Full Time
80:00
6:00pm Fri March 11, 2022
Round 1 - GIO Stadium Canberra, Bruce / Ngunnawal - Crowd: 15224
80min

GAME OVER. Canberra win by five.

80min

No evidence of the ball hitting the ground. Foot touches the line. NO TRY. Canberra should hold on.

80min

IKUVALU GOES OVER..... OR DOES HE? Bunker to decide. He's in the corner. Cummins sends it up no try.

80min

Ikuvalu with metres down the left edge! Cronulla with 4 tackles and a minute to go inside Canberra's 30m.

79min

1:36 on the clock and Cronulla have the ball and a full set from their own 30m line.

79min

1:36 on the clock and Cronulla have the ball and a full set from their own 30m line.

78min

Oh no, Kennedy's thinking too far ahead and spills the Hynes pass. GIO Stadium ERUPTS.

78min

Cronulla get it back from the kickoff and go on the attack!

77min

Conversion: Raiders
Kicked by Brad Schneider.

Schneider puts them five points ahead with about 3 and a half minutes left to play.

Raiders lead Raiders 24 - 19 Sharks
76min

Try: Raiders
Scored by Hudson Young. Kick to come.

FOREVER YOUNG! Canberra roll up the park and exhausted Cronulla defenders can't stop the big man from rolling over the line after a great inside offload from Timoko.

Raiders lead Raiders 22 - 19 Sharks
75min

Ramien has impeded Cotric trying to catch a high ball and it's a Raiders penalty. Big chance for them to surge up the park and look to level things up - or go ahead.

73min

Field Goal: Sharks
Kicked by Matt Moylan.

Moylan smashes one over and the Sharks lead for the first time!

Sharks lead Raiders 18 - 19 Sharks
72min

Horsburgh loses it inside Cronulla's half and the Sharkies now have a big shot at going in front.

69min

Canberra hammering Cronulla's line but not yet able to get through.

62min

Moylan finds some space but once he's dragged down, he loses control getting up to play it. Canberra scrum inside their own 20m.

59min

And there is a touch in the lead up. NO TRY and knock on. Cronulla scrum.

59min

Off to the Bunker with Jack Wighton claiming a try. Cummins sends it up no try, with a knock-on seeming likely.

58min

They're looking to go down the short side on the last and it's Mulitalo... tackled easily. Not the best final tackle option.

57min

Another penalty for Cronulla and they have a chance to take the lead here...

56min

Cronulla with a captains challenge after losing the ball.... it's SUCCESSFUL with replays showing back-rower Elliott Whitehead has stripped the ball. Sharks penalty to help them toward halfway.

55min

Conversion: Sharks
Kicked by Nicho Hynes.

Nicho nails it from out wide and scores are level.

Tied up at Raiders 18 - 18 Sharks
54min

Try: Sharks
Scored by Teig Wilton. Kick to come.

Hynes beautiful and puts Wilton into enough space to breeze over the line and suddenly Canberra are no sure bet.

Raiders lead Raiders 18 - 16 Sharks
51min

Conversion: Sharks
Kicked by Nicho Hynes.

Hynes bangs another over to reduce the margin back to six points.

Raiders lead Raiders 18 - 12 Sharks
50min

Try: Sharks
Scored by William Kennedy. Kick to come.

Kennedy bursts through after some sustained territorial dominance. Superb line running and gets it down - just - inside the dead ball line.

Raiders lead Raiders 18 - 10 Sharks
44min

Katoa goes close but prodigal son Nick Cotric says "not happening" and puts him over the sideline.

41min

Back underway and some early field position for Cronulla.

40min

I digress, 40 seconds of play after the conversion. Canberra get a couple of tackles in, surge up field, then the siren sounds. HALFTIME - Raiders 18 Sharks 6.

40min

Conversion: Raiders
Kicked by Brad Schneider.

Geez that's a good end to the half for the Green Machine. Schneider makes it a 12-point margin as the teams head for the tunnel.

Raiders lead Raiders 18 - 6 Sharks
38min

Try: Raiders
Scored by Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. Kick to come.

CNK ALL DAY! Charnze has Canberra's third in the shadows of halftime, and Cronulla heads drop. Starling grubbers from dummy half and it sits up perfectly for the fullback next to the uprights.

Raiders lead Raiders 16 - 6 Sharks
37min

Cronulla looking promising down the right edge... until Sione Katoa spills it.

34min

All Raiders for the last six or seven minutes. Another repeat set forced.

30min

Canberra looking good after Cronulla got back into the contest. Plenty of possession inside Cronulla's half and now force a repeat set.

25min

Conversion: Sharks
Kicked by Nicho Hynes.

The flowing locks of Nicho Hynes put it over the sticks from close range.

Raiders lead Raiders 12 - 6 Sharks
23min

Try: Sharks
Scored by Blayke Brailey. Kick to come.

Brailey picks up Cronulla's first try of 2022 after throwing a dummy from the scrumbase. There's some fisticuffs after but nothing of note.

Raiders lead Raiders 12 - 4 Sharks
22min

Cronulla finally with some good possession in good field position. Canberra spill a last-tackle kick and Moylan will feed a scrum mid-field just 10m from Canberra's line.

18min

Conversion: Raiders
Kicked by Brad Schneider.

From the opposite side of the ground and a bit further out - it's... just inside the uprights!

Raiders lead Raiders 12 - 0 Sharks
17min

Josh Papali'i off for a HIA for Canberra.

17min

Try: Raiders
Scored by Semi Valemei. Kick to come.

Semi makes up for his previous error and goes over on the right edge for Canberra to extend their lead.

Raiders lead Raiders 10 - 0 Sharks
16min

OFFICIALS NEWS: Sideline Official Matt Noyen has strained his hamstring. Liam Kennedy replaces him.

14min

ON REPORT: Teig Wilton for contact with the head. Canberra with a penalty just inside Cronulla's half.

10min

Conversion: Raiders
Kicked by Brad Schneider.

New half Brad Schneider lines up his first attempt in first grade and it goes over!

Raiders lead Raiders 6 - 0 Sharks
8min

Try: Raiders
Scored by Jack Wighton. Kick to come.

What a way to celebrate - a nice short side play down the left and Canberra have the numbers, Wighton finishing off in game 200.

Raiders lead Raiders 4 - 0 Sharks
7min

INJURY NEWS: Canberra hooker Josh Hodgson is off with a leg complaint.

6min

After all that, Valemei spills it over the line and Cronulla have a 20m restart.

5min

Less than six minutes gone and Canberra have their third penalty of the game.

4min

Canberra drop a cheeky grubber into the line through Wighton and Rudolf jumps on it but there's a bobble so it's a knock on and more Canberra ball.

3min

Canberra pick up another penalty and will continue to pile on the pressure.

2min

Canberra with the better of the opening exchanges, making metres in as far as Cronulla's 40m before picking up a penalty which gives them a full set in the opposition half. Ramien with a high tackle.

1min

Underway at GIO Stadium. Cronulla have the first set of the game.

A minute's silence for Peter Mulholland, who passed away after the end of the 2021 season.

Game 2 of the 2022 NRL season and its the Green Machine up against the boys in the black white and blue. As with any season opener both sides will be aching to get that first-up win and put in a good performance for their fans. In team news, both sides are 1-17 - Canberra's Jack Wighton celebrates his 200th NRL appearance while Cronulla welcome new star signings Nicho Hynes and Dale Finucane. Should be a good one. Kickoff 6pm.

Referees & scorers:

Referee: Ben Cummins

Touch Judges: Darian Furner, Matt Noyen

Video Referee: Chris Butler

CANBERRA RAIDERS (24)
Tries: Jack Wighton, Semi Valemei, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Hudson Young
Conversions: Brad Schneider (4/4)

CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (19)
Tries: Blayke Brailey, William Kennedy, Teig Wilton
Field Goals: Matt Moylan (1/1)
Conversions: Nicho Hynes (3/3)