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Down 20-0 at halftime, Canterbury storm back with six second-half tries to stun Canberra 32-20 and claim their first GIO Stadium win in a decade
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs pulled off an incredible second-half comeback to beat the Canberra Raiders 32-20 at a packed GIO Stadium – their first win in Canberra since 2015.
Before the match even started, the atmosphere was electric. The Bulldogs fans started chanting loudly just as the Raiders began their famous Viking Clap, setting the stage for a fiery clash.
The Raiders came out strong, feeding off the home crowd’s energy. They opened the scoring early when Zac Hosking crossed the line in just the third minute. Jamal Fogarty added the conversion, giving the home team a 6-0 lead.
Canberra kept the pressure on and scored two more tries. Kaeo Weekes got one, followed by Xavier Savage, pushing the score to 16-0. Then, just before half-time, Hudson Young added another try to give the Raiders a dominant 20-0 lead at the break. Everything seemed to be going Canberra’s way.
But the Bulldogs weren’t done yet.
They came out firing in the second half and completely changed the game within minutes. In just six short minutes, they scored three tries to close the gap to 20-16.
Team captain Stephen Crichton led the charge by scoring the first try and setting up the second for Jaeman Salmon. Bailey Hayward played a key role in the buildup for both tries, acting as the perfect link between the players.
Bronson Xerri, playing his 50th NRL match, nearly added another try after breaking through the Raiders’ defense on the left edge. However, an ankle tap brought him down just short. The Bulldogs tried to take advantage of the run when Connor Tracey got over the line, but he was brilliantly held up by Ethan Strange.
Still, more points were on the way. Just moments later, Marcelo Montoya scored after receiving a pass from Viliame Kikau. Then, Toby Sexton set up Max King to score untouched, tying the match at 20-20.
With momentum completely in their favour, the Bulldogs pushed on. Matt Burton delivered a perfect ball to set up Kikau for a try, and shortly after, Crichton passed quickly to Jacob Kiraz, who scored another. Crichton then converted the final try, sealing a memorable 32-20 victory.
The Bulldogs had scored six second-half tries and turned around a 20-point deficit in spectacular fashion. It was a thrilling win and one the team and fans will remember for a long time.
Final Score:
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 32
(Tries: Crichton, Salmon, Montoya, King, Kikau, Kiraz; Goals: Crichton 4/6)
def.
Canberra Raiders 20
(Tries: Hosking, Weekes, Savage, Young; Goals: Fogarty 2/4)
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