The Canberra Raiders have defeated the West Tigers at Campbelltown Stadium 14-6 to give Coach Ricky Stuart the win in his 400th game as an NRL coach.
It was a gutsy performance from both sides with almost equal possession and high completion rates but it was the Raiders that managed to steal the win in a vengeful second half.
In the opening half, it was an impressive defensive display from the West Tigers that kept the Raiders scoreless, but a stubborn Raiders side weren’t letting points get away from them.
Curtis Scott couldn’t quite get his hands on the kick from Josh Reynolds and Luke Brooks made him pay, picking up the loose ball and cruising over the try line in the 16th minute, in what was the only points scored in the first half.
A kick from George Williams almost had the Raiders on the scoreboard after the referee sent it upstairs for a review on an obstruction on Curtis Scott but was ruled a no-try.
In the second half of the match, the Raiders came in firing. Jack Wighton finally put Raiders in the game in the 49th minute bagging his 50th NRL career try.
Russell Packer was sent marching to the sin bin which left a costly hole in Tigers goal-line defence. A perfectly timed kick from George Williams saw Nick Cotric flying over the try line and a successful conversion from Jarrod Croker put the score at 4-12 to the Raiders.
Ryan Sutton put a late tackle on Josh Reynolds 10-out from the goal line, handing the Tigers the opportunity for a penalty goal putting Tigers only six-points behind the Raiders.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, Jordan Rapana was sent for a HIA following a head knock with Jack Wighton in the tackle.
Russel Packer returned from the bin but it wasn't long until he was put on report for a nasty tackle on Joseph Tapine. The Raiders opted to take the kick 8-point lead. Tapine was later sent for a HIA.
An unlucky forward pass from Williams to Cotric meant a no-try call from the refs, leaving the Tigers clutching on at the chance of a late comeback.
The Tigers had another shot a comeback after a successful captain's challenge late in the game, ruling a Raider's knock-on but it was but a knock-on from Brooks in the final minute that gave Raiders the win.
Both teams joined forces at the finish to take a knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
