Canberra Raiders thrash ‘soft’ Manly Sea Eagles in demolition job
The Canberra Raiders thrashed Manly on Saturday afternoon to move one step closer to locking up a spot in the top eight.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Canberra Raiders crushed two clubs at once at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon when their 48-6, nine-tries-to-one trouncing of Manly Sea Eagles saw them leapfrog beleaguered Brisbane Broncos into 8th on the NRL ladder.
The Raiders are now ahead of Brisbane by 43 points on differential and likely need only beat Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval in the final game of the season proper next Sunday to secure a finals berth the Broncos seemed to have sewn up just four weeks ago.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
It was all Canberra in Canberra.
Jack Wighton was brilliant on the left edge with a fleet-footed and deft combination of running, passing, kicking and leaping that attacked the inexperienced trio of Ben Trbojevic and Christian Tuipuloto, and the large but lumbering Haumole Olaka’uatu Olakau’atu.
Hudson Young was again in everything, Jamal Fogarty had his most assured game in green while Sebastian Kris terrorised the Eagles’ right side.
The onslaught began when Jordan Rapana won his team nearly 50m with a catch in-goal and quick-fire tap and go. In the same set Wighton threw a perfect, fizzing torpedo to Rapana’s left wing for a try.
It's been a rough few months to be a Manly fan 🥲
— Wilson Smith (@wilson_smith93) August 27, 2022
Tapine 96m and Papali'i 53m and the Raiders are up 40-6. fairly soft showing from Manly is putting it mildly
— Alex Mitchell (@alexmitchy_) August 27, 2022
After a great run by Manly fullback Tolutau Koula, Daly Cherry-Evans grubbered, Joe Tapine dived and parried, Young picked the ball up and ran 40m, found Jack Wighton who ran another 30m who found Xavier Savage who iced the 98m try.
Young scored his 11th try for the season when he fellow a Fogarty bomb fumbled by Christian Tuipulotu.
Tom Starling came on in the 26th minute and scored less than 20 seconds later when backing up a brilliant interchange of straight-running and passing at speed between Wighton, Young, Rapana and Kris.
When Fogarty scored under the posts after an evil Rapana grubber rebounded off Kieran Foran like a pinball off a bumper, the Raiders were scoring at close to a point a minute.
Starling fumbled with the tryline wide open but the Raiders had all the territory, possession and momentum, and went to halftime leading 28-nil.
When Young rumbled over in the 53rd minute, Manly was playing for pride - ironically the word that so shafted their season when seven of their players refused to play a crucial game against the Roosters in jumpers adorned by a rainbow symbol.
Ethan Bullemore managed to get Manly off their duck before Albert Hopoate, Kris and Corey Harawira-Naera iced the cake for the home team.
FAREWELL, STALWARTS
Post-match the Raiders farewelled a quality quartet of contributors in Josh Hodgson, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Ryan Sutton and Adam Elliott. Sam Williams (retired) and Harry Rushton (England) were also acknowledged.
The Raiders’ Kiwi contingent farewelled Nicoll-Klokstad with a spirited haka.
Meanwhile, Ricky Stuart’s 219th game as Raiders coach matched that of his friend and mentor, Tim Sheens.
BIG WHITE
Corey Horsburgh emerged from the bench in the 26th minute with his head shaven of the red locks that gave him the nickname ‘Big Red’.
“He looks like a psychopath,” remarked one wag while the glistening cue-ball look also drew comparisons with ‘The Kurgan’ from the hit film Highlander.
Originally published as Canberra Raiders thrash ‘soft’ Manly Sea Eagles in demolition job
Broncos star Mam undergoing immediate professional treatment
Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam is undergoing immediate professional treatment in the wake of his head-on car accident which has left his $4 million NRL contract in jeopardy.
Kiwi revenge mission: Kangaroos out to restore pride in jersey
The Kangaroos were embarrassed by New Zealand in the Pacific Championships final last year. Star prop Lindsay Collins has vowed to restore pride in green and gold jumper this time round.