The Toyota Forklifts Canberra Raiders have officially been crowned 2025 minor premiers following a 24 – 10 win over the Wests Tigers at GIO Stadium Canberra.
It was a strong performance across the park by the green machine, with four skillfully executed tries helping them secure a convincing win and their first minor premiership in 35 years in front of a sold-out home crowd.
The game opened with back and forth plays from each team, with neither side able to cross the line inside the opening minutes.
The Tigers started to look threatening after a Raiders knock-on gave them possession just 15 metres from the line. They came close to scoring several times, but the Raiders’ relentless defence held firm.
It was the Raiders that finally broke the deadlock 18 minutes in when a towering kick from Jamal Fogarty was spilled by the Tigers before Jed Stuart swooped on the ball to score on the right edge. Fogarty easily added the extras to make it 6-nil.
Moments later, an offside penalty gave the Raiders valuable field position to begin an attacking set. The Raiders looked to have scored through Fogarty, but an obstruction was ruled, and the try disallowed.
The Tigers responded, with Jahream Bula weaving through Canberra’s defence to sprint near the posts. They slotted the conversion to level the scores with 14 minutes left in the first half.
The Raiders then found themselves in their own 10, where Corey Horsburgh bulldozed his way through the sticks with a successful conversion adding another six points for the green machine.
The Tigers answered back fast, narrowly scoring in the left edge after nearly running into touch. The kick veered to the right keeping the Raiders in front 12 -10 at the halftime siren.
The start of the second half saw both teams locked in a see saw battle for the first eight minutes. The Raiders then set up shop in their red zone where Simi Sasagi masterfully slipped through multiple defenders to add the Raiders’ third of the day.
There was intensity from both sides as they traded sets, with the Raiders coming close to scoring several times.
At the 68th minute, play was paused momentarily due to concern for Tigers player Jeral Skelton following a heavy head clash.
With only seven minutes left on the clock, the Raiders almost scored down the right edge, but a narrow knock-on ruled out the try.
The Raiders and Tigers kept pushing to add one more to the board, until a clever offload by Hudson Young handed possession to Ethan Strange, who swiftly ran the ball under the posts. Fogarty nailed the conversion, securing the minor premiership and the top-of-the-table spot for the Raiders in the 2025 season, to the delight of over 20,000 fans.
With just one game remaining before their finals campaign begins, the Raiders will face the Dolphins in Redcliffe next Sunday afternoon.
