Manly Sea Eagles beat Sydney Roosters 18-16, Newcastle Knights ...

Manly kept in touch with the top eight with a desperate win over Sydney Roosters at Brookvale, thanks to last-ditch defence and two tries from Daly Cherry-Evans.

Earlier, the Newcastle Knights run riot against the Bulldogs at the Olympic stadium.

The Sea Eagles breathed new life into their sputtering season with an 18-16 defeat of the Sydney Roosters, whose own campaign is on a knife-edge as the finals draw nearer.

With his pair of tries, Cherry-Evans was a stand-out in Sunday's see-sawing clash between two of the season's biggest underachievers, before a late four-pointer to Ben Trbojevic sealed the result.

NSW captain James Tedesco was strong for the Roosters without silencing debate as to his State of Origin credentials once-and-for-all.

The fullback finished with a game-high 272 run metres and by backing Nat Butcher up on a line break scored the try that regained the lead in the second half.

He found himself trapped in-goal from Cherry-Evans kicks twice, though, and turned the ball over in the red zone just when the Roosters had the chance to land the knockout blow in the second half.

Announced on Monday morning, Brad Fittler's team sheet will reveal Tedesco's Origin fate, with Dylan Edwards and Scott Drinkwater vying for a chance in Origin III on July 12.

Jake Trbojevic made an early return for Manly, and the 15-time Blue put his own hand up for NSW selection with a workmanlike effort yielding 127 metres and 35 tackles.

Cherry-Evans helped the Sea Eagles hit back after the Roosters drew first blood.

Returning from an elbow injury, centre Brad Parker burst down the left flank and managed an offload to Reuben Garrick, whose chip kick sat up perfectly for his captain.

Just when Tedesco's own support run looked to have put the Roosters back in front at the half, Cherry-Evans picked off an errant Luke Keary pass and dashed 40 metres to confirm a first-half double.

Joseph Manu had a busy night on the Roosters' right edge.

His flick pass gave winger Junior Pauga the first try of the day, and with a burst of speed after half-time, the centre restored the lead with a try of his own.

But that was before Josh Schuster, fresh from signing a contract extension, put the youngest Trbojevic through a hole to help Manly finally make good on repeated chances.

The win moves Manly into 11th spot on the ladder, three points adrift of the eighth-placed Warriors with nine rounds remaining.

The Roosters finish the round in 13th, four points from the top eight.

They have now lost six of their last eight games and face four current top-eight sides in their last eight matches.

Roosters hooker Jake Turpin knocked himself out attempting to tackle Christian Tuipulotu in the first half and did not return after being sent for a head injury assessment.

Repeat offender Victor Radley was placed on report for a high shot on Taniela Paseka in the second half and is likely to face scrutiny from the match review committee, given his record.

Bulldogs blown away by the Knights Bradman Best had a day out, scoring three out of Newcastle's 11 tries in their thumping win over the Bulldogs.  (AAP: Steven Markham)

Newcastle Knights have relieved some of the pressure on beleaguered coach Adam O'Brien with a crushing, record-setting 66-0 NRL romp over hapless Canterbury.

Disgusted Bulldogs fans booed their own team as the Knights piled on 11 unanswered tries to snap a three-game losing streak and, hopefully for O'Brien's sake, shift the coaching spotlight on veteran Wests Tigers mentor Tim Sheens.

O'Brien conceded last week he was most likely the next coach in line to lose his job if he couldn't dig the Knights out of their mid-season hole.

His charges responded to put the Bulldogs to the sword at Sydney's Olympic stadium and leave Sheens as the new front-runner to follow sacked Gold Coast boss Justin Holbrook to the coaching scrap heap.

The Tigers' 74-0 capitulation to North Queensland on Saturday quickly sparked calls for the 72-year-old to step aside and allow club legend Benji Marshall to take over immediately rather than in 2025 as planned.

While the Tigers slumped to the bottom of the ladder after suffering the largest hiding in 88 years of premiership rugby league, Newcastle's decisive victory eclipsed the Knights' previous best 60-0 rout of South Sydney in 1999 and revived the 13th-placed side's' slim hopes of a late charge to the finals.

They are guaranteed another two competition points next week for the bye, then host the Tigers in round 21 in a real opportunity to continue climbing the ladder in the coming fortnight.

If Cameron Ciraldo wasn't so highly regarded by Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould, he'd also be in the firing line after a dismal month for the Belmore boys.

The Bulldogs coach apologised to supporters after the game.

"A very tough day. It's not a great moment. It's an embarrassing moment, it's a disappointing moment. It's not what you want," Ciraldo said.

"We knew things would be hard this year at different times but probably not this hard.

"But it is what it is. Clubs go through these times, teams go through these times and it shows your real character and that's what I'm interested in right now — the character of our team, the character of our club and the character of individuals within that team and club." 

After jeering Ciraldo's side when they trudged to the sheds trailing 32-0 at half-time, droves of spectators filed out soon after the break when it was apparent there was no way back for the Bulldogs, who have now leaked 193 points in their past four defeats.

O'Brien will welcome some of the heat being on others this week after Kayln Ponga, Bradman Best and Jackson Hastings ignited Newcastle's attack with inspired running games.

Ponga had a hand in six of Newcastle's tries and slotted 11 conversions from 11 for a 22-point haul. Best bagged a hat-trick, while Hastings and hooker Phoenix Crossland each a double.

Despite his lively display, Ponga isn't expected to earn a State of Origin recall after Queensland coach Billy Slater earlier on Sunday all but ruled out the electrifying fullback replacing the suspended Reece Walsh for game three in Sydney on July 12.

Ironically, Canterbury utility Matt Burton appears the player most likely to step into the NSW centres despite the Dogs' latest capitulation.

But Blues coach Brad Fittler may be having second thoughts, while also be considering discarding Burton's teammates Josh Addo-Carr and Tevita Pangai Junior for Origin III.

FixturesLadder

AAP/ABC