Jack Harbidge reviews the final game of Indigenous Round – Canberra against Parramatta at GIO Stadium…
MATCHDAY RESULTS
SCOREBOARD
Canberra Raiders 20
Tries: Sebastian Kris (8, 35), Elliot Whitehead (20)
Goals: Jamal Fogarty 4 (9, 22, 36, 43)
Parramatta Eels 28
Tries: Will Penisini (11), Dylan Brown (16, 65), Bailey Simonsson (27, 53)
Goals: Mitchell Moses 4 (13, 18, 55, 67)
MATCH REPORT
Embed from Getty Images1st Half
The first half saw hosts the Canberra Raiders get off to their characteristically fast start with Sebastian Kris pouncing on the end of a loose high ball in the Parramatta end zone. The early 6-0 lead didn’t last long, however, with Bailey Simonsson and Will Penisini combining with the help of a Adam Elliot tip on for Penisini to cross under the sticks. Mitchell Moses levelled the score with the following conversion, before Parramatta took the lead for a first time just over five minutes later with Dylan Brown shrugging off a defensive effort from Josh Papalii to slight-foot his way over the try line.
Canberra answered swiftly though, and with Jordan Rapana getting within millimetres of the tryline off the back of good shape down the Raiders’ left edge, Elliot Whitehead finished the set off with a dive over from the base of the ruck. The enthralling contest continued to deliver with Parramatta scoring to take the lead once again; with Moses missing his conversion it looked as though the visitors would go into half time 16-12 in the lead. An unforced error from captain Clint Gutherson all but gifted the Raiders a try and consequently the lead, with Kris pouncing on the error to score uncontested.
HALF-TIME: Canberra Raiders 18 Parramatta Eels 16
Embed from Getty Images2nd Half
Jamal Fogarty extended the host’s lead with a simple penalty goal just after half-time. Similar to the first half, the lead changed hands once again with Parramatta keeping the ball alive on the last tackle to great effect and swinging it out to the right wing where Simonsson was able to produce an acrobatic finish to get the ball down in the right hand corner. Moses converted from the toughest of angles and Parramatta led by two points going into the final 20 minutes.
Parramatta continued to press and the Raiders didn’t have much luck with Six Again calls throughout, though it was Parramatta who made the decisive blow in the 65th minute with Shaun Lane going through the line untouched at halfway to give an early ball to Dylan Brown, who was able to shake off a tackle and score the winning points.
FULL-TIME: Canberra Raiders 20 Parramatta Eels 28
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
3 pts – Dylan Brown (Eels), 2 pts – Mitchell Moses (Eels), 1 pt – Joseph Tapine (Raiders)
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