Mitch Bourke reviews Canberra’s big win against Brisbane. Here’s how the game went.
MATCH TIMELINE
| Minute | Scoring Play | Score |
| 5th | Try Jesse Arthars (Brisbane) | Brisbane 4-0 |
| 12th | Try Jordan Rapana (Canberra) | Scores tied 4-4 |
| 14th | Goal Jarrod Croker (Canberra) | Canberra 6-4 |
| 36th | Try Herbie Farnworth (Brisbane) | Brisbane 8-6 |
| 45th | Try George Williams (Canberra) | Canberra 10-8 |
| 47th | Goal Jarrod Croker (Canberra) | Canberra 12-8 |
| 52nd | Try Nick Cotric (Canberra) | Canberra 16-8 |
| 53rd | Goal Jarrod Croker (Canberra) | Canberra 18-8 |
| 59th | Try John Bateman (Canberra) | Canberra 22-8 |
| 61st | Goal Jarrod Croker (Canberra) | Canberra 24-8 |
| 62nd | Try Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Canberra) | Canberra 28-8 |
| 63rd | Goal Jarrod Croker (Canberra) | Canberra 30-8 |
| 65th | Try Nick Cotric (Canberra) | Canberra 34-8 |
| 67th | Goal Jarrod Croker (Canberra) | Canberra 36-8 |
MATCH SUMMARY
1st Half
Brisbane have won one game since the season resumption and they have been marred by off-field controversy. Coach Anthony Seibold couldn’t even be there due to a COVID-19 bubble breach, with Peter Gentle taking his place. You wouldn’t have known any of it after a dominant first half against top four contenders Canberra.
The Raiders are known for their first-class defence, and tonight was no exception. They had just 37% possession and were forced to lay 33 tackles in their defensive 20 in the first half alone, but they stood tall, trailing by a slender two points at the interim.
The Broncos opened the scoring off the back of a Kotoni Staggs run through the backfield. Staggs stabbed a perfectly weighted grubber to the in-goal on the go, and Jesse Arthars reaped the rewards.
George Williams threw Canberra’s counter punch in the form of a looping rainbow pass to Jordan Rapana. The flighted ball lured Arthars off his line as a result the left corner had Rapana’s name written all over it.
What followed was an unprecedented display of Brisbane dominance. The Broncos had five straight sets of ad-lib footy with offloads galore. Canberra could only cling on for so long, and the purple patch culminated in a Herbie Farnworth try after Nick Cotric fumbled Darius Boyd’s grubber.
2nd Half
What unfolded in the second half had to be seen to be believed, and was typical of Brisbane’s season.
The Broncos imploded.
The team that led at half-time was nowhere to be seen. Canberra scored tries for fun: a whitewash in every sense of the word in their special white “Black Dog Institute” jerseys.
John Bateman stepped through the line and found inside runner Williams to hit the lead; from there, the Raiders never looked back.
That try came in the 45th minute; by the 67th minute Canberra had transformed the 8-6 half time deficit into a 36-8 walloping.
The tries started flowing alarming quickly and easily. Even when the Broncos had more numbers, Cotric waltzed over. Soon after, there’d be gaping holes.
Bateman and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad scored with ease. Corey Harawira-Naera was gifted a 60-metre run which lay the foundations for Cotric’s double.
There could’ve been more too. Birthday boy Rapana had two left corner tries disallowed.
Even with a lead of 28 points, Canberra kept their foot on the throat. Farnworth was on the cusp of a certain consolation try for the Broncos, but had the ball ripped from his grasp in the in-goal.
Just when it looked like there was a glimmer of light to shine on Brisbane’s dark, dark year, it vanished in the blink of an eye. Things are going from worse to much worse and a dismal second half, where their defence was in disarray, means they’re now 1-11 since the season resumption.
To go with his two tries, Cotric picked up an astounding 14 tackle-breaks and two line-breaks. The Raiders’ win keeps them in touch with the top four on points, and they picked up a much-needed for-and-against boost, but it still lacks sorely when contrasted with the fourth-placed Roosters.
GAME HIGHLIGHT
Nearly every Canberra try had a case, but it was Jarrod Croker’s running in-field grubber to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad that takes the cake. The try was orchestrated by the passing of Raiders halves pairing George Williams and Jack Wighton. John Bateman broke the line and opened the floodgates for the Green Machine to stream downfield, before dishing it to Croker on his outside. Croker closed the gap on the in-goal and sent a try-bound grubber to Nicoll-Klokstad, who scooped it up and stepped inside a helpless Kotoni Staggs.
SQUADS
Canberra Raiders: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Jordan Rapana, 3. Jarrod Croker, 4. Curtis Scott, 5. Nick Cotric, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. George Williams, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Dunamis Lui, 11. John Batemen, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 16. Ryan Sutton. Interchange:ย 13. Hudson Young, 14. Tom Starling, 15. Joseph Tapine, 17. Corey Harawira-Naera.
Brisbane Broncos: 1. Darius Boyd, 2. Richard Kennar, 3. Kotoni Staggs, 4. Herbie Farnworth, 21. Jesse Arthars, 6. Brodie Croft, 7. Tom Dearden, 8. Thomas Flegler, 9. Jake Turpin, 10. Payne Haas, 11. David Fifita, 12. Ben Te’o, 13. Patrick Carrigan. Interchange:ย 14. Cory Paix, 15. Jordan Riki, 16. Joe Ofahengaue, 20. Rhys Kennedy.
