Raiders end Broncos’ unbeaten start to NRL season

Jordan Rapana drops the ball over the line in a try-saving tackle from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Photo: Photosport

Canberra has scored an upset 20-14 victory over Brisbane at Lang Park to end the competition leader’s unbeaten start to the season.

In Saturday’s earlier match, Penrith embarrassed Manly in a 44-12 demolition, with Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards crossing for four tries.

The Raiders were hammered 53-12 the previous week by Penrith but were a different team from the start against the Broncos.

This was despite the fact they were without suspended five-eighth Jack Wighton and inspirational prop Joe Tapine, who stayed home awaiting the arrival of his first child.

Raiders winger Jordan Rapana left the field on a medicab in the 77th minute with blood streaming from a gaping wound in his head after being hit with a knee from Broncos prop Martin Taupau, who was put on report, but not before he had played starring role.

The visitors were on fire in attack and defence and stunned the Broncos with an early try to Rapana after a sweeping backline play.

Rapana claimed a second four-pointer in the first half to help the Raiders to a 14-6 lead at the break, while the only joy the Broncos in the opening term was a freakish try in the corner scored by winger Selwyn Cobbo with one hand.

The second-half was pulsating. Brisbane skipper and halfback Adam Reynolds set up Jordan Riki with a grubber kick but his opposite number Jamal Fogarty responded with a perfect bomb for Albert Hopoate to soar and score.

The Broncos kept coming and Reynolds again was instrumental in Jesse Arthars scoring in the corner in the 70th minute, but the Raiders held on for a deserved and character-laden win.

Canberra legend and co-captain Jarrod Croker played his first NRL match since round nine last year and in his 293rd match for the club landed four goals from four attempts.

PENRITH HAMMER MANLY

Edwards reaffirmed his status as one of the NRL’s best fullbacks, crossing four times to help the Panthers dominate Manly at Penrith Stadium.

Billed as the battle of the fullbacks, Edwards had a field day while Tom Trbojevic appeared to be hampered by a hip injury on a horror night for the Sea Eagles.

Nathan Cleary also completely outgunned his State of Origin rival Daly Cherry-Evans, putting Edwards over for all three of his first-half tries before scoring in the shadows of full-time.

But the night belonged to Edwards, who finished with 12 tackles busts, three line-breaks and put a teammate through a gap to put the two-time defending premiers on the attack.

After questions were asked about the Panthers’ attack in the opening month of the season, they have now scored 97 points in the space of nine days.

The Sea Eagles did not help themselves during a first half in which Penrith had 73 per cent of possession, enjoyed 81 per cent of territory and scored 32 points to none.

Edwards’s first try came when Kelma Tualagi was left clutching at thin air trying to make a regulation tackle, allowing the fullback to skip across.

His next came in bizarre fashion, with Brad Parker kicking possession back to the Panthers when he inexplicably volleyed a Cleary kick as it fell to the ground.

From the ensuing set Edwards was able to score, before his third try came in more traditional fashion off the back of a superb Cleary offload.

Edwards won last year’s Clive Churchill Medal but has never earned higher honours at NSW or Australian level.

The Sea Eagles missed 28 tackles in the first half alone, with Jason Saab accounting for six of them as Penrith terrorised Manly down the left on the winger’s return from an ACL rupture.

For all Manly’s woes, Penrith was still sublime.

The home side moved the ball freely on both edges and showed none of the signs of missing two of their best forwards in James Fisher-Harris and Liam Martin.

Stephen Crichton was brilliant, putting Brian To’o over with a bullet pass from dummy half and producing a no-look flick to put the winger into space before Edwards’s fourth.

Another try came when Soni Luke looked to the right and went left out of dummy half to put Scott Sorenson over.

– ABC/AAP