Live: Roosters in strife after Tedesco concussion, Young send-off as Bulldogs in charge

Kotonga hits a grubber and forces a mistake from Manu on the floor. The Bulldogs go back on the attack, but a mistake by Curran gives it back to the Roosters.

A penalty takes them into the Bulldogs red zone and eventually Keary runs through it and throws it to Butcher who comes in to score. Suaalii converts and is Bulldogs 26-6.

Let’s go for the second 40. It can’t be as crazy as the first half, right? CAN???

Here’s a quick summary of everything that happened in that first half. Something is happening.

• Dogs fullback Blake Taaffe scored in the first minute as part of a 26-0 Canterbury ambush.
• The Roosters lost Sam Walker and James Tedesco to HIA, meaning Michael Jennings has been activated as the 18th man.
• Jennings is returning from a four-year suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, as is Bulldogs center Bronson Xerri.
• Roosters winger Dom Young hit Taaffe with a high tackle. Taaffe ends that night with a HIA while Young has been ejected.

Mahoney kicks in, Jennings clears but Mann makes a great shot to take it back into the in-goal.

Three plays later, Mahoney isolates Radley and sets up Hughes for the first try of his NRL career! Burton converts and this crazy half of football finally ends the Bulldogs leading 26-0.

Watson attacks a Burton kick and the Roosters are on the attack. Smith forces a turnover with a well-weighted kick, Jennings is almost there to score but the Dogs clean it up in time.

They come up short and the ball bounces straight to Hutchinson, three tackles later the Dogs receive a penalty. They will return to the attack.

Taaffe left for the game and because Young was ejected for the hit, the Bulldogs are able to activate their 18th man, Toby Sexton.

Burton starts them both off, which is good because I think a deep breath would do us all a little good.

Young hits Taaffe high and the Dogs fullback is in a world of hurt. Referee Grant Atkins does not hesitate to send him off. Taaffe shoots himself. Jennings comes in for the Roosters. This game is crazy.

Tedesco and Walker are gone, meaning Sydney Roosters’ 18th man Michael Jennings (yes, that’s right, Michael Jennings) can be activated as the 18th man.

Jennings, like Xerri, is also returning from a four-year suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. At 35 years old, he will be the oldest player in the league once he steps foot on the field.

Kikau goes right past Manu and Young again and is safe, Tedesco tries to take him down and catches the big guy’s hip right in the head and is knocked out. The trainers are taking care of him, he gets up and leaves the field under his own power, which is a good sign, but he will be finished by the day you think.

Burton throws a screaming bomb and Tupou drops it. The Bulldogs will return to the attack.

Walker received an accidental knee to the back of the head early in the set and will receive a HIA. Things can’t get any worse for the Roosters…unless the Bulldogs score here again.

But they don’t, King hits him as he picks up the ball. The Roosters survive.

Oh my god, something is happening at Stadium Australia tonight. This time it’s Kikau, he ducks down the short side and beats Young, he’s away and draws in Tedesco and finds Burton in support and goes on to score his second. We didn’t see it coming! Burton converts and is 18-0 after 15 minutes for Canterbury!

It’s a penalty for the Bulldogs against Tupouniua for having the ball in hand, they will have another attacking run here. Kikau asks Tracey for a clue, who lets her.

Manu picks it up and throws a pass to Young and the big winger is away on the left, it’s difficult to spot him, but Taaffe makes a magnificent cover tackle and drags him into touch. Great pursuit by the Bulldogs fullback.

They’re in again! This time it’s Mann, he unleashes a great volley into contact with a flying Burton and comes close to score the second. Canterbury’s attack appears to be light years away from where it was last week. Burton converts and It’s 12-0, the Bulldogs are beating the clock.

The Roosters are awarded an offside penalty for attacking for the first time, but Walker’s pass goes to the ground and, as Tupou collects it, his volley is intercepted by Kiraz.

What a start! Immediately after the scrum, the Bulldogs go wide, Taaffe gets on the outside of Suaalii and runs through him to score. It will be necessary to overcome it, since it is the fastest attempt of the season: stopping the stopwatch in approximately 35 seconds!

And it gets even better when Burton converts with the touch. The Bulldogs lead 6-0.

And we go! The Bulldogs, looking unreal in their 2004 legacy jerseys, start running from right to left and Mahoney forces an error in the second inning of the game!

The Roosters contest the call but it stands. What a disastrous start, Bulldogs on the attack.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Xerri – he was one of the league’s brightest prospects before he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. These are some of his best work from his rookie season in 2019.

Okay, there’s a little bit to get through here, so bear with me.

The Roosters have a change with Nat Butcher coming out of the side and Sitili Tupouniua coming into the second row. Egan Butcher is on the bench. That’s the easy part.

Canterbury has had a number of changes. Liam Knight is completely out of the 17 with Chris Patolo starting and Sam Hughes on the bench. Jaeman Salmon moved from lock to second row with Kurt Mann starting at the end of the scrum and Josh Curran returning to the bench.

But the most important one is out: Blake Wilson is out, Jacob Kiraz moves to the wing and former Shark Bronson Xerri will start at center. It is Xerri’s first NRL game since 2019, when he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and served a four-year suspension.

Hello everyone, my name is Nick, I hope you are safe and dry in the torrent of rain falling tonight.

Round 5 of the NRL continues with the Bulldogs taking on the Roosters and the Knights taking on the Dragons.

Put your feet up and get in a TGIF-esque mood, because I’ll be walking you through every step of tonight’s two matches. It will be fun.

Charging