The Roosters have scored a ninth consecutive win for the first time in 13 years, but they did it the hard way, trailing a defiant Parramatta Eels until the final 10 minutes before securing a 28-18 win at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.

Looking to move into the top two and keep their hopes of a third straight minor premiership alive, a lethargic Roosters trailed 18-4 at half-time but stormed back with four unanswered tries to steal the points.

In recent weeks the Roosters had been getting out to leads, letting their opponents back into the game and then coming back to assert their authority. This time the challenge was very different after they fell behind three-tries-to-one in the first half an hour.

They had kicked poorly, lacked intensity and were out-enthused by a hungry and proud Parramatta side that defended well and took their chances in attack.

However, in front of 11,255 fans, the Roosters looked a different side in the second half. The crucial moment came inside the final 10 minutes when barnstorming prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves steamrolled a couple of Parramatta defenders and brushed off a couple of others to score next to posts for a converted try which gave the home side their first lead of the game. With two minutes left, Jake Friend crossed over to ensure the win.

It looked like Parramatta's night early on. Tim Mannah scored the first of Parramatta's three tries when he ran through feeble defence close to the line and touched down between the posts for a 6-0 lead.

It seemed a wake-up call for the Roosters when they scored a dazzling try three minutes later after a break down the left edge. Michael Jennings put Daniel Tupou away and the flying winger passed back inside to James Maloney for the four-pointer. Yet, when Maloney somehow managed to hit the post with his easy conversion attempt, it proved a metaphor for the Roosters' mood.

There was a slight upsurge after the try. The forwards got a move on, support play started to lift and their defensive intensity looked on the improve. However, two handling errors by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck were seized upon by the Eels when they spread across the ground to try-scoring machine Semi Radradra for their second. Luke Kelly's sidelined conversion made it 12-4.

Parramatta's defence was tested but stayed firm. In the 29th minute Reece Robinson knocked the ball free from Jennings' grasp just as the Roosters centre was about to cross over for their second.

On 30 minutes, the Eels scored their third and best try when Corey Norman carved through the line, off-loaded to a flying Manu Ma'u who drew in Tuivasa-Sheck and gave it back to Norman who finished the move. Kelly's third successful conversion gave the Eels a surprise but well deserved 14-point break, though it was soured by a knee injury that saw captain Mannah leave the field.

The Roosters looked a much more committed outfit in the second half and, though the Eels' defence was up to the task for the first 10 minutes, Mitch Aubusson's try out wide signalled trouble for the tiring frontrunners. Maloney found his kicking boots, finally, putting one over from the sideline to make it 18-10.

Kane Evans, arguably the Roosters best player of the night, made a huge burst with 28 minutes left and on the next set the home side crossed over for another converted try, through Tuivasa-Sheck, to make the difference two points.

The Eels were hanging on for the ride from that point and when Waerea-Hargreaves busted through to put his stamp on the game there seemed no coming back for the skipper-less visitors. Friend's try ensured the Roosters' winning run continues.