
The Dragons stormed home to erase a 14-point half-time deficit and notch a 36-28 win over the Raiders at Seiffert Oval on Sunday afternoon.
It marks Willie Talau’s squad’s fifth win on the trot as they look to entrench themselves in the Top 4 at the midway point of the season.
Match: Raiders v Dragons
Round 12 -
home Team
Raiders
7th Position
away Team
Dragons
2nd Position
Venue: Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan
Canberra drew first blood through Manaia Waitere who proved too quick for the Dragons’ right edge as he dove over to make it 6-0.
The hosts’ hot start continued moments later with a failed kick defusal laying the platform for Jordan Martin to power his way over under the sticks and grow the lead out to a dozen 10 minutes into the contest.
The Dragons were able to march downfield soon after to earn their first attacking chance with Connor Muhleisen sending Hame Sele over next to the ruck in somewhat innocuous fashion for the visitors’ first points.
Sele caught Canberra’s corresponding kick-off with his foot behind the dead-ball line to put his side right back on the attack and they were able to find their second of the afternoon off it.
Lachlan Ilias sent a perfectly looping cut-out the way of Sione Finau who bumped away from the cover to fall over in the right-hand corner and bring it back to 12-10.
Ilias came up with a near-identical cut-out to Ben Rumble on the opposite flank the next set, but the Dragons winger was tackled touch in-goal as the squad remained in search of their third try.
A hounding Jonah Glover kick chase forced an error soon after, but Rumble was again denied in the left corner off it courtesy of some strong Canberra cover.
Finau saved a try down the other end of the field soon after with Michael Asomua looking to add to the hosts’ lead only to have the ball dislodged in his grounding attempt.
The Raiders went further ahead moments later with Chevy Stewart scoring off his own grubber after an Ethan Sanders break put them on the attack.
Sanders powered his way over to come up with another for the hosts prior to the break as their lead grew out to 14.
The Dragons needed to score first on the other side of the intermission and did so with Ilias sending Cody Ramsey into space with a perfectly orchestrated inside ball down a narrow short side.
Ramsey had work to do but, with the help of the gravity created by his supporting teammates, sped past his opposite to score behind the uprights and cut the deficit back to 24-16.
The Dragons inched closer soon after with Ramsey and Ilias again linking up – this time off a deft Glover kick.
Ramsey went aerial to swallow Glover’s cross-field chip and found his halfback with a well-timed pass to cut the deficit down to two.
Pasami Saulo was placed on report the following set for a dangerous tackle on Muhleisen which saw the Red V storm straight back onto the attack.
The visitors made it three tries in the space of 14 minutes with Michael Molo nabbing a deserved four-pointer powering his way over down the left-hand corridor to give his side their first lead of the afternoon.
Glover nailed the conversion to make it 28-24 entering the final quarter of the match.
The Dragons pushed further ahead soon after off the back of a repeat set off the boot of Glover.
Just metres out from the stripe, Jett Liu produced a brilliant, late offload to Haele Finau who moved the ball on to a hard-running Muhleisen to score his first try of the season and make it a double-digit game.
Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Highlights: Round 12 v Raiders
Muhleisen’s strong afternoon continued the following set with the Dragons No.9 – who had shifted into a running middle forward role – shooting into the backfield before being dragged down short of the line.
The visitors edged further ahead soon after with Glover knocking over a penalty goal to make it 36-24 with five minutes to play.
Ethan Alaia went over for Canberra with two minutes on the clock to keep their hopes alive by the barest of margins only for the subsequent conversion to go wide.
Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Magpies junior Charlie Heidke was inserted into the action in the final stages for his first taste at Knock-On Effect NSW Cup level as the Red V held on for their fifth win in a row.