Ruthless Raiders roll Eels 19-0 to push their NRL credentials
Ricky Stuart’s Canberra Raiders are camped in the NRL top four and what’s more they are playing like they have every intention of staying there.
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Hardly any of the experts gave Canberra a hope of being a premiership contender in 2019.
But after five rounds Ricky Stuart’s Raiders are camped in the NRL top four with heavyweights Melbourne, Sydney Roosters and South Sydney.
What’s more, they are playing like they have every intention of staying there.
Sunday night’s 19-0 shutout of Parramatta made it three on the trot, while the 44 points conceded is Canberra’s best defensive start since 1990.
RAIDERS MEAN BUSINESS
This is a side that in recent years was known for its scintillating attack. But this season the Raiders are building foundations on the thing that turns pretenders into genuine contenders, a ruthless defensive edge.
To put in perspective the 44 points conceded in five rounds, Canberra conceded 122 points in the same period last year.
Against Parramatta they dominated possession from the opening whistle. But instead of getting carried away with looking pretty, they dug in to hold their opponents scoreless for the second time this year after beating Gold Coast 21-0 in round one.
“I will take it every week,” Stuart said.
“I don’t see too many perfect performances but it was something we can keep building on.”
Up front Josh Papalii, Elliott Whitehead and John Bateman led the way, while hooker Josh Hodgson played a hand in two of three tries and finished with 41 tackles.
Sam Williams laid on the other try for Jack Wighton, and delivered the exclamation point on the victory with a late field goal.
Stuart said Williams’ form would make it impossible for Aidan Sezer to fight his way back into the starting team for Sunday’s clash against Brisbane.
RAPANA’S BRUTAL ASSESSMENT
Jordan Rapana didn’t mince his words as he left the field at half-time.
In a brutal assessment of Parramatta, Rapana told Fox Sports the 8-0 scoreline didn’t indicate Canberra’s first-half dominance, and said the plan was to work over the Eels’ big boys and take their back three out of the game.
“We’d like to think they are not a fit team,” Rapana said.
In fairness, Brad Arthur had every reason to be proud of Parramatta’s defence given the 62-38 per cent split of possession at half-time.
Arthur was also filthy at a forward pass call that cost his team a try when the scores were 0-all.
“I don’t think it was forward. It is a big call for mine,” Arthur said.
“That might have been nice if we had put the ball under the posts 6-0 after defending our line for 20 minutes.”
Parra also made 73 more first half tackles, 36 inside their own 20m.
Arthur conceded “ill-discipline” cost his team with 18 errors, and said they would have to be better in their big Easter Monday clash against Wests Tigers for the grand opening of Bankwest Stadium.
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FERGO’S NASTY NIGHT
Parramatta will be sweating on x-rays after Blake Ferguson left the field early in the second half with fears of fractured ribs.
It followed a torrid 45-minute spell for the in-form winger.
Ferguson suffered a bloodied nose after an early head clash with John Bateman before he copped a whack from a Jarrod Croker tackle near his goal line.
Arthur said Ferguson had a pain-killing injection but suffered another heavy knock early in the second half, his night reduced to 70 metres from eight runs.
There was also concern for Raiders backrower Joe Tapine who left the field in the 51st minute with a feared syndesmosis ankle injury. It was Tapine’s first game back from a broken thumb.
“I just have my fingers crossed that it is not a break and is ligament damage,” Stuart said.
CANBERRA 19 (J Papalii E Whitehead J Wighton tries J Croker 3 goals S Williams field goal) bt PARRAMATTA 0 at GIO Stadium. Referee: Henry Perenara, Tim Roby. Crowd: 16,059
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