By Rachael Price
St George Illawarra Dragons halfback Benji Marshall admits it was physical battle against the Canberra Raiders at GIO Stadium, Canberra on Saturday.
The Red-and-Whites expunged a decade-spanning ‘hoodoo’ against their most recent opposition when they departed the nation’s capital with a 34-16 win.
The New Zealand international is proud to have been part of the landmark win and hopes the victory builds platform for a charge to the Finals.
Click To Watch The Match Highlights From The Win Over The Canberra Raiders!
“It was a tough game; it was really physical out there, their attitude was spot on,” said Marshall.
“It was a really good test for us, there was a lack of field position in that last 20 minutes which was a good learning curve for us.
“The Raiders have a had a pretty tough season but they fought out there; their attitude was inspirational, they were running hard and tackling hard and they were a chance in that game.
“I don’t think Dugan gets fazed by much; he’s a pretty cruisy cat but he really stood up for us out there.
“I think we’ve learnt a lot; we’re running harder, we have a lot of direction in our forwards and we’re keeping the pace.
“I’ve got in trouble in the past for trying too hard, so I’ve been a bit more relaxed and tried to stay composed over the past few games; I think I found the right balance in Canberra.
“We understand that there are still three more games to win if we are to reach the Finals so it’ll be back to the gym on Monday.”