Canberra Raiders

Williams fires as Raiders stun Storm again

It was the Raiders' third win of the season and the third time in a row they have beaten the Storm at AAMI Park, coming on the back of victories in week one of last year's finals and round 22 of 2019.

Ricky Stuart's side showed no signs of rustiness following the enforced lay-off, with English duo George Williams and Josh Hodgson in sublime form and big man Josh Papalii producing a stormer in his 200th NRL game.

Canberra too strong for Warriors

Just days after committing to playing their games in Australia, the Warriors were unable to fire on attack as the green machine scored four tries to one.

Canberra led 6-0 at half time.

The Warriors were headed towards becoming the first team in 100 years of rugby league to go scoreless in their first two games of a season until a penalty try in the 75th minute ensured they would put points on the scoreboard for the first time this year.

Ricky refuses to take credit for Papalii's form

The saying goes that behind every good man is an even better woman and Stuart believes Masepa Papalii is that someone.

The pair were sweethearts for several years before tying the knot in late 2018. Season 2019 not only saw Papalii shift from lock to front row, it gave the 27-year-old a third Mal Meninga Medal (for the Raiders' best player) in four years.

Papalii scored six tries, made 61 tackle busts, 31 off-loads, ran for 3830 metres at an average just shy of 150 in each of his 26 games.

Eager Bateman counting down the days

Canberra beat several NRL clubs to land Bateman's signature and paid an undisclosed transfer fee to Super League club champions Wigan in order to recruit the England international on a three-year deal.

Likened to England teammate Elliott Whitehead for the ability to play in the back row or as a centre, Bateman faces stiff competition in the Raiders forward pack with Whitehead, Iosia Soliola, Joseph Tapine and Josh Papalii to battle for starting positions.

The 25-year-old has been predicted to light up the NRL when he arrives on Australian shores in December.

Canberra upset Roosters in NRL thriller

The Roosters could have gone a game clear on top of the ladder with a win at GIO Stadium.

Instead, their poor record in the nation's capital continued, where they haven't won since 2010.

The Roosters are locked in a three-way battle at the top of the table for the minor premiership with Melbourne and South Sydney.

The Storm are ahead because of their superior points difference.

Raiders put poor Eels to the sword

In tough conditions, the Raiders showed superior game management to capitalise on the errors which plagued the performance of the visitors.

Fullback Clint Gutherson completed a successful return from his ACL injury, but it proved little consolation as Parramatta's losing streak stretched to six games.

For the hosts, the victory was built off excellent scrambling defence and using the conditions to their advantage as a crowd of 12,328 celebrated back-to-back wins.

Raiders up and running

Four defeats out of four heaped the pressure on Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, but his side got up and running despite losing Ata Hingano, Michael Oldfield (both concussion) and Sam Williams (knee) - leaving Liam Knight as their only man on the bench for the second half.

Joey Leilua finished off a brilliant move which was started by Nick Cotric from his own in-goal area to put the Raiders in front and the centre added another try give the home side a 12-0 at the break, Croker converting both scores.

Stuart blasts 'soft' Raiders

After last week's one-point loss to the Warriors – the third straight narrow, late loss from a winning position – Stuart attempted to divert the post-match narrative from the team's performance onto the match officials.

But after their worst performance of the year to date, Stuart admitted he had protected the players from criticism for too long and used the word "soft" no fewer than 10 times to describe a first-half capitulation that at one stage included three tries conceded in five minutes.

Warriors make injury-enforced change for Canberra Raiders

The 19-year-old Papali'i limped off early in last week's 20-8 win over Gold Coast and has since been ruled out for up to six weeks with a medial knee ligament sprain.

He'll be replaced in the second row by ex-Titan Pulu, who has twice started on the bench this season and will line up alongside Tohu Harris and lock Ligi Sao.

As a result, fellow Warriors recruit Agnatius Paasi comes onto the bench, where he'll join another new face in Jazz Tevaga, who replaces Sam Cook.

Coach Stephen Kearney talked up Pulu's NRL pedigree.

NRL: Ahulo Ottio thanks the Canberra Raiders for emotional tribute to Kato Ottio

The Ottio family is still grieving over the loss of a son and brother that would have celebrated his 24th birthday on Tuesday, March 20.

Moments after the Canberra Raiders suffered defeat at the hands of the Newcastle Knights at Canberra Stadium on Sunday, the two clubs combined to pay tribute to Ottio.

Ottio died of heatstroke in January, two days before he was due to fly to England to join the Super League's Widnes Vikings.