NRL: Canberra bring the best out of the Warriors

Tuimoala Lolohea of the Warriors. Photo / Getty Images.

Warriors 30
Raiders 8

It's about the time of year when some people celebrate a mid-winter Christmas and, watching this match, an early Christmas wish came to mind: can the Raiders visit every week?

It's intangible, maybe inexplicable, but Canberra seem to bring the best out of the Warriors, especially Shaun Johnson. The halfback had the ball on a string last night, and turned the match in the space of five second-half minutes with two moments of magic.

The Warriors were deserved 30-8 victors, their fifth win in seven games. There was some sublime attack but what was most pleasing was the defensive effort. Canberra failed to score in the last 60 minutes and, for one of the few times this season, the home side shut the door after establishing a decent lead.

Tui Lolohea grabbed a brace - including a fantastic effort off a perfect Johnson kick - and Bodene Thompson marked his 100th NRL game with a strong try.

If there was a criticism, it was the amount of lateral running, especially in the first half - far too much coast-to-coast, before they made the necessary inroads north. It might be the effect of playing the Raiders and the memories of those big wins in recent times, as players looked for open pastures whenever they received the ball.

There was plenty of feeling last night. Frank-Paul Nuuausala, who has gone from being a big, intimidating forward to an absolute giant, roamed the field with menace and fellow Kiwi and former Rooster Sia Soliola wasn't far behind.

The Raiders lived on the edge for much of the first half - probably fortunate to avoid a sin bin - but the home side kept their cool, and Charlie Gubb upped the ante with a great shot on Nuuausala. It's quite a feat. It's one thing to put on a big hit, another to send such a man mountain backwards.

Canberra certainly have potential. There are touches of the famous Green Machine about their backline and Jack Wighton and Blake Austin can be great to watch. They can be entertaining (they've scored more tries than any other team this year) and their 20th-minute try - a blink-and-you-miss-it effort to Wighton - featured some of the fastest hands seen at Mt Smart since Eric Clapton in 1990. But that was as good as it got for the Raiders, as the Warriors scored four unanswered tries.

If Johnson was the Roadrunner, then Jarrod Croker again resembled the hapless Coyote at times. No one will forget the match at Eden Park in 2014, when he was reduced to roadkill as Konrad Hurrell ran riot, and the Tongan centre gave Croker nightmares again last night. In the Warriors' best move of the first half, Hurrell flattened the Canberra captain before a Matt Gidley-style flick-pass to Lolohea.

Johnson skipped over just after halftime - with another quicksilver one-two sidestep - before laying on Lolohea's second with an angled kick. To top off the night, Manu Vatuvei grabbed a late present under the posts.

Warriors 30 (T Lolohea 2, B Thompson, S Johnson, M Vatuvei tries; S Johnson 5 gls) Raiders 8 (J Wighton try; J Croker 2 gls). Halftime: 14-6.