Match Details
Match Date	20th Jun, 2014
Opponent	Canberra
Result	Win 22-14
Coach	Des Hasler
Captain	Michael Ennis
Venue	Canberra (GIO Stadium)
Crowd	10,873
Referee	Ashley Klein Alan Shortall

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart’s pregame forecast of more short-term pain proved prophetic with a major team reshuffle failing to lift his struggling side in a 22-14 loss to Canterbury at Canberra Stadium on Friday.

Labelled a ‘‘must-win game’’ by skipper Terry Campese, the decision to bench rising star Anthony Milford and install Reece Robinson at fullback backfired for the hosts as Canterbury snapped a three-game losing streak.

Milford was presumably benched because he was involved in Queensland Origin camp all week, but a horror Robinson error in the second half helped Canterbury cruise to victory.

Stuart dropped rising half Mitch Cornish from his bench and costly errors ensured debutant Brenko Lee had a night to forget.

With NSW halves Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds pulling the strings expertly just two days after helping break the Maroons’ eight-year dynasty, the visitors tore Canberra’s leaky edge defence to shreds.

Bulldogs skipper Michael Ennis praised his playmakers for their strong displays after the finest moment of their careers. ‘‘I’m really proud of them, it was a tremendous effort from them tonight,’’ Ennis said.

Raiders centre Jarrod Croker was one of his side’s best, but admitted errors and discipline again crippled his side. ‘‘It’s the same every week and we can’t keep doing it,’’ he said. ‘‘We have to start winning or it’s going to be over before it’s barely started. It’s been like that the whole year. With errors and penalties we give them too much of a leg up, and a quality side like that will come away with the points.’’

A spirited Raiders side began strongly and led 8-4 after 25 minutes, but they have now lost six of their last seven games and any remote chance of playing in the finals now seems lost.

Canberra trailed 14-8 at half-time and were right in the contest, but Robinson’s 50th-minute gaffe proved the fatal blow. Attempting to avoid conceding a line drop-out, Robinson lost the ball attempting to plant it in the field of play, with Bulldogs centre Tim Lafai pouncing to score.

It was a call likely to spark debate, with the on-field referees’ no-try ruling overruled by video referees Luke Phillips and Henry Perenara.

The Raiders crowd of 10,873 held their breath when Campese headed down the tunnel with an issue to the left knee, the same knee that has been reconstructed twice. Fears he may have snapped his anterior cruciate ligament again were eased when he returned to the field.

In the sixth minute Croker opened the scoring with his 11th try of the season through some aggressive hole running off a Terry Campese pass.

After 15 minutes the Bulldogs made winger Lee pay for a knock on just five metres out from his own line, with Drury Low scoring in the left corner.

In the 33rd minute a pass from Reynolds opened up space for centre Krisnan Inu to position his winger Corey Thompson to score in the corner and give the visitors a 10-8 lead.

Reynolds was provider again just before the break when his 40-20 set up Low’s second try and a 14-8 Canterbury lead. Lafai doubled that lead before a Hodkinson penalty goal with 15 minutes left sealed the result.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

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