NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 10 CANBERRA RAIDERS 16
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Go Media Stadium, Auckland
CANBERRA clung on for an impressive win in Auckland that takes them above New Zealand Warriors into second place.
The Warriors’ five-game winning streak came to an end while it was also their first home defeat of the year as they let slip an 8-0 advantage in wet conditions.
Jamal Fogarty scored the winning try 16 minutes from time, after which the Raiders defended for their lives in a dramatic finale.
Despite losing Tom Starling to the sin bin, they held on for a first win in New Zealand since 2019.
The Green Machine are on a fine run themselves, with seven wins from their last eight and the only reverse coming to Canterbury – the sole side now above them in the table.
And the gritty nature of this success is further indication of what was first suspected by their round-one win over the same opposition in Las Vegas – that Canberra are capable of going deep this year.
This performance was far from perfect in challenging conditions, but the heart and desire could not be faulted.
They enjoyed the better start but turned down two opportunities to kick for goal and take the lead, instead choosing to run without success.
In contrast when the hosts got on a roll – after a series of infringements both Joseph Tapine and Corey Horsburgh were placed on report – Luke Metcalf nudged them in front from the tee.
The Warriors also scored the first try in the 24th minute. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad broke half the length and then Roger Tuivasa-Sheck somehow muscled into the left corner despite having almost no space.
Metcalf goaled for 8-0 and things were looking even better for them a couple of minutes later when Horsburgh was sent to the sin bin for not releasing from a tackle.
Yet that seemed to spark the Raiders into life as they dominated the remainder of the first half, including a try from Starling – created by an excellent step inside by Sebastian Kris – and conversion from Jamal Fogarty to narrow the gap to two.
That meant when Adam Pompey was caught already in the field as the Warriors took a drop-out with seconds of the half remaining, Fogarty accepted the gift-wrapped penalty to square things up at the break.
Metcalf nudged New Zealand back in front on 50 minutes following a Starling high tackle, but that was cancelled out on the hour by Fogarty after Nicoll-Klokstad stayed in the tackle too long.
The latter penalty came with a ten-minute sit-down and Canberra made good use of the extra man as Fogarty scored the decisive try, taking an offload from Ata Mariota and easily rounding stand-in fullback Te Maire Martin.
The final ten minutes were almost exclusively spent near the Raiders’ line, with penalties and errors inviting the Warriors to attack time and again.
Starling’s sin bin – only awarded when a captain’s challenge of the late tackle backfired as the bunker spotted that it was also high – put them further under the pump.
It looked like that would prove costly when Marata Niukore slid towards the line, but he was heroically repelled by Horsburgh and Morgan Smithies.
GAMESTAR: Joseph Tapine was a rock in the middle for stoic Canberra.
GAMEBREAKER: The effort by Corey Horsburgh and Morgan Smithies to keep out Marata Niukore at the death.
MATCHFACTS
WARRIORS
1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
3 Adam Pompey
22 Ali Leiataua
5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6 Chanel Harris-Tavita
7 Luke Metcalf
10 Bunty Afoa
9 Wayde Egan
12 Marata Niukore
4 Kurt Capewell
11 Leka Halasima
13 Erin Clark
Subs (all used)
8 Jackson Ford
14 Te Maire Martin
15 Jacob Laban
16 Demitric Vaimauga
Tries: Tuivasa-Sheck (24)
Goals: Metcalf 3/3
Sin bin: Nicoll-Klokstad (59) – professional foul
RAIDERS
1 Kaeo Weekes
2 Savelio Tamale
3 Matthew Timoko
4 Sebastian Kris
5 Xavier Savage
6 Ethan Strange
7 Jamal Fogarty
8 Corey Horsburgh
9 Tom Starling
10 Joseph Tapine
11 Simi Sasagi
12 Zac Hosking
13 Morgan Smithies
Subs (all used)
14 Owen Pattie
15 Noah Martin
16 Josh Papalii
17 Ata Mariota
Tries: Starling (32), Fogarty (64)
Goals: Fogarty 4/4
Sin bin: Horsburgh (28) – professional foul, Starling (78) – high tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 8-0, 8-6, 8-8; 10-8, 10-10, 10-16
Rugby Leaguer and League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Jackson Ford; Raiders: Joseph Tapine
Penalty count: 10-7
Half-time: 8-8
Referee: Adam Gee
Attendance: 26,512
