25 May 2010

Raiders smash ladder-leading Dragons

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[First filed: May 24, 2010 @ 8:51]

Fans of the Green Machine will be celebrating after the Canberra Raiders beat the St George-Illawarra Dragons 22-14 in Wollongong today. The Tele has a write-up (complete with whinging comments from Dragons supporters blaming the ref, Origin, and anything but their team’s performance for the loss).

The first half was very even, but the Raiders blew the Dragons away in the second half, with a try each to young guns Joel Thompson, Jarrod Croker and Josh Dugan in the space of six minutes. The team was strong across the park, with Terry Campese, Troy Thompson and Glen Buttriss making valuable contributions, as well.

The win marked the Raiders’ twelfth win against the Dragons in their previous thirteen matches. The Raiders have a bye next weekend and will be playing the Gold Coast Titans at Canberra Stadium on Sunday 6 June, at 2pm.

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2604, you have an amazing application of metaphors. If the Dragons were at full strength, as well as the Raiders, on paper they would have been touched up at WIN Stadium

If the Roosters, on 12 points, are “flagging badly after a good start to the season” then what does that say about the Raiders on 10….coming good after a bad start?? They also touched the Raiders up by 30 not so long ago.

I’m a Raiders supported, but not a BS artist

vg said :

And how many finals series’ did we make in the seasons of those previous 4 consecutive wins.

As I said, put it in perspective. Will mean f all if we miss the semis AGAIN this year. There’s a reason why players like Dugan will leave

The 4 consecutive wins came in the last 3 years – 2007-2009. We last made the semi finals in 2008, and prior to that, in 2006.

Dugan may leave but if he does, it’ll be to chase money or have a change of scene rather than to win a premiership. He is strongly rumoured to be heading to the Roosters – who are the reigning wooden spooners and flagging badly after a good start to the season.

mcs and dragonsworn – ta for the comments, good to see some footy discussion. TBH I think what made the difference on Sunday was that Campo played so well. When he is in that sort of form the team as a whole is hard to stop. If he was off the game would’ve been a lot closer.

I am looking forward to the return leg at Canberra Stadium in August – Raiders v Dragons at Bruce was the best game of last year for mine, the atmosphere was intense.

What I’d like to know (as a Dragons supporter living in Canberra) is why Canberra can’t play like this against the other teams. I’m sick of losing to the Raiders and then watch them throw away big leads to the minnows!

Good win. Played solidly all game and brilliantly for about 10 minutes.

Bunnings have new ladders from $49.99,The storm are there as I type.

And how many finals series’ did we make in the seasons of those previous 4 consecutive wins.

As I said, put it in perspective. Will mean f all if we miss the semis AGAIN this year. There’s a reason why players like Dugan will leave

vg said :

Yes it was a good win, but put it in perspective

Alright, I’ll put it in the perspective of the previous four consecutive times we’ve beaten them, when all of their Origin “stars” were playing and got their pants pulled down.

As a dragons fan, I hasten to add anything, but Canberra were the better team yesterday (As I expected)- but I dont think you can call it a smashing, especially considering the game was very close at 12-8 when the Raiders got a 50-50 call go their way when Logan dropped it cold (Granted I think the disallowed try was very unlucky and could have been given so it does even itself out) and then the raiders went over twice in about 3 minutes to seal it.

Both teams had plenty of players out, but Canberra just took their chances better and did well to exploit the weaknesses in the Dragons team (i.e. the complete lack of backline defensive cohesion.) I thought though it was a really good tough game and the young dragons took it to the relatively more experienced raiders team and gave a good account of themselves. The big struggle for the dragons though was consistently making good yards- when Merrin and Green were on we did ok, but when they were off for a break, Canberra really did have us pinned down well, and Soward and Hornby struggled to effectively make good yardage off the kicking game.

No doubt the Faiders are the Dragons bogey team, and I feel the year we beat you guys will be the year we win the Premiership. Not holding my breath though! I thought last year we had you guys beat till the big hit on Weyman, and than as usual the Bruce Stadium curse came across the Dragons and not only ruined the night, but the year also as we never recovered. No doubt it’ll probably happen again this year!

Reepy,
Travis Waddell and Danny Galea did pretty good impressions of themselves if they were meant to be injured and there isn’t much difference between having Marc Herbert and Josh McCrone anyway.

I’d give it Dragons missing 10, Raiders missing 6-7. The dragons were missing all their big guns, but seriously i don’t give a rats arse.
You only play the team the opposition put on the park and we won, further enhancing the Raiders reputation as the Dragons bogey team.

Odds on premiership favourites now 🙂
I really enjoy watching the young team we are developing these days, just hope they can hold them for more then a season or 2.

Was that Travis WADDELL’s twin brother with the same name playing then?

Have a look at the quality of the Dragon’s players missing and why they were missing.

Yes it was a good win, but put it in perspective

Everyone is saying that the Dragons were short on players, so were the Raiders!

Injured: Justin Carney, Travis Waddell, Danny Galea, Adam Mogg, Josh Miller, Alan Tongue, Cy Lasscock, Shaun Fensom and Marc Herbert totally 9 according to the The Greenhouse.

Origin: Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and David Shillington (2).

Total: 11.

We travelled to watch it and were very entertained.

Gungahlin Al12:42 pm 24 May 10

I tipped it. Even the guy who pointed out to me the shortages in the Dragons didn’t back his hunch. Helping me drag myself off the bottom of the ladder…

Go you Raiders!!!!

Although it was like the bigger kids beating up on the little guys with the amount of players that the Dragons were missing.

Good effort, but Dragons were missing seven or eight players.

ConanOfCooma11:17 am 24 May 10

I wouldn’t call it a “smash”, and I wouldn’t say the Raiders “blew away” the Dragons in the entire second half, but it was definitely a gutsy and deserved win. Plus, it’s great to see the Dragons go down at home.

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