RD 26: Sharks vs Raiders

[Queenslander]

CRONULLA SHARKS v CANBERRA RAIDERS
Saturday 2nd September at Toyota Park, 5.30pm

Referee: Steve Clark

Team Notes:

Sharks

The Sharks are now in a losing sequence that has now extended to a club record-equalling low of nine straight defeats.

Raiders

The Raiders footed it with minor premiers Melbourne for 80 minutes last Saturday before falling by four points.

SHARKS:

Darren Albert,
Mitch Brown,
Ben Pomeroy,
Phil Bailey,
Luke Covell,
Adam Dykes,
Brett Kimmorley,
James Stosic,
Kevin Kingston,
Luke Douglas,
Reece Williams,
Lance Thompson,
Paul Gallen.

Interchange:

Richard Villasanti,
Nigel Vagana,
Beau Scott,
Brett Kearney.

RAIDERS:

Clinton Schifcofske (capt),
Adrian Purtell,
Phil Graham,
Adam Mogg,
Craig Frawley,
Todd Carney,
Lincoln Withers,
Michael Hodgson,
Simon Woolford,
Troy Thompson,
Kris Kahler,
Jason Croker,
Alan Tongue.

Interchange:

Marshall Chalk,
Ben Jones,
Dane Tilse,
Michael Weyman,
William Zillman (one to be omitted).

***Please use this thread for game day spoilers***

[Poida]

raiders to win by 12

[Social Loafer]

Really hoping that Zilly is given a chance this match, there is nothing to lose and all to gain by having him in there...

[Hoppy2007Dragons]

raiders by 8.

[Steelers]

Raiders win 26 - 24, with a penalty goal the only difference between the two sides. This win means that the Raiders move up to 7th position on the table, demoting Parramatta to 8th.

[Poida]

more than likely raiders will play canturbury next week

[Steelers]

more than likely raiders will play canturbury next week

That is basically certain, the only other scenario is that the Bulldogs lose and the Sea Eagles win, but both matches decided by VERY large margins

[Meh]

close one for the raiders, lucky they got this kind of finish to a match this close to the finals to learn something from it without paying a real penalty.

[Grimmace]

its a given theyll play the Dogs we now have 7th and eighth sorted were just waiting to see who finishes 3rd 4th 5th & 6th but the raiders and sharks game was exciting but weird just caps off the sharks woeful season

[Grimmace]

RD26-Raiders consign Sharks to 10th loss
Saturday, September 2, 2006 - 7:54 PM

Canberra secured seventh position on the NRL ladder with a gripping 26-24 defeat of Cronulla at Toyota Park, consigning the Sharks to a club record tenth successive loss.

The Raiders appeared to have the match wrapped up when leading 26-0 at halftime, but a fightback from the Sharks brought the match back to 26-24 with 13 minutes remaining.

Sharks winger Luke Covell then had a penalty shot 20m out and 10m in from touch with 30 seconds left on the clock but hooked his attempt wide of the mark.

It was a heartbreaking finish for the Sharks after four second half tries had resurrected hopes of a winning end to a disastrous season.

The Raiders' victory confirms two matches for the first week of the finals - Canberra to play the Bulldogs on Saturday night at Telstra Stadium and Parramatta travelling to Melbourne next Sunday to play minor premiers the Storm.

The Sharks started the match with purpose, but the determined Raiders - playing for seventh spot after Parramatta's loss to North Queensland on Friday night - quickly put them on the back foot with Alan Tongue scoring after just five minutes after a miracle one-handed offload by centre Phil Graham metres from the line.

Simon Woolford scooted over from dummy half after 20 minutes, referee Steve Clark missing an apparent double movement in the grounding.

Five-eighth Todd Carney looked to have sealed the match just before halftime crossing twice in two minutes - the first time stepping through feeble goal-line defence and the second with a 20m burst from a Woolford short-ball - to give Canberra a 26-0 halftime lead.

But the Sharks, booed from the field at the break, rallied in the second stanza with an unlikely fightback to within two points, 26-24, and got their fans back behind them.

Ben Pomeroy and Luke Covell both scored in the first 10 minutes, Adam Dykes having a hand in both efforts, while Brett Kearney finished off Kevin Kingston's superb 40m break to ensure a tense finish.

Covell scored his second with 17 minutes left, snatching a Dykes bomb from the air to ground the ball inches inside the goal area, and then nailed a sideline conversion to make it a two-point ball game.

The narrow loss however is expected to do little to salvage under fire coach Stuart Raper's position - the Sharks' club record 10th successive loss and end of season review putting his tenure at the club on thin ice.

Source: AAP

[Manly Boy]

I was hoping that the Sharks would win because i tipped them, though it also is good because now Parra finish 8th and they are more than likely going to get knocked out first round of the finals by the Storm

[Social Loafer]

F*ck that side sure knows how to give it's fans a heart attack, would have been a VERY long trip back to Canberra had they blown that game..

p.s.- Toyota park is a very average ground...

[DeeGan]

Loved what Canberra did in the first half, there was enough there for me in the first 40 minutes to suggest this side will give Canterbury one hell of a game next weekend especially with Smith to come back.

Todd Carney is slowly but surely fulfilling this "potential" we have heard about over the last few seasons. He was awesome in the first half and Elliot will be hoping he continues that form next weekend. If he does, Smith becomes even more dangerous - scary thought for Canterbury.

The Raiders are a very simple football team - forwards set the platform and they go from there with the backs. It is a formula that can cause an upset next weekend.

Matt Elliot has once again done a great job in 2006 - I mentioned it once before this season, though where are those "fans" who called for his head earlier in the year? I will tell you where, sitting on bum cheering on the green machine regretting their ridiculous comments and 15 minutes of fame where they were featured in one of the Sydney papers.

Bolter Alert for Tri-Nations: Alan Tounge

How he missed Country selection is still puzzling though he is a throwback footballer who would serve Australia proud. He would be a great selection as he can fill a few positions and he is going to work his butt off for the coach.