NRL: Ferguson pays for mistakes

Josh Cordoba of the Sharks is tackled during the match between the Sharks and the Raiders. Photo / Getty Images

They say revenge is a dish best served cold - and the Sharks caught former winger Blake Ferguson cold when he turned out against them last night for the Raiders.

For team 11 hosting team 13, this match had a lot on it. Both sides have been showing signs of battling their way into the playoffs and long-suffering Sharks supporters are holding their breath.

But there was a sub-plot - the Cronulla fans providing a boo-laden greeting for the unpopular Ferguson.

It all looked dandy when Wade Graham scored the first try after five minutes in a raid down Ferguson's wing.

A clever interchange with centre Colin Best saw Graham dummy and dot down - and the Sharks faithful dared to hope they might be about to repeat the feeding frenzy that saw them up 20-0 over South Sydney at halftime last week.

It didn't quite work out that way.

A botched Cronulla pass saw Ferguson scoop up the ball for a gift trot and try.

It was a nasty taste in the mouth for Sharks fans; angered last year when Ferguson walked out on the club, saying he'd rather play for an outfit with real Premiership claims.

That went down in the Shire like a cup of cold sick - and they were looking forward to Ferguson being forcibly made to regard the error of his ways.

The Sharks had won three from the last three and were hoping to extend a trot of their own.

Revenge came when Graham slipped in a grubber and Ferguson made a hash of claiming it, allowing Best to score his 100th NRL try.

Worse was to come for the error-laden Raiders.

Wing Reece Robinson ran a kick back from defence, the ball squirted free in the tackle and Jayson Bukuya had a free path to the line.

The mistakes kept coming - and any objective measure of either of these two sides would conclude that, if they make the playoffs, they may not trouble the big boys.

However, Canberra's big forwards kept them in it and when five-eighth Josh McCrone dinked a last-tackle kick, centre Jarrod Croker somehow plucked the ball out of the hands of the Sharks' Ben Pomeroy for a skilful try.

At 14-12, the game was in the balance and the match tightened up in the second half.

Sweetly for Sharks supporters, it was Ferguson who made the ball security mistake that led to another raid, with Taulima Tautai battling over.

The game was won in the 69th minute when Sam Tagataese cut the Raiders wide open with a 45-metre run. From the play-the-ball, Chad Townsend's perfect kick saw Robinson isolated and Pomeroy pick up the crumbs and settle the Raiders' hash.

The Sharks may or may not make the playoffs. The Shire faithful were happy last night just to think that Ferguson wouldn't.

Sharks 26 (W. Graham, C. Best, J. Bukuya, T. Tautai, B. Pomeroy tries, C. Townsend 3 goals).

Raiders 12 (B. Ferguson, J. Croker tries; Croker 2 goals).

Halftime: 14-12.