Seventh heaven: Rookie Savala savouring his half chances

Since starting as halfback in Round 6, Roosters rookie Hugo Savala has been relishing his opportunity to direct the side who have now won three of their past four matches with him at seven.

A product of the Sydney Roosters junior academy, Savala – who stands at a towering 194cm – said halfback has always been his position of choice despite his larger-than-average frame and he has impressed in the role so far, notably in Magic Round.

Stepping up when the team lost his senior halves partner Sandon Smith to a head knock in just the seventh minute of the match against the Dolphins, Savala produced a try assist and booted 401 kick metres as the out-of-towners secured a 36-26 win.

“I am absolutely loving it to be honest; just riding the wave at the moment and trying to be in the moment as much as I can and it's the best thing ever,” Savala said of his extended run at halfback.

“It's absolutely amazing (to be playing NRL for the Roosters), just to play one game, let alone to being playing six or seven games now and being the starting seven, I'm absolutely loving it.

“I'm trying to stay in the moment and just be present every training session we have and every game we have and just soak it all up.”

First-choice halfback Sam Walker’s impending return from an extended layoff with an ACL injury is bound to cause coach Trent Robinson a few selection headaches, with five-eighth Smith also showcasing his talent, producing a standout performance against the Dragons on ANZAC Day as a recent highlight.

Even without being on the field, Walker has been making his presence felt, with Savala sharing how the talented playmaker had been helping him improve his game.

“Sammy's been really good, even though he's still out with injury, he's in every video session, he's giving us tips and he's at every training session giving me little pointers and stuff,” Savala said.

“He's very knowledgeable of the game and Sammy's been a really good help to me.”

Savala – who was used as a utility in his Round 2 NRL debut and came off the bench before earning his starting spot – said despite his preference, he was happy to play in any role assigned to him by his coach.

When Walker is back in the side, Savala could fill in for a number of positions, drawing on his pre-season experience where Robinson trained him in various roles.

“I'm a halfback, definitely a halfback, play a little bit of five-eighth too, but yeah, wherever Robbo needs me, I'll play for him,” Savala said.

“I've always been a number 7, but throughout the pre-season this year, Robbo sort of tested me out in a few different positions and I've got a little bit of size to me, a bit tall and I weigh like 95kg - don't really see many halfbacks like that nowadays - but Robbo was really testing me during the pre-season.”

After a Round 10 bye, the Roosters are back in action this week in a blockbuster Friday night game against the top-of-the-table Bulldogs.

While Walker is still a few weeks out from returning, the Chooks have been boosted by the timely inclusion of prop Lindsay Collins on the bench, with the representative forward keen to prove his fitness in the goal of earning an Origin recall.