The Canberra Raiders secured a 48-4 victory over the Bulldogs in a dominant performance in Belmore.
The Canberra Raiders travelled to Sydney to face the Bulldogs in a Saturday afternoon showdown. Canberra entered the contest fresh off a comeback win against the Knights last week, while Sheridan Gallagher and Chante Temara’s 40th NRLW appearance added another level of excitement to the action.
The Raiders kicked off the action with a powerful play when Sheridan Gallagher sent a bullet kick to provide her side with an early advantage.
The Raiders forward pack found themselves in a try-scoring opportunity less than five minutes into the match. Lined up in front of the posts, Chloe Saunders sent a short pass to Simaima Taufa, who dived under the posts for the opening try. Zahara Temara nailed the conversion, and the Raiders led 6-0.
Canberra continued to dominate possession and find the try line. Sophie Hollyman saw an opportunity down the right edge and flicked the ball to Krystal Blackwell. The five-eighth found a gap straight through the Bulldogs defence, sent the ball over the top into Mackenzie Wiki’s hands, and the winger was over the line for the Raiders' second try and successful conversion.
Bulldogs saw an opportunity to break through the Raiders defence when Ashleigh Quinlan snagged an intercept and made a run. But the Raiders immediately stole the ball back, and they were in possession once again.
The next points came from an offload by Holyman to Blackwell, who was too quick for the Bulldogs defenders when she dove over the line for another four-pointer. Temara performed another successful conversion and the Raiders led the home side 16-0.
Raiders halfback Temara sent a quick grubber through the Bulldogs defence, and Isabella Waterman caught the ball on the line and grounded it for another try. Shortly after, Blackwell found a clean gap in the defensive line and secured the next try. With a successful conversion, the Raiders went into halftime with a dominating 28-0 lead.
Both teams returned to the second half firing with strong defence and big runs. Elise Simpson took the ball and made it 30m out from the Bulldogs' line before she was taken down. Elizabeth MacGregor intercepted and saved the try, but the Raiders were handed the scrum feed. The ball was sent back down the line to Simpson, who finished what she started with a try in the corner. Temara continued to convert with impressive accuracy and the Raiders broadened their lead to 34 points.
Leianne Tufuga was the next Raider to receive the ball and weave around the Bulldogs defence for a Green Machine try. The eighth try went to Blackwell, who retrieved the ball from the kick chase and ran straight for the posts and over the line. After one failed and one successful conversion, the Raiders led 44-0 with plenty of action left.
With under 20 minutes left of play, the Bulldogs found themselves lined up for a try. MacGregor took the ball left, bounced back on the inside and slipped through the Raiders line to score the home side their first try of the game. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, and the Bulldogs trailed 44-4. The Raiders continued to apply pressure and retrieve points. Blackwell saw an opportunity for Hollie-Mae Dodd, who used her speed and power to force her way through the tackle and over the line for her first try of the season. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, and the Raiders led 48-4.
The Canberra Raiders took down the Bulldogs in a 48-4 victory on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders will face the Titans next week as they search for a top-four position.
