The Raiders thrashed the disappointing Warriors 32-12 at Canberra Stadium in Round 6.
In what would prove to be Terry Campese’s last full game in 2012 before his season-ending injury against Brisbane the following week, the Raiders showed great skill and flair to score a pair of tries on both the left and right edges to race to a commanding 16-nil lead after 35 minutes (the normally reliable Jarrod Croker was unable to cash in with any of his conversion attempts).
Croker’s wayward boot saw the visitors stay in the hunt when Ben Henry crossed for a try in the right corner two minute before the break for a 16-6 scoreline at oranges.
Josh Papalii charged through a yawning gap on the right edge to advance Canberra’s tally to 22 points at the 57-minute mark before James Maloney crossed in the 65th minute. That was the end of the celebrations for fans of the visiting side as the Raiders bagged two more tries to Reece Robinson and Croker to run out convincing winners.
It was an entertaining clash with the focus firmly on attack – the 80 minutes yielded 14 line-breaks, with the Raiders leading the way with nine throughout the afternoon.
Missed tackles (36), poor completions (65 per cent) and a struggle for territory (just 1098 metres gained) cruelled the Warriors’ chances.
Blake Ferguson, playing on the wing, was the Raiders’ star with two tries, a try assist and nine tackle-breaks. The scoreline flattered the visitors, with Croker successful with just two of seven attempts at goal.
Manu Vatuvei was the only Warriors player to hit triple figures in metres gained (132).
