberra are scoring tonight.

Stuart drops a bomb inside his own 20 and the Roosters have a chance at another.

Whyte’s the man who gets it, just twisting through some awful defence for a well-deserved try from the big man.

But the Bunker doesn’t like it, they’ve pinged Wong for obstruction in the lead up. Raiders penalty.

Young goes blind on the last and the Roosters knock on his flick pass. Canberra get a scrum feed on halfway.

Young kicks for himself, it hits the post and Watson cleans it up but he’s taken into the in-goal.

They go left on the last through Weekes but Toia monsters him to take him down. Roosters hold their line.

Savage drops a Walker bomb and it’s another pressure set for Canberra.

Straight off the scrum the Roosters go wide, Canberra are stripped for numbers easily, Nawaqanitawase steps inside Timoko and goes over for his third try of the night.

Great return from injury for the dual international. Walker can’t convert but at 26-0 it’s not like it matters.

Nawaqanitwase puts Toia away down the sideline from deep in his own half with a great flick pass, next play Walker goes for a cross kick but Savage manages to tap it dead.

But Canberra hang on, Timoko shuts down Cherry-Evans on the last tackle.

Tedesco loses a Sanders bomb, it hits his leg and Savage picks it up. Canberra on the attack.

Sanders kicks it on the last, Robson traps it and manages to dive on the ball. Roosters hang on.

Roosters kick us off and we’re away for the second half. If Canberra don’t get one early this could get very ugly.

Melbourne’s mid-season resurgence has continued with the Storm taking another big scalp in as many weeks with a thrilling 32-30 victory over Newcastle.

In an action-packed Friday night match at AAMI Park, superstar halfback Jahrome Hughes piloted his team to the win to continue their climb back up the competition ladder after last round’s win over the Sydney Roosters.

The Storm haven’t lost to the Knights in Melbourne since 2015 but with the visitors arriving on the back of a four-game winning streak they had to fight hard to maintain that dominance.

Queensland backrower Trent Loiero secured the win when he planted the ball across the line after running on to a Harry Grant pass out of dummy half, with the 70th minute conversion giving the Storm an eight-point buffer.

That was the biggest margin of the night but it only lasted two minutes when the Knights regathered the ball off a short restart and Jacob Saifiti ran on to a Kalyn Ponga grubber to peg it back to two points with seven minutes to play.

The Storm showed their desperation in defence and held on to win a classic that featured 11 tries, with six scored by the home side.

Melbourne playmaker Cameon Munster was also heavily involved, setting up a try for Moses Leo, while he also had a running battle with his Queensland teammate Ponga as well as a scuffle with former Maroon Dane Gagai.

There was early drama with Phoenix Crossland taken from the field on a medicab five minutes in after colliding with Storm centre Joe Chan.

The Newcastle hooker had feeling in his limbs but was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

Melbourne then opened the scoring through Stefano Utoikamanu, bagging his first try of the season in another barn-storming performance.

The Storm looked to have added a second but a flying Ponga dislodged the ball from Will Warbrick’s arms with the winger claiming a shoulder charge.

It was dismissed by Ashley Klein, who sent Ponga from the field in Origin I for the same offence.

Warbrick did manage to score in the 38th minute which put Melbourne up 14-12 at halftime.

A Gagai break in the first minute of the second half allowed Dylan Brown to touch down to take the lead for Newcastle and then Dylan Lucas was denied another soon after, ruled a double movement.

Hughes, who set up Warbrick’s try with a long, floating pass, then got across the line himself, taking advantage of a loose Ponga pass with the halfback scooting through traffic.

The Maroons No.1 looked to have injured his shoulder trying to stop Hughes but played out the match.

The teams continued to go toe-to-to with Gagai again having a hand in another Knights try, scored by Jermaine McEwen to close the gap in the 60th minute before Loiero’s late effort.

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Sanders makes a strong tackle on Wong and the latter loses the ball as he looks to play it. Canberra hang on but they have it all to do at halftime.

Watson loses the ball off the kick off and Canberra have a chance to stem the bleeding. They haven’t managed to complete any of their sets in the attacking 20 thus far.

But they don’t really challenge the Rooster line, it’s all set up plays and it goes to Tapine on the last and that ends about as well as you’d expect.

Three tackles later they ping Timoko for a strip. Roosters have a chance at more points.

Cherry-Evans catches Stuart out and nails an easy 40/20. The Roosters have a chance at another one and after Walker throws a big dummy and offloads to Robson they have it.

Easy stuff, training drill stuff. The Tricolours are well on top and once Walker converts it’s 22-0.