Walker's fantastic four inspires Rabbitohs as Roosters win again

South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters recorded contrasting wins while the struggling Newcastle Knights suffered a double setback on Saturday.

Cody Walker scored four tries as the Rabbitohs rallied to beat New Zealand Warriors 28-24 at Sunshine Coast Stadium, which was staging an NRL fixture for the first time.

With Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in fine form, the Warriors led 24-12 with an hour gone before Ethan Lowe's try triggered a comeback from the hosts.

After grabbing a brace of tries in the first half, Walker went over twice in the final eight minutes as South Sydney recorded a fourth win in five outings this season, keeping them in touch with leaders Melbourne Storm.

BUNNIES BOUNCE BACK #NRLSouthsWarriors pic.twitter.com/S1EZX5HDlV
— NRL (@NRL) April 13, 2019

The Roosters are also on eight points through five rounds after finding life far easier against Cronulla Sharks, the reigning premiers running in five tries in a 30-16 triumph.

Trent Robinson's side led 30-0 at one stage after touching down four times in a rampant 10-minute spell either side of the interval, with Latrell Mitchell also booting 10 points.

While the Rabbitohs and Roosters are challenging at the top, Newcastle are surprisingly languishing in the bottom half of the table after slipping to a fourth successive defeat.

The Knights lost Aidan Guerra to a suspected broken tibia and fibula as they went down 26-18 at home to Manly Sea Eagles, failing to overcome a slow start that saw them concede three tries inside 19 minutes.

Daly Cherry-Evans – playing in his 200th game – landed all three conversions and was on target again following Addin Fonua-Blake's 62nd-minute score that had ended any hopes of a Newcastle comeback.

Game No. 200 for DCE #NRLKnightsManly pic.twitter.com/05Rx5ixpro
— NRL (@NRL) April 13, 2019

Guerra had scored the second of his team's three tries, darting over from dummy-half, before he was taken from the field on a cart six minutes from time.