Topic: Raiders smash Titans 56-16 in NRL

Archie

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Raiders smash Titans 56-16 in NRL
« on: May 09, 2015, 05:19:35 PM »
Canberra have broken through for their first home win of the NRL season, smashing Gold Coast 56-16.

The Raiders had lost all three previous matches at GIO Stadium, something they hadn't managed to do since 1982 in the club's first year in the premiership.

But, led by their red-hot five-eighth Blake Austin, Ricky Stuart's men avoided such unwanted history with a dominant performance against a Titans outfit missing suspended star Greg Bird.

Austin and skipper Jarrod Croker scored two tries each, with Paul Vaughan, Jordan Rapana, Josh Papalii, Sia Soliola, Edrick Lee and Sam Williams also crossing over for the Raiders' third win on the trot.

Anthony Don was the Titans' only try-scorer with a hat-trick.

Croker's double takes his career tally to 73, making him the club's fifth-leading try-scorer of all time - overtaking Noa Nadruku.

Austin, fresh from scoring a hat-trick in last week's City-Country clash, opened the Raiders' account with a one-man try in the sixth minute.

With a clever goosestep the No.6 fooled big man Dave Taylor and strolled over the line unaided.

But an Austin mistake on the next set proved costly, his poor pass leading to an Anthony Don try on the left-hand edge from a perfectly-weighted kick by Aiden Sezer.

In-form prop Paul Vaughan bit back with a barnstorming four-pointer of his own in the 18th minute, the conversion giving the Raiders a 12-4 lead.

Back-to-back converted tries to skipper Jarrod Croker and Jordan Rapana blew that out to 24-4.

It was Rapana's 11th try in 15 games and came the day after signing a new two-year deal.

Despite dominating the half, the Raiders let Don through for his second of the afternoon just thirty seconds before the break.

Don added a career-first third early in the second half to close the gap to just eight points.

But it was Austin, yet again, who saved the day with more light footwork to bring up his double in the 52nd minute.

It all went the Raiders way after that, Croker nabbing his second and Papalii, Soliola, Lee and Williams adding the others over the final 25 minutes.

More: http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8985679