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A classy return from Luke Keary and the power of Latrell Mitchell have propelled the Sydney Roosters to a come-from-behind 24-16 win over the Wests Tigers o Friday night.
- Luke Keary set up three Roosters tries after being sidelined for six matches because of concussion
- The Tigers had led 16-14 early in the second half, before the Roosters finished strongly
- The Roosters are six points behind competition leaders Melbourne on the ladder
Five-eighth Keary, who was playing his first match in six weeks since his latest bout of concussion, threw the final pass for three of the Roosters' four tries at the new western Sydney stadium.
Mitchell, who bagged 26 points earlier in the season against the Tigers, turned Friday night's match with two big second-half plays.
The Tigers reversed a 12-8 half-time deficit to a 16-14 lead five minutes into the second term after canny plays from captain and five-eighth Benji Marshall set up tries for former Rooster Paul Momirovski and fellow centre Esan Marsters.
But recent New South Wales State of Origin discard Mitchell sparked the decisive surge of the match to give the Roosters their ultimate eight-point winning lead.
He brushed off an attempted tackle and passed to Keary, who sent hooker Victor Radley on a 40-metre scamper to the line.
Mitchell converted and did the same three minutes later, after running onto a Keary pass, fending off Elijah Taylor and slipping through Corey Thompson to plant the ball over the stripe.
The Roosters made the running early in the match, but the Tigers hit back quickly.
It took the visitors just three minutes to cross the line, with Nat Butcher — whose only previous try this season was against the Tigers — smashing his way over after a fine offload from captain and prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
Five minutes later another former Rooster Ryan Matterson crashed through attempted tackles by Zane Terevano and Radley to notch his fourth try of the campaign.
Marsters kicked the conversion and a 12th-minute penalty goal, awarded for offside against Brett Morris, to give the Tigers an 8-6 lead.
They held it for only five minutes before Daniel Tupou capitalised on a spectacular 30-metre Keary pass and Mitchell kicked the conversion to give the Roosters a four-point lead.
They held that until half-time but came perilously close to surrendering it two minutes before the break, when full-back Thompson made a break.
A few meters out and with just one man to beat, he opted to pass outside to winger Robert Jennings, who slipped and was pushed into touch by Joseph Manu and Ryan Hall.
Marshall, who was playing his 299th NRL match, produced a fine cut-out pass to put Momirovski over and his grubber set up Marsters, but Mitchell had the final say.
AAP/ABC
Topics: sport, rugby-league, nrl, parramatta-2150, leichhardt-2040, campbelltown-2560, bondi-junction-2022
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