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Sport Nation
Cronulla send the Raiders out in straight sets
Nicholas Quinlan • September 21st, 2025 1:40 am
The Canberra Raiders have gone out in straight sets with a 32-12 loss to the Cronulla Sharks, becoming the first minor premiers to do so since 2009.
Coming into the match, the Green Machine were dealt an unlucky hand with star five-eighth Ethan Strange being ruled out of the match hours from kick-off after picking up a mysterious illness overnight.
That meant that the Raiders had to reshuffle their line-up with Simi Sasagi filling in for Strange, who had not played in the halves since 2021, when he played in the NSW Cup.
While the Sharks came into the game with plenty of momentum, having won their second finals game under Craig Fitzgibbon against the Roosters, they made no changes to their line-up.
The match started as a defensive stalemate between the two sides, with neither able to break for at least the first 10 minutes.
But it looked like the Raiders had made the first score of the match in the 12th minute with a try from Savelio Tamale.
But the try was called off with the Bunker agreeing with Grant Atkins’ call of a no try, with it being ruled as a double movement instead.
Following that, both teams had their chances to score within the next five minutes, but each defence was resolute in keeping the game scoreless.
The official breakthrough would come in the 23rd minute with Corey Horsburgh muscling his way to just get the ball over the try line despite having three Cronulla players on him.
But before the half ended, the Sharks, through Nicho Hynes, would respond with interest as they turned the game in their favour.
The 2022 Dally M Medallist would set up Ronaldo Mulitalo for Cronulla’s first with a beautiful assist and then would go over himself for the second after helping KL Iro break the Raiders’ line before scoring on the next tackle to lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Raiders were denied another try by the bunker with Hudson Young being deemed an obstruction, which allowed Sasagi to score.
But Canberra would make the game level once more as they made the most of a Braydon Trindall ruck infringement to score on the set restart with Tamale once again scoring for the Green Machine.
The equal score between the two sides would only last five minutes, with Cronulla’s Billy Burns capitalising on the Raiders giving away a set restart.
That would be the moment that truly turned the game in Cronulla’s favour as Iro and Teig Wilton capitalised on Canberra errors to see the Sharks progress to their second preliminary final in a row.
While the Sharks will progress to a Grand Final Qualifier against Melbourne next Friday, at AAMI Park, they will be forced to make changes to their line-up.
Prop Tom Hazelton will definitely be out for the preliminary final after having suffered a Category One Concussion following a hit-up from Tom Starling, while Toby Rudolph will have to wait for the judiciary’s decision following his dangerous tackle, which put him on report.
