Canberra has survived a huge Cronulla comeback and a last second Bunker call to record a win in their opening game of 2022.
Matt Ikavalu was denied by Brad Schneider, in just his second game, with a little help from the TV adjudication.
The Sharks wing was all set for the corner before halfback Schneider managed to get underneath the ball and hold him up. The Bunker was called in, but with the decision sent up as No Try, there was insufficient evidence to overturn.
It came as a relief for Canberra, who threw away an 18-6 halftime lead to train 19-18 before Jack Wighton, in his 200th game for the club, turned the game in the Raiders’ favour by creating the winning try for Hudson Young.
Coach Ricky Stuart paid an emotional tribute to his captain before the game, fighting back tears as he called Wighton “a fighter”.
“We mentioned it yesterday, over his last 50 games he’s won a Dally M and Clive Churchill. Unfortunately (he was) unlucky in a grand final, so he’s done a lot,” Stuart said in a pre-match chat with Michael Ennis.
“He’s had some lows too. He’s been dropped out of the Australian team, or rep teams, or he’s bounced his way back in. One thing is, he’s a fighter and he’s got all their backs out there as they’ve got his.”
The home side started brightly and forced four repeat sets and Semi Valemei had their first chance but lost the ball reaching for the line.
Jack Wighton got things going on nine minutes, starting a break with a beautiful pickup and effecting a one-two with Nick Cotric to score.
The rampant Raiders surged to 12-0 in the 17th minute with powerful Corey Harawira-Naera bouncing off defenders and flicking a pass for Valemei to lunge and find the line.
The Sharks got on the board as hooker Blayke Brailey dummied following a scrum win and broke through the Raiders line.
Canberra ran for 400 more meters in the first half and controlled the contest with 65% possession, but only found the points their dominance merited on the stroke of halftime when a Tom Starling grubber bounced for the sharp hands of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to restore the 12-point advantage.
Desperately needing to lift, the Sharks looked energized to start the second and were denied a Siona Katoa try by a Cotric strip, but Will Kennedy would score on 50 minutes for 18-12.
And they were level three minutes later, Teig Wilton the beneficiary of a delightful ball from star recruit Nicho Hynes, who then slotted the conversion from the sideline.
Cronulla controlled the second half with Hynes instrumental but couldn’t make their dominance count, with a number of errors in attacking positions costing them the win.
The Raiders’ injury hit start to 2022 took another turn for the worse as starting hooker Josh Hodgson limped out of their season opener against the Cronulla Sharks.
Hodgson went down in just the sixth minute of the game and was immediately removed with what appeared to be a knee injury.
“He won’t be back,” said Matt Russell on the Fox League call. “He was clutching the outside of his right knee.”
Hodgson has suffered from severe knee problems in the past, having blown his ACL in both knees, one in 2018 and the other in 2020.
Footage from the sheds showed physios checking Hodgson’s ACL directly after he was taken off, though by half-time the England international appeared to be in better spirits. Fox League later confirmed that it was not an ACL.
Canberra has already lost new recruit Jamal Fogarty from their spine after the former Gold Coast Titans halfback suffered a knee injury in the club’s trial game with Manly.
© AAP
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