NRL 2021: Canberra Raiders win 34-18 over Cronulla Sharks | Match Report
Remember the name Xavier Savage. The Raiders young gun was incredible in his second game, as Canberra avoided another second half fade.
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There was no second half fade out this time for the Raiders who prospered from a controversial eight-point try and a savage display by a rookie teenage fullback to thump the Sharks 34-18.
Xavier Savage. That is a name that the rugby league world will be hearing a lot about after the electrifying 19-year-old Raider blitzed Cronulla with speed and courage. Despite suffering a shoulder injury during the match Savage iced a brilliant display with the match winning try after running for more than 200m and giving Canberra back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Coach Ricky Stuart was impressed with more than Savage’s natural gifts.
“His biggest credit on the night was that he played on with injury,” Stuart said.
“That was where he got a great tick of approval from me because a lot of players can’t play under duress like that. For a young boy just out of school he did a really good job in handling that pain.
“You can’t coach speed. He still has a lot to learn about the game but he is a very coachable young man and a credit to his mum and family up north. He won’t get ahead of himself. He did a good job and if he keeps his head down and does the work he has got a future ahead of him. He is certainly on the right track.”
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The Sharks were poor defensively and did not deserve to win.
The clash on the Gold Coast had plenty of drama.
Jordan Rapana dived over early and Sharks five-eighth Braydon Trindall came across in cover and collided with him as innocuously as defenders do every week. On review by the bunker it was deemed to be a dangerous tackle despite Trindall not appearing to catch Rapana high or to lead with his knees.
“Are we sure that is a high tackle. That is outrageous. Jordan Rapana has not even noticed,” Fox League’s Andrew Voss said in commentary.
Sideline eye Gorden Tallis, no shrinking violet in his day, concurred.
“That is really harsh. You can’t disappear. Please! It is a contact sport,” Tallis said.
The Sharks were listless early but centre Jesse Ramien was an exception and scored with a beastly charge cutting back on the inside. Sione Katoa went over soon afterwards and in the process accidentally caught Jack Wighton in the chest with the heel of his boot which had the NSW star getting attention at halftime with the scores locked at 12-all.
Savage lit up the stadium with a lightning burst for Wighton to score before Connor Tracey put Ronaldo Mulitalo over to give the Sharks an 18-16 lead, despite Canberra dominating nearly every facet of play.
Hudson Young sprinted away to give the Raiders the lead before Savage stamped a man of the match display with the match sealer.
NO FADING
The Raiders had scored the first try in nine of their previous 11 outings but had won just three of them. In the process they acquired the tag of the Canberra “faders” after multiple second half implosions. They were in first again at Robina but this time they did not give it up. Now in ninth on the ladder, and equal on 16 points with eighth placed Cronulla, they have a tough draw ahead but have given themselves a shot at playing finals football.
Stuart said his players had made the move to the Gold Coast bubble determined to succeed.
“The boys like every other team have had a unique week. It is through some great efforts from Andrew Abdo and his team to have us still playing. It is a credit to him and his leaders. We have a job to keep performing and so far everyone would be happy with the level of football we have seen.”
WOODS WHIRLWIND WEEK
What a week for Sharks skipper Aaron Woods. It had everything…planes, training, cars and a baby. After he and wife Sarah welcomed the birth of a baby girl on Wednesday the veteran prop took a charter flight to join his Cronulla teammates in camp on the Gold Coast in an emphatic display of the sacrifices the players are prepared to make for their clubs and to keep the game going in the most challenging of times. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to celebrate with a win.
Sharks coach Josh Hannay said his team was “way off the mark” but singled Woods and his partner out for praise.
“First and foremost for Aaron I think it is an incredible sacrifice by him and his partner,” he said.
“It is a testament to Woodsy and his approach to his job. He puts the team first regularly.”
SAVAGE RAIDER
Savage by name and by nature. Savage is a star of the future and showed why at the start of the second half when he burned four Sharks with blistering speed to set up a try for Wighton. Dangerous every time he got his hands on the ball, Savage has explosive speed off the mark and oozes confidence. He will give Raiders fans hope that a late run to the finals is a reality. The standout aspect of his display was that he played much of the second half under duress.
CREATIVE COREY
The Raiders did not die wondering with their finals hopes in the balance and by halftime led the Sharks in the offloading department 14-1. Back-rower Corey Harawira-Naera had four of them with one leading to a try to Rapana and the other to a line break. He maintained the rage in the second half. It was the former Bulldog’s best game of the season.
WHY CAM MCINNES WILL JOIN SHARKS EARLY
–David Riccio
Cameron McInnes will join the Sharks on Monday - but only to train.
The unusual decision can be revealed after St George-Illawarra granted McInnes permission to continue his rehabilitation from an ACL knee injury with vehement rivals Cronulla - the club he‘s joining in 2022.
The agreement between both the Dragons and Sharks is a by-product of the NRL‘s decision to move 13 clubs to Queensland.
The NRL placed a cap of 41 players and staff to travel to Queensland and the Dragons included their lead physiotherapist within the travelling party.
Staying back in Sydney, McInnes is five months into his rehabilitation and recovery from a torn ACL suffered last February.
The 27-year-old is progressing well, but rather than have McInnes continue to train alone, the Sharks approached the Dragons to take over his recovery.
Cronulla kept one of their physiotherapists, Dave Garrick, back in Sydney to work with both their injured players and those who weren’t included within the move to Queensland.
It means that McInnes will train with Sharks captain Wade Graham (concussion, knee), Jackson Ferris (foot), Franklin Pele (foot) and Nene Macdonald and Josh Dugan for the first time on Monday.
The rehabilitation switch has been approved by the NRL, notably their head of biosecurity.
McInnes has been permitted to move from one NRL club bubble to another club bubble, based on the Sharks having their own rehabilitation facilities within their privately owned Shark Park stadium.
The Dragons will continue to pay McInnes his 2021 salary with the Sharks agreeing to step-in and cover any financial costs should the hugely talented hooker or lock-forward suffer a setback unrelated to his ACL recovery.
The Dragons captain signed a four-year deal with the Sharks in February - only to suffer his serious knee injury while training 10-days later.
Originally published as NRL 2021: Canberra Raiders win 34-18 over Cronulla Sharks | Match Report
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