Canberra show their fight to beat Canterbury 28-22 in NRL trial

Ricky Stuart’s polarising decision to shift Jack Wighton to five-eighth looked a foolish decision, before a match-winning performance against Canterbury temporarily silenced critics.

There were promising signs for the Raiders. (Mark Evans/Getty Images)

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On Saturday afternoon, Canberra achieved what they failed to do all of last season, win a tight game.

The men from the nation’s capital scored a captivating 28-22 come-from-behind win over Canterbury in front of a packed house at Bega Showground. Both sides turned out near full-strength squads for their final trial before the NRL season opener.

Led by a relentless opening half from Will Hopoate, the Bulldogs shot out to a 22-6 lead with the help of a strong coastal breeze. The Green Machine also utilised the advantage in the second half, with a string of late tries allowing skipper Jarrod Croker to slot the equaliser from the touchline. With two minutes left on the clock, rookie Hudson Young delivered a stunning offload for winger Tony Satini to score the match-winner.

Will Hopoate was in a destructive mood. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

HOPOATE SHINES

Nick Meaney’s absolute best football might not be enough to get him a start anytime soon. Will Hopoate was exceptional in his first hitout of the year, setting up three tries in a dominant performance. He began where he left off last season in the No.1 jumper, at times proving a class above the men around him. While there was a thought he could return to centre should Meaney excel at the back, his playmaking ability is far too classy to entertain the thought of a switch.

Wighton isn’t the finished article at five-eighth. (AAP Image/Brendon Thorne)

WIGHTON HALF DONE

Ricky Stuart’s polarising decision to shift Jack Wighton to five-eighth looked a foolish decision early on, before a match-winning performance temporarily silenced critics of the move. Wighton produced several flashes of brilliance in his first game back since serving a season-ending 10-game ban for his role in a brawl in Canberra midway through 2018. While his future in the halves still has major question marks, there were enough positives to suggest the move can establish permanency. Skipper Jarrod Croker was full of praise for his new five-eighth.

“He was really impressive Jacko, the way he was able to lift after a slow start showed a lot of maturity which is exactly what’s needed as a half,” Croker said.

“We struggled in close games last season and Jack was able to come up big when we were chasing points tonight.

“He’ll get better with every game as he adjusts to the roll, but the signs were really good.”

Kieran Foran is showing signs of resurgence. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

FORAN FIRING

There’s life in Kieran Foran. Coming off a rare uninterrupted preseason, the 28-year-old looked the fittest he has in years. The injury plagued five-eighth played a key role in Kerrod Holland’s first half try, switching behind dummy-half Michael Lichaa to create numbers on the open side for the four pointer.

It’s important not to get carried away with a trial, but we saw promising signs that Foran could rediscover some element of his best form. Interestingly, Jack Cogger got the nod to partner Foran in the halves for the majority of the match, with Lachlan Lewis watching on from the bench.

RED FACE FOR IMPORT

English recruit John Bateman, who missed the trial with a minor side strain, was given a tough introduction on Aussie soil. Arriving at the Raiders’ camp in Tathra on Friday afternoon, it took just one morning on the coast for the Pommy star to feel the wrath of the sun. Bateman emerged from the sheds before kick-off sporting a bright red burn across his forehead. Hopefully it’s a lesson learned …