It was a successful weekend for the Raiders NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg sides, with both teams recording victories over the Panthers at home.
NSW Cup
The Raiders NSW Cup team locked in an important 22-18 win over the Panthers at GIO Stadium Canberra on Saturday, with finals beginning to approach.
It was a difficult start for the Raiders, with the Panthers opening the scoring off the back of a set restart which saw Chris Smith go over the line in the 14th minute. Kurt Falls converted the try to boost Penrith’s lead to 6-0.
The Raiders replied before the break, with two unanswered tries from Chevy Stewart and Matt Frawley helping to shift the momentum of the game.
Xavier Savage was solid behind the tee, converting both tries to give his side a 12-6 lead at half time.
The Raiders continued to take control of the game in the second half, with five-eighth Ethan Strange scoring in the 45th minute thanks to a line break from second rower Clay Webb. Savage made it three from three, converting to further the Raiders lead to 18-6.
Just three minutes later Webb scored a well-deserved try to cement a victory for the Green Machine. Savage was unsuccessful in converting, with the score locked in at 22-6 by the 50th minute.
Penrith attempted to salvage the game with David Fale and Mavrik Geyer both scoring tries to make it 22-18 with 15 minutes remaining.
After some complacency, the Raiders rallied together and tightened up their defence to put a stop to the Panthers attack, securing a 22-18 victory.
The Raiders will look to make it three wins in a row when they take on the Dragons next week in Wollongong.
Match: Raiders v Panthers
Round 18 -
home Team
Raiders
6th Position
away Team
Panthers
4th Position
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Jersey Flegg
The Raiders Jersey Flegg side were victorious over the Panthers on Saturday, sealing a 14-6 victory after a strong first half performance.
The Raiders have had a rough season so far, and it was clear they wanted to turn things around this week. The Green Machine came out with great intent, applying pressure to the opposition goal line early on.
Second rower Delahia Wigmore put the first points on the board, scoring first for the Raiders off the back of a Penrith line dropout. Keahn Skipps converted the try to give the Raiders a 6-0 lead by the ninth minute.
With the Raiders continuing to apply pressure to their opposition, it was clear the Panthers were struggling to contain this new and improved Canberra outfit with back-to-back set restarts resulting in another Raiders try.
This gained the Raiders some valuable field position with Kane Rushton crossing over the line in the 33rd minute. Skipps was unsuccessful in converting, and the score sat at 10-0.
Just minutes later the Raiders scored again through fullback Skipps, furthering the Raiders lead to 14-0 at the break.
It was a back-and-fourth second half, with both teams defence proving difficult to pierce.
Penrith scored their first try of the game through Timothy Sielaff-Burns in the 63rd minute with Jospeh Nohra converting to make it 14-6.
But it was too little too late as the Raiders took a 14-6 victory at home over the Panthers.
The Raiders will look to carry this momentum into next week when they face the Dragons in Wollongong at Centenary Field.
Match: Raiders v Panthers
Round 18 -
home Team
Raiders
12th Position
away Team
Panthers
3rd Position
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
