A desperate and disciplined effort by Canberra has angered the Premier League heavyweights, the Roosters, in their SCG home fortress.
Led by strong stints from props Josh Papalii and Dunamis Lui, the Raiders have overcome the lack of a multitude of center forward and inspiring hookers Josh Hodgson to face the Roosters and pave the way for a memorable 24:20 win.
The Raiders’ injury problems were compounded by a thigh strain to center Michael Oldfield, while next week the Roosters will be able to do without Angus Crichton and possibly some afterwards due to a mid-band injury.
Stuart praised his team’s resilience to overcome an enormous injury rate and a five-day turnaround against successive premieres.
“There weren’t many people tonight who gave us a chance outside of the people inside the club,” said Raiders coach Ricky Stuart.
“I said last week I don’t care what people say or think, they don’t know what’s under the sweater or what we’re built on.”
Roosters coach Trent Robinson described the performance as un-Roosters-like, with some gentle attempts through the middle.
“It has happened too often in the past few weeks,” said Robinson.
“We can go for months and it never happens. In the past few weeks it has been a bit leaky there and it has bitten us tonight. It’s really frustrating, you work so hard, give them (the players) so much rapeseed, but we do it wasn’t. ” is not good enough tonight. “
Robinson confirms MCricht violation of Crichton
The Roosters were in control for most of the first half, but seemed to be confused in the second half as an aggressive Canberra battled every inch.
Lui scored the first try of the game and Papalii the last, who proved to be the winner of the game. Rookie dummy half Tom Starling shared the role with Siliva Havili and the two halves George Williams and Jack Wighton plays.
The Roosters were early in the game, with some unusual mistakes and penalties that brought the Raiders field position with Lui, the unlikely top scorer, who collapsed off the sticks in the 12th minute.
That seemed to get the tricolor going; They spent almost the rest of the half camping on the Raiders line, building pressure with several sixes and restarting the dropouts.
They struck back almost immediately after the Lui attempt when James Tedesco organized a perfectly working set game to leave Brett Morris untouched, and shortly after Kyle Flanagan took the lead 8: 6 with a penalty goal as Hudson Young was punished in his own line.
Tedesco creates it for Brett Morris
Morris had his double when Flanagan threw a perfect loop cutout in the 30th minute, but despite the pressure, Canberra refused to fold.
They bombarded a late chance to attack, which could have brought them into halftime, but they were put in place immediately after the break at 12.
A silly penalty from Angus Crichton to the kicker gave the Raiders an attack set and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad rolled in a nice cultivator so a croker could win the race.
Another penalty goal gave the Roosters another two points ahead, but Canberra took the lead again with a series of Roosters mistakes and penalties that helped them build the camp at the end of the Chooks, and George Williams made his way to the line .
Josh Morris’ miracle ball brings Ikuvalu over
Debutant winger Semi Valemei, who came on for an injured Michael Oldfield, had a mistake in the set on points and an amazing pass from Josh Morris brought Matt Ikuvalu another flanagan break to make Roosters 20:18 behind.
Papalii caused the fourth half change of leadership when he strolled through a gaping gap between Lindsay Collins and Mitch Aubusson to get a free run to the line and a 24:20 lead after 66 minutes.
Papalii cruises past as Rooster’s defenses wane
A runaway game by the Raiders fell apart with a loose pass that allowed Tedesco to start a counterattack that should have ended in a Roosters attempt, but a forward pass from Josh Morris denied Ikuvalu his second.
Every time the late rise was observed from the taps, the green machine found a way to keep them at bay and repeatedly ended its own sets in the back corners of the taps, which is the task of reaching the other end, made almost impossible.
Speaking to Fox Sports after the game, Croker described the win as “one of the best I have had to deal with during my time at the club”.
