The Toyota Forklift Raiders have won their first game of the season against the Cronulla Sharks 24-20 at GIO Stadium Canberra on Sunday night.
The Raiders have got their season off to a winning start, clenching the victory against the Sharks sending them back to the shire.
In their first two points of the season, a double from Corey Horsburgh led the side to an inspiring performance in front of the 14,134 strong green army in Canberra.
Both sides started off with intent, trading set for set in search of a chance to capitalise on the other team’s errors.
In the opening minutes, a darting run from Danny Levi out of dummy half was met with a fierce collision to the head forcing him to leave the field with Tom Starling replacing him at hooker.
After a good kick return from William Kennedy, the Sharks moved the ball from sideline to sideline in search of valuable metres.
Moving the ball well, the Sharks had a chance to score down the right edge but a try saving tackle by Albert Hopoate on Sione Katoa had the green army roaring in support of the home team.
However it was the left edge that fired first for the Sharks as a cut-out ball to Ronaldo Mulitalo forced a misread from James Schiller breaking the line and feeding the ball to Kennedy, scoring under the posts.
Some ill-discipline from the Raiders allowed the Sharks to gain field position, but a poor kick from Braydon Trindall allowed the Raiders a set in front the Sharks goal line.
In a probing effort, Jack Wighton played a pin-point ball to winger Hopoate to open the scoring for the Raiders.
It was an acrobatic effort from Hopoate who successfully evaded Katoa and later converted by Jamal Fogarty to tie the game at 6-6.
A hard-hitting tackle from a kick chase by Sebastian Kris inspired the side to get back into the tussle and fight for the lead.
Substitutes Corey Horsbrugh and Pasami Saulo provided much needed spark, making a combined 12 runs for 108 metres in their 17 minutes on the field in the first half.
Some good kicking from Jack Wighton helped pin the Sharks into the corner maximising the raiders chances of a scoring opportunity.
Complacency crept in for the Sharks giving away cheap penalties to enable Raiders more possession in the attacking half.
After probing the line on multiple occasions, a Corey Horsburgh crash play handed the Raiders the lead for the first time in the match.
Spinning out of the tackle to cross the line for just his third ever NRL try.
Shortly later a quick play the ball from the Sharks allowed Kennedy and Mulitalo to combine once again as Mulitalo scored his first try for the night from a grubber kick into the in goal.
A contest from a high ball was dropped by Kris, giving the Sharks a chance to score before half time.
However, two big defensive sets on their own try line secured the Raiders’ two-point lead going into the sheds at the break.
Within the first five minutes of the second half, the Raiders came out with a bang scoring on the right edge all thanks to a valiant effort from centre Matt Timoko.
Timoko proved that he is not to be messed with as he shoved off two Sharks players to make it to the line and increase their lead by eight points against the Sharks.
The Sharks woes compiled, coughing up the ball twice in their first three sets of the half.
Timoko reached a new gear in the second half, making a line break and offloading to Hudson Young getting the Raiders ever so close to scoring.
Tom Starling remained composed and saw a raging Horsburgh who had eyes for the line, crossing over for his second time of the night, and just his fourth career try.
The Sharks seemed all out at sea, as forward Royce Hunt was sin-binned in the 52nd minute for a scrap in back play with Horsburgh earlier in the set.
After finally settling into the half and completing sets of six, Jesse Ramien crossed over to score in his 100th NRL game.
A miskick from Siosifa Talakai, ensured the scores remained at 24-14 with just over 20 minutes to play.
Coming out of their end on numerous occasions, Trindall found the touchline 10 metres out from the Raiders goal-line to secure a 40-20 to the away side.
A high risk high reward play from Matt Timoko to escape a Sharks onset in his own goal line, saved an almost inevitable goal-line drop out.
As the sides battled it out, the Sharks targeted the Raiders left edge again with Nikora going over to score making it 24-20 in the final nine minutes.
A late penalty to the Raiders in the dying embers, allowed the team to set the pace and have the ball in hand awaiting the final siren.
Strong runs from Corey Harawira-Naera who played his 50th game for the Raiders, helped the side gain valuable field position heading into the final minute.
A last-ditch grubber by Trindall that was swept on by a diving Young secured the victory for the Raiders winning 24-20.
