Raiders stun Rabbitohs at ANZ

A surprise result has seen the Canberra Raiders capitalise on a first half shut-out of the South Sydney Rabbitohs today at ANZ Stadium, eventually winning 30-18 in front of more than 16,000 fans.

Looking to avoid their third straight defeat, the Rabbitohs came home to ANZ to play a Raiders side keen to atone for their own poor showing against the Gold Coast. It was the Raiders who started the better though, a double strike for Reece Robinson early saw the visitors lead 10-0. The Raiders' strong kicking game delivered results and they went on with it in the first half despite the loss of Shaun Fensom around the half-hour mark with an arm injury.

Dane Tilse and Anthony Milford both added themselves to the scoresheet before halftime with close-range tries - big Tilse barging over near the posts while Milford held off several defenders to plant the ball down out wide. The result of all this was a 22-0 halftime lead for the Raiders over a Rabbitohs side riddled with errors and a poor completion rate.

Following their first half dominance the Raiders looked more tired as the second half kicked off - and the Rabbitohs looked to take full advantage. Two tries inside the first fifteen minutes after resumption gave the home fans plenty of hope, with George Burgess and Dylan Walker making easy work of some uncharacteristically poor Canberra defence.

The game turned not longer after though, with two crucial video decisions going against the Rabbitohs - first an offside call on Sam Burgess denying Nathan Merritt a record-breaking try in the corner later in the play, then at the other end a highly contentious call regarding an aerial contest going the way of the Raiders despite a fair amount of evidenceto the contrary resulting in a try to Canberra #6 Jack Wighton.

A penalty goal extended the Raiders lead to 18 before a Rabbitohs' consolation try to Chris McQueen on the fulltime siren reduced it to twelve - Canberra finishing 30-18 victors.

Next week the Rabbitohs shift focus to a huge clash with the Dragons at the SCG on Saturday night, while on the same night, Canberra have their own Heritage Round clash in a 1991 Grand Final re-match with Penrith at Sportingbet Stadium.

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS (18)
Tries: Dylan Walker, George Burgess, Chris McQueen
Field Goals:
Conversions: Adam Reynolds (3/3)
Penalty Goals:

CANBERRA RAIDERS (30)
Tries: Reece Robinson (2), Dane Tilse, Anthony Milford, Jack Wighton
Field Goals: Anthony Milford (0/1)
Conversions: Jarrod Croker (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Jarrod Croker (1/1)

TEAM NEWS | Not a lot today! #8 Shannon Boyd drops to the bench for Canberra with #16 David Shillington to start. The Rabbitohs are 1-17, with Kirisome Auva'a and Nathaniel Neale dropping off the extended bench.

Good afternoon and welcome to NRL Sunday live from rugby league headquarters in Sydney, ANZ Stadium. The South Sydney Rabbitohs are hurting after back-to-back losses in recent weeks, while the Raiders are looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Titans last Sunday. Strap yourselves in... here comes more footy for your Sunday!

Holden Cup Under 20's was staged earlier, a see-sawing contest going the way of the Raiders at the death, defeating South Sydney 34-30.

1: We are UNDERWAY in Sunday footy! Raiders have it first.

4: Souths with the first taste of the ball inside attacking territory... they go high on the last but Raiders' centre Jarrod Croker takes the bomb. Next tackle it's a PENALTY to Canberra on their own 10m.

6: Campese drills it dead on the last, Souths 20m restart. Not a great end to the set for the Raiders.

7: UNFORCED ERROR SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
George Burgess makes an unforced error.
40m from the Raiders' line and George Burgess wasn't expecting that ball - he spills it. Raiders scrum ten short of halfway.

10: Another penalty conceded by the Bunnies inside the Raiders' half, now Canberra get the chance to attack.

11: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Reece Robinson. Kick to come.
Fensom breaks through the middle, gets the offload away then an outstanding long-ball from Buttriss out wide to Robinson!

12: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker unsuccessful.
Croker's first attempt of the day hits the post and bounces away.

16: Raiders find themselves within striking distance again. Souths looking surprisingly tired early, but Nathan Merritt claims the cross-field kick on the last then the referee blows a penalty after Joel Edwards went on with it a bit too long.

18: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Reece Robinson. Kick to come.
Great cross-field kick from Anthony Milford, Reece Robinson has a double!

19: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Croker corrects his previous mistake, converting Robinson's second.

23: Souths with two penalties, the second of which is right on the Raiders' line. 10m out they'll tap, a full set on the Raiders' line.

26: Canberra have picked up a loose Souths ball inside their own half...

27: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Dane Tilse. Kick to come.
Big Dane buries his way under three defenders to get the ball down!

28: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
27 minutes in and the Raiders are up 16-0. No need to refresh your browser, this is real. Croker converts.

33: Oh dear... Souths give the ball away through Inglis to Campese... then he throws it inside and Souths have it back through Koroisau.

34: Now a penalty to the Raiders after what looked like a strip by Canberra... a bit odd that decision.

35: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Anthony Milford. Kick to come.
WOW. Milford turns, has three Souths' defenders hanging off him, feigns the offload and then turns and slams it down! And yes folks, this is FOUR tries with no video referrals!

36: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Croker converts the Milford try to extend the Raiders' shock lead.

37: Injury news - Shaun Fensom injured his arm several minutes ago - a hyper-extension of the elbow it appears. He's off now - reports suggest he could return second half.

40: Canberra ruled to take a line drop-out - Souths fans giving them a heap with 30 seconds to the break as they delay the restart.

HALFTIME and an outstanding showing from the Raiders against a very poor Rabbitohs side, probably the worst they've played since 2011 or earlier. The Raiders haven't beaten the Bunnies since 2009 but that stat looks likely to be overturned unless Maguire can produce a heavy spray on his boys in the sheds at the break. Join us soon for more Sunday footy!

Both teams trotting out for a second half where few were expecting Souths to start 22 behind. Can they turn it around?

41: Positive start for the Bunnies, Inglis flies through a gap, stopped only by an ankle tap.

47: VIDEO REF - possible Souths TRY to Dylan Walker, checking obstruction.

47: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Dylan Walker. Kick to come.
The Bunnies open their account, some good hands then a jinking run to get across the line.

48: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Reynolds makes no mistake and the try and conversion cap a much better showing from Souths so far in the opening part of the second half.

51: Costly forward pass by South Sydney gives Canberra a scrum 30m from Souths' line.

51: VIDEO REFEREE possible Raiders TRY to Bill Tupou.

52: It's NO TRY. Tupou's dropped the ball in the put-down. Not good.

53: Penalty Rabbitohs for a third-man-in. This will put the Bunnies right on the Raiders' 30m with a full set.

55: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by George Burgess. Kick to come.
Just like Tilse in the first half, the ball goes to the big prop, this time for the Rabbitohs, and big George scores!

56: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
No problems from in front. Reynolds nails it to close the gap to ten.

59: Penalty for the Bunnies inside the Raiders half again. This game has changed completely in the second half.

60: VIDEO REFEREE possible TRY to Nathan Merritt out wide. Checking onside in the lead-up.

60: It's no try - Sam Burgess was in front of Sutton as the kicker. Raiders penalty.

61: Now down the other end it's a VIDEO REFEREE decision, checking whether Lote has knocked it on, or if Allwood has done so.

61: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Jack Wighton. Kick to come.
Well... it *looked* like Allwood had got a hand to it constituting a knock-on... Wighton then snatched the ball and ran away with it to score. The VR has ruled "inconclusive evidence" to overturn the original on-field decision of try.

62: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Croker converts from in front to put the Raiders sixteen points ahead.

63: For the Raiders, a penalty coming out of their own end is negated by an error on the Souths' 40m. Scrum Bunnies.

65: UPDATE: Shaun Fensom won't be back today.

66: Souths looking promising up the middle, but a poor pass is recovered by Canberra 15m from their own line and they'll work it out of their own end now.

68: 40/20 CANBERRA RAIDERS
Josh McCrone kicks a 40/20.
A long-range kick from McCrone, looks like it's stayed in... NO! VIDEO REFEREE.... and it's a 40/20! Raiders tap 10m out!

69: Penalty Raiders, the Bunnies' markers ruled to be offside. They'll take two here from near the sideline.

69: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL CANBERRA RAIDERS
Penalty goal attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Good penalty goal from out wide, the margin now eighteen as Croker slots the extra two points.

73: Time running out now, Souths chip and chase, Walker regathers his own, turns it inside... for Terry Campese. Just not Souths' day.

78: Shillington penalised for a shoulder charge on George Burgess, but Souths lose it the next play after the tap.

80: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL CANBERRA RAIDERS
Field goal attempt by Anthony Milford unsuccessful.
Milford tries for a one-pointer but misses.

80: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Chris McQueen. Kick to come.
Consolation try for Chris McQueen down the left edge.

80: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Reynolds with a great sideline conversion to finish the game and reduce the losing margin to just twelve.

FULLTIME at ANZ - the Raiders have executed a boilover in this one, 30-18 winners over the Bunnies!