If anyone knows how to beat St George Illawarra, it's Canberra and they reckon the Sydney Roosters impersonate them pretty well.

The Raiders have won 10 of their past 11 games against the Dragons, including 22-14 and 32-16 victories this year.

Test prop David Shillington, a former Rooster, says the Bondi club's attack-minded halves could do the same job on Wayne Bennett's men as Canberra five-eighth Terry Campese.

"The Roosters should be pretty confident," Shillington said.

"The Dragons are a fantastic defensive side and they're great at grinding teams down for the full 80 minutes.

"But the Roosters with their attacking power, Braith Anasta and Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce, are going to be too much for them."

Shillington said the key to the Raiders' success had been a combination of controlled and ad lib football.

"We've got a game-plan and structure that (coach) Dave Furner gives us and Campo sticks to that mostly, but if he sees something he plays it too, and most of the time it comes off for him," Shillington said.

"If he sees a long cut-out pass if someone's unmarked on the wing he throws it, and if he wants to run down the short side with (centre) Jarrod Croker or someone like that, he plays it too and it worked well for us.

"So I imagine the Roosters will play something similar.

"They'll get the ball to Todd Carney and he can drift across field, show a few dummies or go himself and break through the line.

"He'll definitely be a handful for the Dragons."

Shillington said the Roosters still needed to win the battle in the middle, but were capable of doing so through the likes of props Jason Ryles and Frank-Paul Nuuausala.

"The Dragons get in the arm wrestle really well and they grind teams down, and they want to go one-for-one in the middle," he said.

"But the Roosters have got a great forward pack so they should be able to match it with the Dragons pretty easy in the middle.

"That's the way footy's played, you get in the arm wrestle and then whoever breaks first gives the other team an opportunity to score and put some points on them.

"As soon as the Dragons give the Roosters any opportunity they'll be putting points on them."

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