‘Red-hot chance’: Real deal Raiders prove NRL premiership credentials
Sydney Roosters, Souths and Melbourne were the three teams many thought could win the premiership going into round 19. Manly have joined them — and you can add Canberra now.
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Two’s company, three’s a crowd. What about five?
Only three teams — Sydney Roosters, South Sydney and Melbourne — could win this year’s premiership before the weekend games.
However, Manly made it four on Saturday and Canberra turned it into five on Sunday when they humbled Penrith 30-18 at Panthers Stadium.
“Coming here today I thought there were three teams in it — the Storm, Roosters and Rabbitohs,” Immortal Andrew Johns said on Channel 9.
“I didn’t think the Raiders were a genuine chance, but looking at them today they are a well-balanced side.
“They’ve got Joseph Leilua and Nick Cotric to come back. They are a red-hot chance.”
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Everyone knows Canberra can score points but their defence was great again in the emphatic six-tries-to-three win.
The Raiders are the real deal with their mixture of guile, size, speed, agility and power.
Victory pushed Canberra to 26 competition points and one significant step closer to a top-four finish.
They have won five of their past six games but coach Ricky Stuart wasn’t prepared to put his team alongside the competition hot shots.
“We’re not there yet,” Stuart said.
“I was impressed with the way Manly played. Des (Hasler) has done a wonderful job with that team. To go to Melbourne and wins really shows where Manly are at too.
“We’re not interested in what other people have to say about where we are as a football team. We know where we’re at and where we need to keep improving and where we have to get to.”
Canberra are in the middle of the second-longest premiership drought in the NRL — 25 years.
This side has given fans every reason to think that can end this year, despite the Raiders having a tough run home.
The Raiders had just 11 per cent of possession inside the opening 12 minutes. Once given some possession over the next 10 minutes, they scored twice.
English import John Bateman was an inspiration, capping a fine game with a powerful late try to seal the win.
“There’s not a lot he can’t do,” former NSW centre Ryan Girdler said.
Canberra won yesterday without injured forward Ryan Sutton and suspended centre Nick Cotric.
POOR PANTHERS
This was Penrith’s first loss in two months after seven wins in a row.
They sit on 20 competition points and remain inside the top eight but their top-four aspirations are now just about dashed.
The Panthers now know where they need to improve when playing the top teams.
Their small men — James Maloney, Wayde Egan, Nathan Cleary
and Jarome Luai and — caused some trouble for Canberra’s big men.
“We conceded points too easily,” Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said.
“It was as simple as that. You can’t win them all.”
BYE-BYE DEAN
Penrith centre Dean Whare was sin-binned 22 minutes into the match for a professional foul on Canberra’s Jarrod Croker, who was chasing a Josh Hodgson grubber.
Within 20 seconds of Whare being marched, Raiders second-rower Elliott Whitehead had crashed over for his side’s second try and a 12-4 lead.
An all-in push-and-shove melee just before halftime spiced up the game and frustrated Panthers skipper James Tamou got right in the face of referee Ashley Klein as the teams left the field at halftime.
Panthers star James Maloney also remonstrated with Klein before the referee comically told Maloney he was “setting a bad example”.
HAIL SEZER
He scored a try and set up another yesterday, and Canberra halfback Aidan Sezer is determined to go out a winner.
Sezer still has a year to run on his deal but is expected to leave after this season to sign with an English Super League club.
It will give Canberra the money to re-sign Jordan Rapana and welcome their new halfback, Wigan’s George Williams.
Sezer was among the best players on the field yesterday. He is often maligned but got the job done again.
CANBERRA 30 (J Bateman C Nicoll-Klokstad J Papalii J Rapana A Sezer E Whitehead tries J Croker 3 goals) bt PENRITH 18 (M Leota J Tamou B To’o tries N Cleary 3 goals) at Panthers Stadium. Referee: David Munro, Ashley Klein. Crowd: 15,560
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