Raiders bury Eels as Strange shows the future in halves

Ethan Strange has offered Ricky Stuart a timely glimpse of Canberra’s future, starring in the halves as the Raiders completed a 50-12 trouncing of Parramatta in Darwin.

On a night when Hudson Young scored a double for the Raiders, Strange was close to Canberra’s best with a hand in three other tries in Saturday night’s win.

Considered little chance of playing finals at the start of the year, the Raiders are now in the box seat to finish the round fourth on the ladder with the season near the quarter-way point.

Hooker Tom Starling is in career-best form, as is second-rower Young as part of a left edge that is humming.

Joe Tapine was damaging, while Kaeo Weekes had his best game of the season after a difficult few weeks.

Canberra completed at 93 per cent, but still a found a way to move the ball around while playing direct in the sauna-like TIO Stadium.

Eels No.6 Dylan Brown passes against Canberra. Credit: Getty Images

That all left the last-placed Eels no match for the Raiders, with the result saving four-time defending premier Penrith from falling to the bottom of the ladder.

But the most timely showing of all came from Strange, who has had a quiet start to the season after last year’s brilliant rookie showing.

The 20-year-old scored his try when he ran onto a low kick from Jamal Fogarty in the first half, giving Canberra a 12-6 advantage.

Strange laid on another try when he burst through the middle, stepped to the right and helped create the defensive chaos for Matt Timoko to cut through and score.

Ethan Strange of the Raiders scores a try. Credit: Getty Images

The five-eighth then put the icing on the cake in the dying minutes, breaking down the left short side and offloading back for Seb Kris to score.

Strange and fellow youngster Ethan Sanders are viewed as the Raiders’ future halves, benefiting from Fogarty’s experience.

Canberra coach Stuart is due to fly to meet with Fogarty’s management on the Gold Coast this week to discuss the half’s future, with Manly known to be interested.

Stuart will need to decide whether to prolong Fogarty’s stay at the club, or push through the transition of Strange and Sanders as his two halves for 2026.

Beyond Strange, the Raiders’ best play of the night came when Weekes took a kick on his own tryline, beat a number of defenders and found winger Xavier Savage.

Savage then broke downfield into Parramatta’s half, before Kris got through two defenders later in the set and offloaded for Young to score. Savage later scored when awarded a penalty try.

Tapine shone for Canberra, barging over for their first try and offloading to Matty Nicholson for another.

In comparison, Parramatta only briefly got back into the game at 24-12 after half-time.

But any hope of a comeback was killed when Dylan Brown was penalised for taking Weekes out while waiting to field a kick, before a flurry of points went against them.

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Parramatta’s torrid season continued on Saturday night as Canberra chalked up a comprehensive 50-12 win in Darwin thanks to a double from Hudson Young.

Matty Nicholson scored Canberra’s seventh try of the night in the 74th minute to put the icing on a one-sided result that consigns Parramatta to their fifth loss from six matches this season.

It got worse a few minutes later when Sebastian Kris’s try and Kaeo Weekes’ conversion helped Canberra crack the half century in Darwin.

No team has ever conceded 50 points in an NRL match and gone onto win a premiership that season.

Don’t worry … this Eels team could not be further away from a premiership, less than three years after making a grand final against Penrith.

It’ll be a grim trip home to Sydney for the Eels and coach Jason Ryles.

Young scored yet another double as halfback Jamal Fogarty steered the Raiders around expertly. It was Canberra’s biggest win since 2022 and sees the men in green storm into the top four.

Dylan Walker of the Eels is tackled. Credit: Getty Images

A bit of a weird one has unfolded late in the second half of a one-sided contest.

The Raiders have been awarded a penalty try after Josh Addo-Carr’s right shoulder bumps Xavier Savage as he runs in to try and scoop up a grubber kick.

Was it intentional? Hard to say. But there was definitely contact and there’s an argument Savage might have got there before the ball went dead.

It’s goodnight for the Eels.

Raiders lead 38-12 after 67 minutes

Hudson Young benefits from a loose ball on the ground. Easy four-pointer.

Eels all at sea. Their hopes look dashed.

Five tries to two at the moment. Reckon the lads from Canberra could have another three in them.

Raiders lead 32-12

Parramatta finally get some pay for their solid play in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

After a neat pass from Dylan Brown to get the play started, Dylan Walker puts in a grubber to Josh Addo-Carr. It couldn’t have been a more perfect kick as the ‘Fox’ dots it down and gives it a 9/10 celebration.

Great conversation. Are they a chance of a major comeback?

Raiders lead 24-12 after 52 minutes

Parramatta begin the second half with a decent amount of ball but nothing to show for it.

Fullback Isaiah Iongi throws a looping long pass that misses its target. Josh Addo-Carr, waiting out wide, doesn’t look super impressed.

To make matters worse, Eels reserve Luca Moretti drops the ball cold into contact.

Raiders lead 24-6 after 46 minutes

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett was straight to the point when asked about a controversial Jack Wighton hip-drop tackle.

“I think anybody who has ever been in rugby league will not agree that was a hip-drop tackle,” Bennett said.

Jack Wighton is penalised and put on report for an alleged hip drop tackle on Scott Drinkwater.Credit: Fox

“What was he supposed to do, touch him and let him run to the tryline? Because that’s where he was heading.

“It was a tackle from behind, it was as simple as that. It was no more than that. It was a really good tackle.”

South Sydney led 10-6 when Wighton thought he had produced a genuine try-saving tackle on North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater just metres out from the tryline.

Drinkwater spilled the ball, but the bunker reviewed the incident, then ruled Wighton had executed a hip-drop tackle from behind. He was penalised and placed on report, but spared 10 minutes in the bin.

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Check out the missed tackle numbers.

All things looking rosy for Canberra.

Matthew Timoko produces a cracking try just before half-time. Looked like a man on a mission as he powered his way over for the Raiders’ fourth try of the half.

The Eels head to the break trailing by 18 points and with an opening half completion rate of 68 per cent. That doesn’t win you many games of footy.

“They’re out on their feet here,” said Fox commentator Andrew Voss. “They are absolutely gone here. The half-time break comes and they’re going to have to start like a house on fire.”

Raiders lead 24-6