Smith lifts the Raiders

The Raiders broke a 5 match losing streak on Saturday night with a win over the North Queensland Cowboys.

Jason Smith returning from injury seems to have been the panacea the Raiders have been longing for. With scores locked at 22 all, Smith clinched victory for the Raiders with a stunning field goal in the final minutes of the game. Recent forward recruits Andrew Lomu and Jason Williams were outstanding – effectively negating Cowboys power forwards Paul Rauhihi and Shane Tronc. Ian Hindmarsh was also a noteworthy performer for the Raiders.

Despite the win the Raiders remain outside the top 8 due to a negative points differential. A match summary can be found at the Canberra Times. A more parochial summary is at the Raiders site.