How a VERY early morning bus ride became a sliding doors moment for Hugo Savala at the Roosters

It is the 80 minutes of footy on four hours of sleep that turned Hugo Savala from a bench utility into the Sydney Roosters' in-form starting halfback.

Fresh off a 15-minute spell against Gold Coast in March, Savala, 23, was told by club officials that a bus was leaving for Canberra at 6am the next morning ahead of a NSW Cup game.

The dangling carrot was a chance to play a second game in the space of 18 hours for the Tricolours - while playing in the no.7 jersey.

'I reckon I had about four hours sleep,' Savala said this week.

'That did play in the back of my mind, but that hunger inside me just wanted to play another game.

'At that time I had only played a handful of NRL games on 10-15 minute spells.

'And there is (also) nothing worse than waiting a whole week when you come off a bad game.'

Savala - a former schoolboy rugby star at Scots College - passed with flying colours in the nation's capital.

He seized his opportunity, setting up two tries - and was then called up to replace Chad Townsend at halfback in the NRL a fortnight later.

'From that moment I went (to Canberra), I put my foot down and really concentrated on being a halfback,' Savala said.

'Because I know I am a halfback, I've been one all through my juniors and growing up.

'No.7 for the Roosters has been my dream. 'So it really boosted my confidence when I was starting halfback in the NRL. And it's been good since.'

With Savala as playmaker, the Roosters have won six of their past nine matches, going from near the bottom of the ladder to the top eight ahead of Sunday's clash with Wests Tigers at Allianz Stadium.

His kicking has given them much-needed control, while a new-look, free-flowing next generation of Roosters have averaged 31.8 points per match since Anzac Day in April.

'There has always been a Roosters type of football, the way they have played for the past 10 years,' Savala said.

'We've got a young group coming through, we do play our style of football. It's still the Roosters brand, we're just trying to mould it into the way we play.

'We're certainly starting to find our rhythm. It's not even expansive football, it's just moving and playing for each other.'

Coach Trent Robinson showed his hand last month by naming Savala to partner Sam Walker on the latter's aborted return from injury, ahead of Sandon Smith.

The obvious sideshow remains the expected signing of veteran half Daly Cherry-Evans for next year, something Savala insists he has not let cloud his mind.

'There is obviously all that talk in the media, but I really am just focusing on my football this year,' he said.

'Play my best football with the team and win as many games as we can going into the finals. That's all I can do.'