2024 Canberra Raiders Junior Representatives

[The Greenhouse]

Try denied to Canberra in the final minute of Harold Matthews.

FULL TIME

South Sydney Rabbitohs 32
Canberra Raiders 22

[The Greenhouse]

Raiders kick off at Seiffert to get things underway in Tarsha Gale Cup. And it’s out on the full.

[The Greenhouse]

2nd min TRY RABBITOHS to hooker Mikayla Langer. No Raiders on either side of the marker, wide open for the dive over from dummy half. Converted Abbie Ritchie.

Rabbitohs 6-0

[The Greenhouse]

5th min TRY RABBITOHS to Elise Simpson. Trademark long range try after making a break on the hill touchline. Converted Lara Cosgrove.

Raiders 6
Rabbitohs 6

[The Greenhouse]

8th min TRY RAIDERS to halfback Lahni Hall. She runs it on the last in the red zone, and a huge hole opens up. Converted from in front by Lara Cosgrove. India Dyball made a good break in the lead up.

Raiders 12-6

[The Greenhouse]

11th min TRY RAIDERS to Lola Fletcher. The Rabbitohs defence is opening up all over the place. Cosgrove converts.

Raiders 18-6

[The Greenhouse]

18th min TRY RAIDERS to centre Jade Harding in the corner, off a scrum play. Repeat set as the Rabbitohs knock the ball down on the goal line, on the last. Elise Simpson misses the conversion from the sideline. Drops short.

Raiders 22-6

[The Greenhouse]

23rd min TRY RAIDERS to Lara Cosgrove. Converted Elise Simpson. They have had several other chances to score, but errors cost them.

Raiders 28-6

[The Greenhouse]

28th min TRY RAIDERS to Elise Simpson. Another long range effort, makes the break on the right edge from 70-80 metres out wide. She runs it around as well. Cosgrove converts.

Canberra Raiders 34
South Sydney Rabbitohs 6

HALF TIME

[The Greenhouse]

Back underway for the second half of Tarsha Gale Cup.

[The Greenhouse]

38th min TRY RAIDERS near the posts to prop Claudia Finau. Converted Cosgrove.

Raiders 40-6

[The Greenhouse]

48th min TRY RAIDERS to half Lahni Hall out wide. No conversion.

Raiders 44-6

[The Greenhouse]

52nd min TRY RAIDERS to half Lani Hall. HAT TRICK! Great break from Claudia Finau, she runs like a centre and then threw a wonderful offload to set up the try. Converted Cosgrove. That’s 50!

Raiders 50-6

Rabbitohs now offside at the kick off.

[The Greenhouse]

55th min TRY RAIDERS to Lola Fletcher. She just dives over from dummy half. Rabbitohs player on the ground, and they have to stretcher her off. She’s moving about, seems to be a leg injury. Cosgrove converts from almost in front.

Raiders 56-6

Short kick off does not go 10 metres.

[The Greenhouse]

58th min TRY RAIDERS to Lahni Hall, just dived over from dummy half, after the Rabbitohs knock on a kick. Repeat set. No conversion.

Canberra Raiders 60
South Sydney Rabbitohs 6

FULL TIME

[greeneyed]

2024 Round 9 Junior Representatives Wrap



SG Ball

The Canberra Raiders suffered a 40-18 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval on Good Friday. There was a changing of the guard for the Raiders, with a lot of new faces given an opportunity.

Four players from the Monaro Colts, fresh off a win in the Laurie Daley Cup Grand Final, were included - James Croker, Harry Hudson, Jonah Anderson and Mitchell Brophy. Ten players were left out, including Xavier Cacciotti, Keahn Skipps, Ethan Alaia and Owen Hromow - and it is likely that a good number of those players will now graduate to this year's Jersey Flegg squad.

The relative inexperience and the smaller size of the Raiders' line up told in the end. The Rabbitohs scored the opening three tries, taking a 16-0 lead at the 20 minute mark. Winger Daniel Wright opened the scoring in the corner in the 3rd minute - capitalising on his own intercept and 60 metre run in the lead up. Half Matthew Humphries scored out wide just two minutes later. In the 18th minute, Humphries' kick to the in goal set up a try to centre Jonti Morshead-Feildel.

Brayden Darmody, who had been shifted to centre for this match, scored the first of his three tries in the 24th minute, chasing a good cross field kick from half Sam Chapman. But a try to Rabbitohs winger Charlie Mann, three minutes before half time, ensured the home team went to the break with a 20-6 lead.



The Raiders drew within eight points after Darmody was the first to score in the second half. But that was about as good as it got for the Raiders. The Rabbitohs scored four tries in the second stanza, with Humphries finishing with a hat trick. Wright and Mann both posted doubles. Darmody completed his hat trick in the 62nd minute in unusual circumstances. After a conference with his touch judge, the referee awarded a penalty to the Rabbitohs for the contact on fullback Yasin Kuscu in the contest for the ball. But after a further conference with the touch judge, that was overturned and the try to Canberra was awarded.

It was disappointing that the Raiders did not make the SG Ball finals this year - after Canberra finished as minor premiers in 2023. The squad was strong and widely expected to again be a title contender in 2024. However, big losses to the Knights (56-10) and Steelers (42-18) in the opening two rounds proved to be difficult to come back from. Canberra had a good mid season run, winning four of five matches. But the season was ended by a 54-16 defeat to the Dragons in Round 8 in Sydney. There's always next year.

Season record: Raiders 4 and 5 (11th, -62)
Season form line: LLWWLWWLL

Harold Matthews

The Harold Matthews Raiders finished their season with a 32-22 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Seiffert Oval on Easter Saturday. Canberra conceded a try to winger Joshua Ballard in just the second minute of the game, after the Raiders were unable to defuse a bomb. Back to back Green Machine tries to centre Preston Smallwood and Cooper Johnston saw the home team take a 10-4 lead after 10 minutes. But the Rabbitohs were very quick to strike back. South Sydney captain Lochlin Moses produced a double in the space of six minutes, while centre Lisiate Mackay-Filihia scored right on half time. Canberra errors gifted the visitors all three opportunities.



The Rabbitohs took a 20-10 lead to the half time break - and they extended that lead to 16 points with a try to fullback Dayne Jennings in the 38th minute. And while Canberra kept themselves in the game with second half tries to Hardy Glover and Samuel Green, that was not enough.

The Raiders made the finals in Harold Matthews last year, but the Green Machine was not so fortunate in 2024. They started the year with losses to the Knights (28-20) and Central Coast Roosters (38-10) - but the loss to the Sharks in Round 3 was even harder to take. They started strongly in that match, going to a 12-0 lead after 15 minutes. The Sharks scored the next three tries taking control of the game. But a try to Kruger Roache with 10 minutes remaining levelled the scores and gave the Raiders a chance of a victory. Green hearts were broken, however, when the Sharks produced the winning field goal with a minute left on the clock. 19-18.

Canberra ended the season with only two wins - the Round 6 victory over the Panthers (34-28) and the Round 9 win over the Dragons (34-14). Beating the Panthers, who finished as minor premiers, was satisfying.

As the Raiders generally rely exclusively on regional talent in Harold Matthews, they don't always find things easy in this grade. Hopefully, it'll be a stronger 2025 season for them.

Season record: Raiders 2 and 6 (14th, -61)
Season form line: LLLLWLWL

Tarsha Gale Cup

The Tarsha Gale Raiders produced their best victory of the season in Round 9 - defeating the South Sydney Rabbitohs 60-6 at Seiffert Oval on Easter Saturday. The Rabbitohs scored the first try in only the second minute. It was an easy, short run from dummy half for hooker Mikaylan Langer. However, things went downhill from there for the Bunnies. The Raiders scored a total of 11 tries, with halfback Lahni Hall getting four of them. Fullback Elise Simpson and hooker Lola Fletcher both posted doubles. Goal kicker Lara Cosgrove scored a try and a total of 20 points.



It was a good way to end the season. The Raiders knew they couldn't make the finals coming into Saturday's match. But they finished the year in seventh place on the ladder, just one competition point away from playing finals. They won three of their last four matches. The only top six team they beat was the Sharks. But there is still a good basis to build from for 2025.

Season record: Raiders 4 and 4 (7th, +48)
Season form line: LLWLWLWW

[greeneyed]

Hardy Glover receives Don Furner Senior Scholarship for 2024

Raiders junior Hardy Glover has received the Don Furner Senior NSW Country Scholarship for 2024.

Hardy becomes the fourth recipient of the Don Furner Senior Scholarship, joining an elite class of Raiders juniors to receive it. Hardy is a Young Cherrypickers junior, who currently plays centre and five-eighth in the 2024 Raiders Harold Matthews Cup side.

The Raiders Foundation launched the Don Furner Senior NSW Country Scholarship Program in 2021 to honour and acknowledge the tremendous contribution of our inaugural Head Coach who passed away on 24 February 2020.

Don Furner Senior Scholarship recipients

Michael Asomua - 2021
Noah Martin - 2022
Elvis Nauer-Wood - 2023

Read more: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2024/04 ... -for-2024/

[greeneyed]

2024 Junior Representatives presentation night

The Canberra Raiders held their 2024 junior representatives presentation night on Wednesday evening.

Tarsha Gale Cup

Players Player - Claudia Finau
Coaches Award - India Dyball
Most Improved - Elise Simpson

Harold Matthews

Players Player - Cooper Johnston
Coaches Award - Lochie Ellard
Most Improved - Jamie Cowling

SG Ball

Players Player - Xavier Cacciotti
Coaches Award - Ethan Alaia
Most Improved - Mahonri Tiotala

Read more and gallery: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2024/05 ... ion-night/

[NoMan]

There's a few of the Colts lining up for the NSWRL City v Country Under 17s and 18s games Saturday week at 12.35pm. It's televised on NSWRL TV.

NSWRL Country and City squads announced for 2024: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2024/05 ... -for-2024/

[RedRaider]

There's a few of the Colts lining up for the NSWRL City v Country Under 17s and 18s games Saturday week at 12.35pm. It's televised on NSWRL TV.

NSWRL Country and City squads announced for 2024: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2024/05 ... -for-2024/

Interesting to see Peter Marapodi as coach of the City U/18 boys side and that they have an Illawarra Steelers player qualify for City.