Raiders fend off Tigers to claim minor premiership
Jacob Shteyman |
Wooden spoon favourites at the start of the season, Canberra have snapped a 35-year drought to seal a historic NRL minor premiership.
The Raiders weren’t at their electrifying best at a sold-out GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon but managed to overcome a revved-up Wests Tigers side that had already seen their top-eight hopes evaporate.
For Canberra coach Ricky Stuart, it was vindication for a club of over-achievers under-valued by the Sydney-centric rugby league establishment.
“People, I don’t think, understand how good a football club it is,” he said after lifting the J.J. Giltinan Shield post-match.
“It’s been a season where they’ve been so consistent all year, and getting a team up every week, having that individual up every week, is a great accolade and compliment to those boys.
“It’s a big job, it’s a long season and they’ve done a wonderful job in mentally just having that edge each week.”
Tries to Jed Stuart, Corey Horsburgh, Simi Sasagi and Ethan Strange proved enough for the home side, who eventually ran out 24-10 winners.
Melbourne’s shock 40-10 loss to the Sydney Roosters on Friday night left the Green Machine needing only one win from the final two rounds to seal the minor premiership.
“I thought it was good pressure for the younger players and it’s good pressure for us overall in regards to how we handled it. It wasn’t our best game of football but we got there in the end,” Stuart added.
Canberra were unable to find fifth gear against last year’s wooden spooners, who threatened a nervy finish until Joe Tapine sent Strange through in the dying minutes to score the 13th try of his breakout NRL season.
The Raiders were unable to assert their dominance over the visitors as the two sides went try-for-try in the first half.
Stuart scored the opener after Sunia Turuva missed a swirling Jamal Fogarty bomb, before Jahream Bula and Horsburgh traded four-pointers.
Jeral Skelton pegged a try back for the visitors but Api Koroisau pushed his sideline conversion attempt wide, giving the hosts a 12-10 lead at the break.
Sasagi extended Canberra’s lead after the restart before Strange’s clincher in the 76th minute sealed the result and sent the 23,746-strong crowd into delirium.
The Raiders’ young squad will have little time to celebrate, with the players expected straight back at work on Sunday morning as they prepare for a finals run in which they hope to win the major prize for the first time since 1994.
But Stuart insists there’s no pressure on the team, with the season already a success.
“The mentality is whatever they get out of these final experiences now is just going to be an asset for the next three or four years,” he said.
“What the younger players will get out of this going forward is going to be such a benefit.
“No one thought we were going to be anywhere near the pointy end of the competition. And I understand that … that’s just opinion, and I’m not being disrespectful, but there’s no pressure on us going forward. Whatever happens now over the next five, six weeks is just going to be a great bonus.”
AAP
