CANBERRA RAIDERS 34 SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 24
CALLUM WALKER, GIO Stadium, Saturday

CANBERRA survived a Rabbitohs scare to keep their finals hopes alive.

The gap between the Raiders and the top eight is now just four points, and the Green Machine were well deserving of their win in the capital – even if they had to fend off a second-half onslaught from Souths.

Owen Pattie crossed after just three minutes to send the Raiders on their way before Hudson Young extended the hosts’ lead to 10-0 moments later.

Ashton Ward did respond for the Rabbitohs shortly after, but Canberra were in red-hot form in the first 40 minutes as Kaeo Weekes grabbed his first around the midway point in the first half.

Noah Martin registered his own four-pointer to inflate the scoreline to 22-6, with Weekes notching his second just before the half-hour to send the Raiders into a 28-6 half-time lead.

Whatever Souths boss Wayne Bennett said at half-time certainly worked as Alex Johnson and Cameron Murray crossed within three minutes of each other to reduce the deficit to just ten with half an hour to go.

Jed Stuart eased some of the Raiders’ worries on the hour, but Cody Walker made it 34-24 with 15 minutes to go.

It was too big a gap for the visitors, however, and Canberra made it home, although a suspected Achilles rupture for key forward Young took some gloss off the result.

RAIDERS: 1 Kaeo Weekes, 2 Jed Stuart, 3 Simi Sasagi, 4 Matthew Timoko, 5 Xavier Savage, 6 Ethan Strange, 7 Ethan Sanders, 10 Joseph Tapine, 9 Owen Pattie, 15 Ata Mariota, 11 Hudson Young, 12 Noah Martin, 13 Zac Hosking. Subs: 8 Corey Horsburgh, 14 Tom Starling, 16 Josh Papalii, 17 Daine Laurie, 18 Savelio Tamale (not used), 19 Morgan Smithies (not used)

Tries: Pattie (3), Young (10), Weekes (20, 28), Martin (24), Stuart (58); Goals: Sanders 5/6

RABBITOHS: 1 Matt Dufty, 2 Alex Johnston, 3 Tallis Duncan, 4 Jack Wighton, 5 Campbell Graham, 6 Cody Walker, 7 Ashton Ward, 8 Tevita Tatola, 9 Brandon Smith, 10 Keaon Koloamatangi, 11 David Fifita, 12 Euan Aitken, 13 Cameron Murray. Subs: 14 Jye Gray (not used), 15 Lachlan Hubner, 16 Liam Le Blanc (not used), 17 Jamie Humphreys, 18 Latrell Siegwalt (not used), 20 John Radel

Tries: Ward (15), Johnston (47), Murray (50), Walker (66); Goals: Ward 4/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 10-6, 16-6, 22-6, 28-6; 28-12, 28-18, 34-18, 34-24

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Raiders: Ethan Sanders; Rabbitohs: Cameron Murray

Penalty count: 4-3; Half-time: 28-6; Referee: Wyatt Raymond; Attendance: 19,659