NRL 2022: Canberra Raiders defeat Cronulla Sharks in thriller, Jack Wighton stars, Josh Hodgson injury

The Jack Wighton-inspired Raiders survived a late raid by the Sharks to open their season with a heart-stopping win, which helped ease the pain of an injury to star hooker Josh Hodgson.

Josh Hodgson left the field after only six minutes with a knee injury. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

The Raiders have celebrated Jack Wighton’s 200th NRL game with an epic 24-19 win over the Sharks thanks to a late Hudson Young try, but it could prove costly with veteran Josh Hodgson forced off early with a knee injury.

It looked for all money like Canberra had brought back the ‘Faders’ tag when they coughed up an 18-6 lead to trail 19-18 with less than five minutes to go after Matt Moylan kicked his first field goal since 2016.

It brought back memories of last year’s constant heartbreaks when they blew seven double-digit leads to eventually miss the finals.

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Jack Wighton started the season at his brilliant best for the Raiders in his 200th game. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

But perhaps the Green Machine has turned a new leaf this season because they lifted in the face of adversity to snatch back the lead at the death when Young fought through some flimsy defence to send Ricky Stuart into raptures.

“I certainly don’t enjoy those endings, but I enjoyed the scoreboard at the end of it,” Stuart said when asked about the tight finish and whether he wanted his players to kick a field goal to level things up. “I would’ve taken the one, but that’s why they’re out there and I’m not.”

There was one last scare when Matt Ikuvalu got over the line with a couple of seconds on the clock, but some desperate defence and a lack of evidence for the Bunker kept him from scoring.

JACK ATTACK

It’s no secret that Jack Wighton struggled in 2021, just a year after he won the Dally M medal. He made plenty of errors, didn’t challenge the line enough and wasn’t able to create opportunities for his teammates.

He was defended from pillar to post by those close to him, and that support appears justified after a very solid start to the year.

Wighton was heavily involved on the left edge which helped take the pressure off youngster Brad Schneider, and he picked up a deserved present in game 200 when he backed up a Nick Cotric break to open the scoring.

“I still think Jack’s best football is in front of him,” Stuart said.

“Everyone wants to be the analyst on Jack’s last season. But we had five fullbacks last year, we had disruption at seven … it doesn’t matter who you are when you’re a six or a seven. It’s too hard.”

The Raiders survived Matt Ikuvalu’s late raid on the try line. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

HODGSON HOBBLES OFF

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows in Canberra. Hodgson was helped from the field with a right knee injury in the opening six minutes, but the early signs are promising with reports it is not a dreaded ACL injury.

The Englishman has had serious knee issues in the past and things didn’t look good when two trainers were needed to take him off, but the signs were more encouraging when he was able to return to lend some support on the bench later in the half.

“We’re hoping it’s a meniscus. It’s on the outside of his knee,” Stuart said.

“He’s got pretty good stability in regards to the ACL side of it.”

This is Hodgson’s last season in Canberra before he joins the Eels in 2023 and the Raiders really need him on the park because they are already without new halfback Jamal Fogarty who is out for four months with a knee injury.

Canberra does have Tom Starling and he was mightily impressive through the middle, with his speed causing all sorts of problems for the tiring Cronulla forwards.

Josh Hodgson left the field early with a knee injury. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

IF THE SHOE FITZ

Rookie Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon was stuck in Sydney with Covid and he would have been really sick watching his side in the first half.

The Sharks completed 8/13 sets and conceded a stack of penalties as they gave themselves no chance to show off their shiny new combinations.

“I thought our application to the start wasn’t where it needed to be,” assistant coach Steve Price said.

But something clicked in the second half as their big guns took advantage of good field position to punish the Raiders.

Will Kennedy got them going with a slick solo try before the Shire erupted as one when key recruit Nicho Hynes played short to Teig Wilton for his first try assist in a Cronulla jersey.

There were plenty of promising moments when their big boys gave the spine some time and space, but they must address their last-tackle options if they want to threaten the top teams.

“I think having more games together will only improve the combination of our spine. I’m excited to see where we go from here,” Dale Finucane said.

Originally published as NRL 2022: Canberra Raiders defeat Cronulla Sharks in thriller, Jack Wighton stars, Josh Hodgson injury