3 minute read

A 36-16 NRL win over Gold Coast was Canberra's fifth from their past six matches but coach Ricky Stuart says his team is nowhere near being a finals threat yet.

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart says his in-form NRL team still has a long way to go to be a threat in this year's finals.

The Raiders claimed a 36-16 win over undermanned Gold Coast on Saturday, their fifth win from their past six starts.

Despite that run of results, with the sole defeat being a 28-12 loss to ladder-leaders Penrith, Stuart feels there is still plenty of fine-tuning needed for the Green Machine.

"We've still got a way to go. We're nowhere where we need to be if we're going to be a threat in the semis," Stuart said.

The Raiders flew up from freezing Canberra into a sun-soaked CBUS Super Stadium and took a while to warm-up against a Titans team shorn of Kevin Proctor (suspended), Jai Arrow (shoulder), Dale Copley (pec) and late omission Ash Taylor (quad).

Despite those absences, the home team drew first blood through Phillip Sami's try but once the Raiders had thawed out they charged to a 22-4 halftime lead with five-eighth Jack Wighton picking up a first-half double.

Winger Nick Cotric also picked up two tries in the win before being rested for the game's final minutes as a precaution due to a tight groin.

The highlight of the match was a remarkable chase by Raiders' big man Josh Papalii to deny stand-in Titans' captain Jamal Fogarty a length-of-the-field try.

Fogarty had sprinted clear from a quick 20m tap but Papalii, sprinting 60m in pursuit, ankle-tapped the Titans' halfback who then knocked on as he hit the turf.

Stuart said the performance was a good one in terms of the scoreboard but not in terms of finesse.

"We took our foot off the pedal individually and it caused some line breaks and it caused some poor pieces of play attacking-wise." Stuart said.

"It's hard coming up here and winning and coming here and winning the way we should have won but the scoreboard was a good result at the end."

Titans coach Justin Holbrook said his team had looked threatening at times but the result showed how far off Gold Coast are from the competition's leading clubs.

"We're just not hanging in there for long enough periods and that's the difference between the top sides, they're willing to do that and they're expected to do it and we're hoping we don't have to do it," Holbrook said.

"A couple of games we've done it and a couple of games we haven't and today was one where we didn't."

The Titans suffered another injury setback with Nathan Peats hurting a calf while forward Meaki Fotuaika was placed on report in the second half for a crusher tackle.

Papalii was also placed on report after a high shot on Titans' front-rower Jaimin Jolliffe moments after his remarkable chase down of Fogarty.