The Roosters battled back from a 14-0 half-time deficit to level the odds with their nearest rival in the top of the table encounter at the Bega Recreation Ground.

With the drawn 22-22 result, the Bulldogs will hold second on for and against over the Bombala Blue Heelers who are finishing the season strong.

Play had been back and forth early in the piece with the Bulldogs' defensive efforts holding out early repeat sets from the Roosters.

After surviving immense pressure from the strong Bega club, the Bulldogs marched the full 100 metres up the field on the back of two penalties to then put the hosts under repeated attacking pressure.

However, both clubs released the choke hold when errors proved costly - giving up the ball, and strong field position to their rivals.

Bega had just turned away two sets at close range from the Bulldogs and had worked their way 70-metres up the field when the visitors centre Luke Rixon burst on to a loose pass and bolted the 70m stretch to score under the post.

Rixon doubled his efforts with a clever stepping display later in the half to score his second for the 'Dogs.

The Bulldogs upset the Bega defence again flipping the attack to the left edge where Bailey Kebby scored after recovering the ball off a high chip to lead 14-0 into the break.

When Rixon capped off a hat-trick in the opening minute of the second half, play looked like a foregone conclusion, but following a stern half-time talk the Roosters doubled down and worked their way back in to play.

It took 14 minutes before William McDonald broke the drought, but points began to flow for the Roosters who followed up with tries to Scott Galeano and Tom McMillan later in the piece.

The Roosters had been trailing 22-14 with just five minutes to go, but the conversion after McMillan's try put the team within six points of the Bulldogs.

It was a powerhouse run from Todd Ingram in the dying minute that had Bega behind by two, but Ingram slotted the kick on the back of his own try to level the score just 15 seconds before the siren.

The result was a happy medium for the Bega club who had earlier looked like dropping a second result to the Bulldogs.

Earlier the Roosters had claimed dominant wins against the Dogs' portability Candelo-Bemboka Panthers in both reserves and league-tag.

Reserves was 66-0 and ladies was a 72-0 result.