Source : the age
This will be the first time the Roosters have held the Raiders scoreless in a game, if they can hold on for the final few minutes. It’s been a few years since the Chooks have held anyone scoreless, so Trent Robinson is going to be very chuffed with their defensive effort tonight.
And they’re the team attacking in the final minutes, a Sam Walkker chip trapping Jed Stuart in goal – although James Tedesco is penalised for coming in late to help shove the winger past the tryline.
So Canberra kick for touch and get into the Roosters’ half, but their energy is just about gone now and they’re not looking too enthusiastic about producing a miracle attacking play.
And there goes the full-time whistle, and it’s a shutout. The Chooks have battled a tough team in tough conditions – it’s about 4 degrees in Canberra at the moment – and come away with a very convincing win.
Full-time: Roosters beat Raiders 26-0
It’s been a bit of a grind, this second half, especially the closer the game has got to full-time with the Raiders clearly out of the contest. Now there’s a spark from the Roosters as some nice passing from James Tedesco and Hugo Savala unleashes Billy Smith down the left. But the winger gets to the line but loses the ball as he attempts to touch down while being tackled by Kaeo Weekes. It’s no try.
Roosters 26, Raiders 0 with six minutes left
Naufahu Whyte has been excellent up front for the Roosters tonight, leading the pack for run metres in the first half, and he’s busting tackles for fun now, carrying Matthew Timoko over the line for a rare try.
But wait – the bunker has intervened and spotted a Siua Wong obstruction just before Whyte scored so the try is disallowed.
Trent Robinson has his head in his hands in the coaches box but it’s hardly going to affect the result from here.
Roosters 26, Raiders 0 with 16 minutes left
The Raiders get their best chance of points with a good set inside the Roosters’ 20 metres, but the Chooks don’t give anything away in defence and finish the set with Robert Toia carrying Kaeo Weekes over the sideline with a bulldozing tackle.
Roosters 26, Raiders 0 with 21 minutes left
No signs of a Canberra fightback just yet, with the Roosters sending it wide from an attacking scrum after a Xavier Savage error and Mark Nawaqanitawase doing what he does best once again, stepping past his opposite winger to plant down his third try of the night. The Tricolours are loving having him back tonight, and he’s showing no signs of the ankle injury that has kept him out for five weeks following surgery.
Roosters 26, Raiders 0 with 29 minutes left
The Roosters aren’t slowing down yet, Mark Nawaqanitawase sending Robert Toia on a long-range line break down the right. Sam Walker chips a kick over the top on the next play, and Xavier Savage has to take the ball dead.
It’s another goal-line dropout, and another attacking set for the Tricolours. But Canberra defend this one well, and the set ends when Daly Cherry-Evans is trapped with the ball on the last, about five metres from the Raiders’ line.
Roosters 22, Raiders 0 with 34 minutes left
And we’re back for the second half, with the Raiders having it all to do against a red-hot Roosters side.
The Green Machine get first use of the ball and Ethan Sanders puts up a kick on the last, near the halfway line, which James Tedesco oddly tries to trap with his foot – but the ball spirals forward and to the left, with the Raiders regaining possession.
It’s a rare attacking chance for Canberra but they can’t get the most out of it, Sanders’ last-tackle grubber blocked and pounced on by Reece Robson.
Roosters 22, Raiders 0 with 37 minutes left
The first half peters out with a series of errors from both sides but the Roosters will be very happy with that 40 minutes. We’ve seen 20-point leads erased in the second half of games frequently in the six-again era, but when the Roosters look on their game like they do tonight they rarely let the contest slip away.
Halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Sam Walker have both been excellent, Mark Nawaqanitawase has been superb on the right wing and has two tries already, Hugo Savala and Billy Smith have been great on the left, and prop Naufahu Whyte already has more than 100 run metres in this game.
Roosters 22, Raiders 0 at half-time
The Roosters are really toying with the Canberra back three now. Daly Cherry-Evans has been kicking early repeatedly and this time he drills a 40-20 kick behind Jed Stuart and Kaeo Weekes is nowhere near it when it goes over the sideline.
And the Chooks make the Raiders pay for it quickly, Sam Walker stepping off his left to beat one defender then standing in a tackle before calmly offloading to Reece Robson, who powers over for a try.
It’s been a dream half for the Roosters and a nightmare 40 minutes for Canberra.
Roosters 22, Raiders 0 after 36 minutes
