The Wests Tigers were left scratching their heads on Sunday, trying to work out how they managed to lose 12-8 to the Sydney Roosters after dominating Sunday's NRL clash at Campbelltown Stadium.

The Tigers led for 74 minutes before Todd Carney's late try silenced the vocal 19,901 crowd to give the Roosters a gutsy win after they spent most of the second half stuck in their own half.

The Roosters were brilliant in defence, repelling a wave of attacks in sweltering conditions to hold the home side scoreless in the second half.

Carney completed a smash and grab victory for the Roosters when he touched down after Tigers fullback Beau Ryan spilled a high kick from Braith Anasta, to overturn a 8-0 halftime deficit.

Frank-Paul Nuuausala crossed just after halftime for the Roosters first four-pointer.

Carney's try was awarded by the video referee, who adjudged Ryan was not impeded by the onrushing Anthony Minichiello, and although Tigers skipper Robbie Farah questioned the decision, he admitted his side threw the game away.

"How do you come up with the benefit of the doubt? It is either a try or not a try," said Farah.

"He (Ryan) was denied the opportunity to get the ball back. It was a tough call. But we should have been in front by more and the game should have been put to bed by then. Our execution was poor and it cost us the game."

The defeat was the Tigers' third in as many games, and after a promising start to the season they now have a 4-4 record.

Assistant coach Royce Simmons admitted the team is struggling to cope without the services of halfbacks Tim Moltzen and Robert Lui.

Farah was forced to play in the No.7 shirt with Moltzen sidelined for the season with damaged anterior cruciate ligaments, and young playmaker Lui out with a knee injury.

"We are certainly not happy, we have dropped a couple of games and there is no doubt losing Moltzen and Lui at the same has hurt us," Simmons said.

"Nobody can carry three halfbacks in their squad due to salary cap pressures and to lose two at the same time. It is a blow to us.

"We are hoping to have Robbie (Lui) back for the Souths game after the bye next week and that should help us."

However Tigers second-rower Gareth Ellis said it would be wrong to blame the loss solely on the lack of a recognised halfback.

"I thought Robbie did really well at halfback and Liam Fulton was excellent at hooker so from that respect I don't think it was a huge factor, every team gets injuries and it is how you cope," the England international told AAP.

"It was a disappointing game, as I never thought we were going to lose and credit to the Roosters they never let the score get away from them.

"We did well to force some errors but we never took advantage of the good positions we had to score."

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