NRL LIVE: Cherry-Evans, Walker pull the strings as Roosters go on a Raiders rampage

The Roosters aren’t slowing down yet, Mark Nawaqanitawase sending Robert Toia on a long-range line break down the right. Sam Walker chips a kick over the top on the next play, and Xavier Savage has to take the ball dead.

It’s another goal-line dropout, and another attacking set for the Tricolours. But Canberra defend this one well, and the set ends when Daly Cherry-Evans is trapped with the ball on the last, about five metres from the Raiders’ line.

Roosters 22, Raiders 0 with 34 minutes left

And we’re back for the second half, with the Raiders having it all to do against a red-hot Roosters side.

The Green Machine get first use of the ball and Ethan Sanders puts up a kick on the last, near the halfway line, which James Tedesco oddly tries to trap with his foot – but the ball spirals forward and to the left, with the Raiders regaining possession.

It’s a rare attacking chance for Canberra but they can’t get the most out of it, Sanders’ last-tackle grubber blocked and pounced on by Reece Robson.

Roosters 22, Raiders 0 with 37 minutes left

The first half peters out with a series of errors from both sides but the Roosters will be very happy with that 40 minutes. We’ve seen 20-point leads erased in the second half of games frequently in the six-again era, but when the Roosters look on their game like they do tonight they rarely let the contest slip away.

Halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Sam Walker have both been excellent, Mark Nawaqanitawase has been superb on the right wing and has two tries already, Hugo Savala and Billy Smith have been great on the left, and prop Naufahu Whyte already has more than 100 run metres in this game.

Roosters 22, Raiders 0 at half-time

The Roosters are really toying with the Canberra back three now. Daly Cherry-Evans has been kicking early repeatedly and this time he drills a 40-20 kick behind Jed Stuart and Kaeo Weekes is nowhere near it when it goes over the sideline.

And the Chooks make the Raiders pay for it quickly, Sam Walker stepping off his left to beat one defender then standing in a tackle before calmly offloading to Reece Robson, who powers over for a try.

It’s been a dream half for the Roosters and a nightmare 40 minutes for Canberra.

Roosters 22, Raiders 0 after 36 minutes

This is fantastic stuff from the Roosters. Sam Walker puts in one of his trademark dangerous grubber kicks into the in-goal – but this one is too big, and Robert Toia isn’t able to get to it before it bounces over the dead-ball line. No matter, he is able to grab the ball and throw a pass behind him while in mid-air, and who else is on the spot to touch down but Mark Nawaqanitawase.

He’s got two tries in his return game now and Walker adds the cherry on top with a sideline conversion.

Roosters 16, Raiders 0 after 33 minutes

The Roosters produce a long-range special out of nowhere, Sam Walker throwing it wide on his own 10-metre line, and Billy Smith breaks a Xavier Savage tackle and takes off down the wing. He gets a pass away to Hugo Savala, who has excelled in the centres this year after making a switch from the halves, and he brushes through an attempted tackle from Savage and the chasing Corey Horsburgh to run clear and finish off a 90-metre effort. Superb stuff.

Walker converts and it’s a 10-point lead to the visitors.

Roosters 10, Raiders 0 after 25 minutes

More pyrotechnics from the Roosters now, with Daly Cherry-Evans trying his second attacking kick early in the tackle count. This one is on the second tackle again, from inside the Roosters’ 40 metres, and Victor Radley of all people out-races Kaeo Weeks and the Raiders’ defenders to get to the ball first and touch down. Spectacular stuff.

But … not quite spectacular enough. Replays show Radley was a metre or two in front of Cherry-Evans when the kick was made, so he’s offside and the try overruled. Still, a worrying sign for the Canberra back three there – Weekes may have been a little gassed after making a line break a minute or two earlier but that wasn’t the kind of urgency Ricky Stuart would have expected.

Roosters 4, Raiders 0 after 21 minutes

Raiders halfback Ethan Sanders pulls off a great tackle to deny Siua Wong then Sam Walker rolls in a grubber for the chasing Robert Toia but reserve Canberra winger Jed Stuart does well to save the try and force a Toia error.

Canberra survive this time, and Savelio Tamale is undergoing his HIA on the sideline with his head knock ruled to be a category 2.

Now a bit of Harlem Globetrotters stuff from the Roosters on the second tackle coming out of their own end, Daly Cherry-Evans kicking acrossfield for Mark Nawaqanitawase, who takes the kick comfortably but is tackled, still inside his own half. Bold stuff from the Chooks. Cherry-Evans gets away a more traditional kick on the last.

Now Kaeo Weeks takes off for a line break out of nowhere for the Raiders, slicing past Siua Wong, but his offload isn’t on target and it’s a turnover.

Roosters 4, Raiders 0 after 19 minutes