Wests Tigers have been defeated 60-6 by the Canberra Raiders tonight at GIO Stadium in Round 8 of the Telstra Premiership.
After receiving consecutive penalties in the opening stages of the match, the Raiders drew first blood with second rower Elliot Whitehead barging over on the right edge.
Jarrod Croker converted his first attempt of the day, giving his side a 6-0 lead after just five minutes of play.
On the back of another penalty, Canberra marched their way back up field and Shannon Boyd crashed over under the posts to extend the home side’s lead.
Croker once again made the easy conversion to give his side a 12-0 lead after 11 minutes.
Wests Tigers struck back in the 16th minute with Luke Brooks throwing a great short pass to his co-captain Chris Lawrence who found his way through the defensive line to score.
Jordan Rankin slotted the conversion to narrow the gap to a converted try, with the Raiders leading 12-6 after 17 minutes.
Kyle Lovett came close to scoring in the 21st minute with a strong carry over the line, only for the NRL Bunker to rule that he was held-up.
After a chance went begging for Wests Tigers up the other end of the field, Canberra winger Jordan Rapana barged his way over in the right corner on a blindside play in the 25th minute.
Croker converted Rapana’s try from the sideline and the Canberra Raiders held a two-try advantage at 18-6.
The Raiders were denied a try by the NRL Bunker just before half-time, with Croker impeding defenders trying to tackle Jack Wighton as he attempted to ground the ball.
Despite the no try ruling, Canberra managed to score a 70-metre try in what would have been the last set of the half as Josh Hodgson split the defence and found Joseph Leilua who gave Rapana a clear run for his second of the night.
Croker missed the conversion from touch, however the Raiders went into the sheds with a commanding 22-6 lead.
Canberra were first to open the scoring in the second stanza, with Croker pouncing on a grubber from Wighton and converting his own try from the sideline to extend his side’s lead to 28-6 after 45 minutes.
Prop forward Paul Vaughan crashed over next to the posts soon after, with Croker’s conversion making it 34-6 after 48 minutes.
An unfortunate bounce of the ball saw the Raiders go in again through Joseph Leilua, who had the ball ricochet into his hands from a Hodgson grubber in the 53rd minute.
Croker converted the try as Canberra raced out to a 40-6 lead.
Rapana scored his third try of the match in the 60th minute off the back of backline shift, with Croker missing the conversion and the score remaining at 44-6.
Aiden Sezer finished a line-break from Edrick Lee in the 64th minute of play, with Croker adding the extras to make it 50-6.
Rapana crossed for his fourth try of the game in the 69th minute, further extending the Canberra Raiders lead out to 54-6.
Rapana set-up the next try for Leilua from a grubber, with the centre crossing for his second try of the night and Croker converted for a 60-6 lead after 74 minutes.
Kevin Naiqama left the field in the 74th minute with an arm injury with a further update on his condition still to come.
The score remained at 60-6 as the full-time whistle blew, with Wests Tigers due to face South Sydney on Thursday night at ANZ Stadium.
Raiders 60 (Rapana 4, Leilua 2, Whitehead, Boyd, Croker, Vaughan, Sezer tries; Croker 8/11 goals) defeated Wests Tigers 6 (Lawrence try; Rankin 1/1 goal)
