The Canberra Raiders stormed to a commanding 44-24 victory over the West Magpies at Lidcombe Oval on Anzac Day, recording back-to-back wins for the first time this season in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.
Game Summary
It was the Raiders who drew first blood inside the opening five minutes, with halfback Ethan Alaia slicing through the defensive line to score. Chevy Stewart's conversion made it six-nil before the Magpies settled into the contest and hit back through tries to Fiohiva Siale Fainga'a and Latu Fainu to lead 12-6 midway through the first half.
From there, the Raiders took control. Two quick tries in the space of minutes — to Jordan Uta and Alaia— turned a six-point deficit into a six-point lead heading into the final quarter of the first half. Then Stewart struck down the blind side, and converted to open up a 24-12 advantage at half-time.
The Magpies couldn't have asked for a worse start to the second half, turning the ball over in their first set. Owen Pattie made them pay immediately, bashing his way over from dummy half to extend the lead to 16 points. West's found themselves in a deep hole with 40 minutes to play.
To their credit, the Magpies fought back. After sustained pressure in the Raiders' end, Fainga'a crossed for his second of the afternoon before Javon Andrews converted to cut the margin to 12. For a moment, the contest was alive again, and the Lidcombe crowd dared to dream.
But it was the Raiders who landed the decisive blow. Alaia darted down the blind side to score his third try of the afternoon, and the Magpies never recovered. The green and white machine continued to roll, with Mark Tuialii and then an in-goal effort in the dying seconds completing an eight-try haul.
Heath Mason crossed late for West's to make the scoreline slightly more respectable, but full-time arrived with the scoreboard reading 44-24 — a comprehensive result in favour of the Raiders.
Talking Points
Ethan Alaia was the standout performer on the park, finishing with a hat-trick and proving time and again that he is a danger with ball in hand. His ability to pick his moment and exploit gaps in the defensive line was a consistent feature of the Raiders' attack.
Owen Pattie was relentless throughout, leading all tacklers and contributing a crucial try at the start of the second half. His work rate at dummy half set the platform for much of Canberra's best football.
The Magpies showed fight — particularly during a prolonged stint on the Raiders' try-line in the second half — but an inability to convert field position into points proved costly. Their season so far has been defined by near-misses and late collapses, and Anzac Day offered more of the same.
Key Moment
Maverick Geyer's knock-on from the very first set of the second half summed up the Magpies' afternoon. With the score at 24-12 and a chance to build genuine momentum, the turnover gifted Canberra an immediate attacking platform — and Pattie made them pay within three minutes. That moment effectively ended the contest as a contest.
What's Next?
The Raiders will be buoyed by consecutive 40-point performances as they look to climb the Knock On Effect NSW Cup ladder after a dire start to the season. West's, now sitting at one win and five losses for the year, will need to regroup quickly — their next home game at Lidcombe is not until Round 17 against Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs on 31 May.
