Canberra rode their luck to just do enough to put away the Wests Tigers 22-18 at GIO Stadium on Sunday afternoon but the Green Machine still needs to go up another couple of gears to prove their title credentials.
Beating the team coming last is never going to prove you can mix it with the big guns but even though they are fifth heading into the final month of the season, only the most green-eyed Raiders fan thinks this team can do damage in the playoffs.
Their task of cracking a top-four berth will be made harder with Seb Kris, one of their most impactful players in 2023, limping off with a hamstring injury.
The luckless Wests Tigers can feel hard done by after a crucial try to Kris in the 46th minute came via a pass that Billy Slater described in Nine commentary as “a metre and a half forward” with Jack Wighton and Hudson Young rushing the ball wide.
Such is their poor for-and-against record (the only team with a negative differential among the top 10) Canberra’s hopes of snaring a top-four spot hinge on next Sunday’s trip to AAMI Park where they could leapfrog the Storm, but they won’t go close if they perform like they did against the Tigers.
Sheens shirty over refereeing performance
Tigers coach Tim Sheens was rightfully annoyed at the way the Raiders got the rub of the green when it came to contentious calls from the match officials.
He thought there was a forward pass in the lead-up to the first try and could not comprehend how Kris’ four-pointer was allowed.
“I was pretty disappointed with a few of the decisions. I’ve got to congratulate Rick for coaching a side that didn’t give away one extra set of six, according to our statistician, so very good coaching,” he said in a sly jab at the officials via his former premiership-winning protege Ricky Stuart.
“That first try, the lead-up pass, I was pretty unhappy with that. That’s something I’ll take up with the referees, which I do every week.
“The ball bounced their way tonight and we had the opportunity to win it and didn’t right up to that last set.”
Sheens said they’ve had “one of two major hiccups” but they’re competing most weeks and improving as the season has worn on.
Stuart as sad as a winning coach can get
Ricky Stuart looked like the coach of a team that had just copped a flogging when he fronted up to the media after the game.
“Our biggest enemy is us. You’re not going to get to your standard when you’re four out of 10, that’s what our completion rate was,” he said, although it could also be their marks for their performance.
“The opportunity that was there for us, we just didn’t nail the execution.”
Stuart found a silver lining in the fact their defence was fairly strong despite Kris, Elliott Whitehead (head knock) and Nick Cotric failing to finish the game.
“That’s the only thing that got us over the line tonight, our toughness,” he added. “We played some really dumb footy in the second half where we could have shut down that game a lot sooner than what we did.”
Bombed tries outnumber four-pointers
The first 20 minutes is supposed to be the traditional softening-up period in rugby league.
But the first quarter of the match in Canberra was a stuffing-up period with both teams blowing golden scoring opportunities.
Canberra centre Matt Timoko was first to make the lowlights reel with a dud pass with the line beckoning and then teammate Albert Hopoate fumbled over the line in a tackle from Jahream Bula.
The Tigers fullback returned serve when he botched one of his own when he made a blatant double movement off a high kick and Wighton made a mess of a pass to Hopoate which went over his hands into touch when the first try looked like finally happening.
“For a player of his calibre, that’s a poor pass,” said Fox League analyst Cooper Cronk.
Wests winger Charlie Staines continued the comedy of errors when he won the race to a Luke Brooks kick but ended up kneeing it over the dead-ball line.
Joseph Tapine. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
Raiders hold off tenacious Tigers
It took an ounce of luck in the 26th minute the scoreboard attendant to make a move.
A Wighton kick bounced away from Bula and David Nofoaluma for Kris to break the drought in the 25th minute.
Young touched down and could have had another one but Kris opted not to pass inside to him on a break, putting in a wobbly kick ahead instead which bounced over the sideline.
Just when you thought putting points was beyond them, the Tigers produced a pearler.
Nofoaluma plucked an intercept close to his line and when the cover defence caught up to him, the veteran winger flung a spiral pass infield to Brooks who found Staines speeding to the opposite corner post.
The 10-6 half-time advantage became a 10-point lead for the Raiders when Kris criss-crossed past four defenders on a long-range run after collecting the dubious Wighton pass, which Young appeared to brush even further forward, on the bounce.
His eventful match ended early soon after when he limped off with a hamstring injury.
Nofoaluma notched his 100th try for the Wests Tigers midway through the second stanza when a Brooks bomb was batted back and Koroisau kicked cleverly for his unmarked winger.
Timoko made it 22-12 but again the Tigers clawed their way back into the contest when Brooks sped onto a Koroisau grubber to cut the gap to four heading into the final 10 minutes.
But their last-ditch attacking forays kept falling short due to pushed passes and poor handling, and the Raiders hung on to record the ugliest of wins in the national capital.
The Tigers’ luck could be summed up by a desperation last-minute play – a cross-kick from Brooks bounced unfavourably for Nofoaluma, who was then smashed into touch by Wighton after he had to wait to regather it.
Wests then got a penalty and launched a couple more Hail Mary kicks on their bonus play after the siren but Canberra scrambled from one side of the field to the other to snuff them out.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Excellent research and enjoyed the article. And jeepers, the NRL do nothing!!
wilbas
Roar Rookie
Our problem was salary cap problem where we had back end contracts and the bulldogs should be two years behind us...but they will rort the cap and have a competitive side next year... we defended good...first try was lucky bounce...second try was bad defense but followed a sure forward pass in the play before and then the horrible knock on from Wighton...we missed winning by an inch.. the restarts are farcical..i used to know by instinct after watching football for over 55 years that it was last tackle...I have to look at the bottom of the screen now and that horrible sound...
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
You serious? Kris showed on Sunday how effective he is at centre. He's not a ball player or a kicker. He is a physically strong and fast centre. Kris and Timoko in the centres is a formidable pairing. The Raiders have to find a full back and a 5/8. I thought Xavier Savage was going to be the full back but Ricky gave him no support. Can't imagine it did a lot for his confidence.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I think the shift left is Jack's favorite move. He is a naturally left sided player/kicker. Rarely shifts to the right. The Raiders were doing so much better a few weeks ago when Fogarty was doing more of the kicking. At least the Raiders were trying a lot more in attack against the Tigers. It just wasn't quite coming off due to Jack's poor execution on far too many occasions. We are sort of stuck as we depend so much on Jack due to Ricky insisting on making him our marquee player. Hence we have cop the mostly cr@.p with the sometimes good. Will be interesting to what happens when he goes. As soon as Kris replaced Jarrod Croker and at centre there was a massive difference and I suspect something similar if we find someone decent to replace Jack. Had a look at the The Greenhouse Raiders supporters fan site voting for Canberra NRL player of the year for 2023 and Jack has only scored 1 vote from all the 3-2-1 votes cast up until round 23. One measly vote for a guy on 900K. Says it all really. He ain't worth what we are paying him. Thank God we weren't locked in for another 4 years. Jack did us a favor.
Ian_
Roar Rookie
Well, you could always have Jack Wighton who's been error prone for about the same time. Even in his golden period (2019 in particular) he was always good for a howler per game, at least.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
But to your point, 'The 6 again has become farcical '.. 2 is farcial ? Your side lost thru abysmal defence in crucial zones and moments. A second consecutive spoon is no coincidence. Cut it out with the ref blaming.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
All good Albo. The guy has frustrated many. One of my favourite stats is that Luke Brooks is the first player in history to play 200 games, without a single finals appearance. That is insane! But I guess that is as much an indictment on the Tigers as it is on Brooks himself. I truly hope he can break his finals duck egg once he joins Manly. The guy certainly has talent, and alongside DCE, where he can play a support role, I think he could go ok.
Randy
Roar Rookie
can't say I will miss Wighton. Just so rocks or diamonds, this year he has been mostly rocks despite our ladder position. He should have had another error to his name with that forward pass that led to a try, happy for Kris though who had some work to do to get to the try line. I think a lot of blame for Wighton's "dumbness" has to go to Ricky though who has made him do far too much kicking and predictable left side plays all the time.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Fair enough ! I might be a bit harsh on Brooks in this instance. He has just frustrated me now for 10 years ! I think I might need some help ! :silly:
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Not knocking Api's kick, it was inch perfect but the degree of difficulty was significantly lower. Zero pressure from the D, jog in, right foot to a wide open winger. Brooks had to step a defender, outpace 2 more then kick on his left foot, 20m further away than Api, and at pace. Nofoaluma hesitated, he could have got it on the full, but was too slow, and then fluffed the pick up on the bounce.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
Trouble with these officials is they don't trust their own eyes..and because they are all put through the 'Bill Harrigan template' school of refereeing they want to hide the decision making to an unseen person called the bunker...show who the hell is making the decisions...Is the bunker in the Rupert Murdoch family home?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Maybe he'll do a Shaun Johnson and excel at a new club. Nice to hear your impressions on the mighty Eagle to be. It will be an interesting couple of years to see how the Fainus go as well. I thought they were the future of the club but they are going to the Tigers and they are a club which is likely to have some good years sooner than later I suspect.
Albo
Roar Rookie
His execution was wrong, once more. He should have kicked it into Nofoaluma's hands, just like Api did 10 minutes earlier. Bouncing the ball short of him, left it open to the chance of a wicked bounce, which is exactly what occurred. Chance of a win missed.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
The one that went to ground can be ruled as a knock on...or another?
wilbas
Roar Rookie
So Tigers had 58% of field position and 52% of possession and did not have one restart..That is bizarre since they have been giving them out like rainbow flags at a preschool fete.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
When he gets to souths the problem will be who corrupts who...Jack or Mitchell.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
Just keep waiting for the offshore breeze for nth avalon cause there is plenty of wind coming from someone north of the harbour bridge known well for buying premierships...Like Kevin Arthurson saying in FIBRO'S and silvertails....'If we bought Hartley the referee he would not have gave Cronulla a penalty right on fulltime to draw the grandfinal'....logical if you did not know Kevin Arthurson was running an illegal gambling house on Pittwater Rd Brookvale....so he took all bets win for Manly and Cronulla plus the ARL which he run got a full house the following week for the grand final replay...Yeah Kev....good bloke.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Yep, near inch perfect. Exactly where you want the ball to land in those circumstances. That missed try is all on Nofoaluma.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
His short kicking game is shite...even in that game yesterday the last kick after the corner kick to Nofo had to be over the line..he forgot it did not matter if Canberra caght it in goal because game was over so the bomb should have dropped on or over the line but it landed 8 metres short of the line and was knock back fortunately.but for no cigar.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
As a Tigers supporter that was his best game for the tigers I have seen...He has played in a dinner suit for ten years but right from the first ball he received he took the line on which is what tigers supporters have been critical of him...He is durable and very fast if he makes a break...Tends to drop in tackles with little contact which is frustrating as they thought he could be a Johns type model player...His short kicking game is rushed and needs refining and also his midfield bombs are a little long..Give him a winning pack and we may see the real player....his passing is efficient and long kick is good...one on one tackling under the ball is exellent..He struggles high with taller players.and that was his greatest weakness when he came to grade...