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Canberra Raiders edge St George Illawarra 24-22 to keep NRL finals hopes alive, Gold Coast beat Manly 44-24

Canberra has ended a tumultuous week in perfect fashion after holding on to beat St George Illawarra 24-22 to keep its season alive.

In Sunday’s later match, Gold Coast snapped a 10-match losing streak with a 44-24 win over Manly in Robina.

With coach Ricky Stuart banned from attending Canberra Stadium and speaking to his players as part of the fallout from his tirade at Penrith’s Jaeman Salmon, the Raiders survived a late scare to finish round 22 one match outside the top eight.

Canberra assistant coach Brett White said Stuart would have been on edge as the Dragons threatened a late comeback to steal the match.

“He wouldn’t want it to be about him, we’re still fighting for finals, we’re still punching away,” White said.

“The week is done, ‘Sticky’ (Stuart) will be back in on Wednesday, and it’s all finished as far as we’re concerned.

“He’s done his time and what Ricky’s done for this club… what he’s done for the community, that’s who he is.”

Dragons’ five-eighth Talatau Amone had looked to end the Raiders’ season with a late onslaught, completing his first career hat-trick before creating Tautau Moga’s 75th-minute try, only for Zac Lomax to push a potentially equalizing conversion attempt wide.

It allowed the Raiders to end round 22 still one match back from the eighth-placed Sydney Roosters with three rounds remaining before the finals.

Young fullback Xavier Savage had his fingerprints all over the Raiders’ win with two try-assists, including a sweet grubber kick that allowed winger Albert Hopoate to score.

With star prop Joe Tapine missing because of a rib injury, the Raiders’ forwards shared the workload.

They were led by Josh Papalii (140m), Ryan Sutton (110m) and Hudson Young (67m), who scored the opening try of the match from a Zac Woolford grubber kick.

“The leaders have been fantastic this week … that’s where the drive this week really came from and why we’re able to just keep things as normal,” White said.

“While there’s a chance, we’ll keep fighting and I just said to the boys we’ll just keep punching away.”

Two St George Illawarra NRL players stand with their hands on their hips after a match.
Jaydn Su’A (left) and Talatau Amone reflect after the Dragons’ narrow loss.(Getty Images: Mark Nolan)

The loss removes the Dragons’ from the finals equation, having won just one of their past six matches in a disappointing end to their year.

They hit the front in the first half as Amone twice capitalized on soft Canberra defensive efforts to score tries, but could not stay with the Raiders when their intensity lifted.

“(Amone) was outstanding, it’s been a tough year for ‘Junior’, first year as a full-time starting five-eighth … in our most important game of the year I thought he really stood up which is great,” Dragons coach Anthony Griffin said.

“Against good sides playing away from home, we just gave them points too easily at different times and it was too hard to reel back.

“But that’s not to question the character we showed all day.”

Titans post drought-breaking win

A group of Gold Coast Titans NRL players embrace as they celebrate a try.
The Titans got on top of the Sea Eagles in the first half.(AAP: Jason O’Brien)

The Gold Coast halted its losing streak and essentially ended Manly’s season with an upset win over the Sea Eagles.

Playing without inspirational captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui due to the impending birth of his second child, the Titans ended a run of 10 consecutive defeats with Beau Fermor scoring a double in the much-needed victory.

The 20-point loss means the 10th-placed Sea Eagles are six points outside the top eight with three matches to play.

Given eighth-placed Sydney Roosters hold a significantly better differential, it would take a miraculous set of results for Des Hasler’s team to reach the finals.

Adding injury to insult for the Sea Eagles in Hasler’s 300th match as Manly coach, flying winger Jason Saab suffered a suspected ACL injury in the second half.

The match started ominously with Titans’ prop Jaimin Jolliffe spilling the ball on his first carry from the kick-off.

Haumole Olakau’atu thought he had got the visitors in front in the fifth minute when he crashed over but the try was disallowed after a video review showed Martin Tapau had knocked-on in the build-up.

Jolliffe made up for his early error, hanging onto an offload from Fa’asuamaleaui’s replacement Jarrod Wallace to give the Titans an early lead.

Reuben Garrick hit back for the Sea Eagles but Dylan Walker’s sin-binning in the 20th minute changed the match.

Walker had only just come onto the field from the interchange bench when he was sent to the sin-bin and placed on report for a high tackle on Titans’ winger Jojo Fifita.

The youngster scored off the resulting set to put Gold Coast back in front after a great cut-out pass by halfback Tanah Boyd.

Jake Trbojevic’s 25th-minute try, despite a desperate effort from Titans’ fullback Jayden Campbell to hold up the back rower, again leveled the scores with the Sea Eagles still down a player.

But Gold Coast took an eight-point lead into the break after Brian Kelly’s intercept try from a Daly Cherry-Evans pass and a penalty conversion from Boyd.

Desperate to avoid a second wooden spoon in four years, the Titans raced to their biggest lead of the game with tries to Fermor and AJ Brimson early in the second half, putting them 20 points clear with 25 minutes to play.

David Fifita then delivered the highlight play of the day, busting through Manly’s defense before sprinting clear to score.

Brad Parker and Tolutau Koula added some gloss to the scoreline for the visitors with late tries before Fermor’s late run through some tired Manly defense ensured Gold Coast move above Wests Tigers and off the bottom of the ladder.

AAP/ABC

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NRL ScoreCentre: Gold Coast Titans vs Manly Sea Eagles, Canberra Raiders vs St George Illawarra Dragons live scores, stats and results

Bottom-placed Gold Coast faces Manly after the Raiders pip St George Illawarra 24-22 at Canberra Stadium.

Check out all the live scores and stats below.

Titans vs Sea Eagles

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Raiders hold off Dragons

Two St George Illawarra NRL players stand with their hands on their hips after a match.
Jaydn Su’A (left) and Talatau Amone reflect after the Dragons’ narrow loss.(Getty Images: Mark Nolan)

Canberra can dream of finals for at least another week after seeing off St George Illawarra 24-22 in a tense affair to keep pace with the top eight.

With suspended coach Ricky Stuart watching from home, the Raiders rattled off three straight tries after trailing in the first half, but had to hold on against the fast-finishing Dragons at Canberra Stadium.

Dragons’ five-eighth Talatau Amone completed his first career hat-trick on 68 minutes to pull his side back within six points, before assisting Tautau Moga to lift them to within two points just five minutes from time.

But Zac Lomax pushed his conversion attempt from the sideline wide, allowing the Raiders to hold on.

They will end round 22 still just one match back from the eighth-placed Sydney Roosters with three rounds before the finals, but given their lackluster points difference they could only afford one Roosters’ win if they are to leapfrog them into the eight.

The Raiders at least nailed the first piece of the assignment in rainy conditions, with coaches Brett White, Andrew McFadden and Mick Crawley guiding the side to victory to end the club’s week of negative headlines in the best way possible.

Young fullback Xavier Savage had his fingerprints all over the win with two try assists, including a sweet grubber that allowed winger Albert Hopoate to score, while also running for 158 meters.

With star prop Joe Tapine missing with a rib injury, the Raiders’ forwards shared the load in covering his hulking presence. They were led by Josh Papalii (140m), Ryan Sutton (110m) and Hudson Young (67m), who scored the opening try of the match from a Zac Woolford grubber.

The loss removes the Dragons’ already-slim finals chances entirely, now having won just one of their past six matches in a disappointing end to their year.

They had hit the front in the first half as Amone twice capitalized on soft Canberra defensive efforts to score tries, but could not stay with the Raiders when their intensity lifted.

Canberra prop Ryan Sutton grabbed his side an 18-12 half-time lead after gathering his own charge-down effort to score, while Savage’s smart kick for Hopoate pinched a 12-point break.

Amone was clearly the Dragons’ best, finding seven tackle busts and an offload to go with three tries and an assist.

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NRL 2022: Penrith’s big call on Cleary replacement

The Panthers have turned to Sean O’Sullivan and Jaeman Salmon in the halves as the defending premiers try to navigate the rest of the regular season without stars Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.

Cleary will miss the rest of the regular season after he was sent off and banned for five matches for an ugly spear tackle on Parramatta’s Dylan Brown, while Luai continues to recover from a knee injury.

O’Sullivan has shown he can fill in for the rep stars when required, but it’s a huge call bringing in Salmon, given he hasn’t started a game at five-eighth since 2019 when he played seven games for the Eels in the No .6 jumper.

Coach Ivan Cleary could yet spring a late change with rookie Kurt Falls named in the reserves for Saturday’s trip to take on the resurgent Raiders.

In a boost for the Panthers, center Stephen Crichton returns from his sickening head clash with Cronulla’s Dale Finucane which required emergency plastic surgery to repair an ear.

Canberra winger Jordan Rapana is back from suspension and replaces Albert Hopoate on the right wing as the Raiders try to keep their top-eight hopes alive.

The Broncos have named Kobe Hetherington at lock in place of the suspended Patrick Carrigan for Thursday’s blockbuster against the Roosters.

Brisbane’s hopes of returning to the top four have been helped with winger Selwyn Cobbo back for his first game since he was knocked out early in the State of Origin decider.

Lindsay Collins was also knocked out in that game and he’ll miss Thursday’s match after he suffered another head knock against the Sea Eagles last week. Teammate Egan Butcher is also missing through suspension, which means Matt Lodge will start.

The Storm welcome back Brandon Smith after his three-game ban for verbally abusing referee Adam Gee. He’ll start from the bench while mid-season recruit David Nofoaluma starts on the wing to bolster their weakened backline.

That backline has taken more damage with Nick Meaney (shoulder) and Justin Olam (Covid) both sidelined for Friday’s match against the Titans, but there is a chance rep winger Xavier Coates returns for his first game since the State of Origin opener when he hurt his ankle.

Toby Sexton has been “rested” which means AJ Brimson moves to the halves with Jayden Campbell set to start at fullback against the team he made his NRL debut against last year.

Six members of the “Sea Eagles seven” have been included in this week’s squad, but Josh Aloiai will miss Friday’s crucial clash with Parramatta because of injury.

Josh Schuster has been named in the No.18 jersey.

The Eels have called on Jake Arthur to replace the injured Mitch Moses for the rest of the regular season as he nurses a broken finger. It’ll be the young half’s first game since he was booed by some Parramatta fans in Round 19.

There will be a very special debut at Shark Park on Saturday night with Kade Dykes set to make his NRL debut at fullback.

The 20-year-old will become a third-generation Shark after his dad Adam and grandfather John both represented the club.

Dykes comes in for Will Kennedy, who will miss the rest of the regular season with a serious ankle injury.

Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has stuck with the same 17 who scored just one try against North Queensland last week, which has their final hopes on life support.

The Cowboys have suffered a setback with try-scoring machine Kyle Feldt ruled out for two weeks with a hamstring injury. His place has been taken by speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

Meanwhile, Newcastle prop David Klemmer has been stood down by the club for an on-field incident during the Knights’ clash with the Bulldogs. He is ineligible to play until he responds to the club-imposed sanction.

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