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Posted: 2024-04-07 05:23:15

The Raiders have hammered the Eels 41-8 in Canberra, bouncing back in a big way from a miserable performance in round four.

Canberra surrendered an 18-0 to lose 36-22 to Cronulla last week in one of the team's darkest moments in recent memory, but back in front of home fans on Sunday night, the Raiders were clinical.

"After last week's s*** we dished out, we owed it to our fans and ourselves to put a bit of pride back in our jerseys and show that was a one-off s*** game," Raiders fullback Jordan Rapana told ABC Sport.

Rapana's effort was particularly impressive as he left the game after appearing to dislocate his right knee in the opening minutes, only to return with it heavily strapped and play the entire second half despite it locking up on a number of occasions throughout the night.

Earlier, the Cowboys withstood a second-half surge from the Gold Coast Titans to win their Queensland derby 35-22.

North Queensland led 28-4 with just under half an hour left, but the Titans mounted an impressive comeback, aided by a sin-binning for Cowboys half Chad Townsend for a hip-drop tackle.

Three tries in seven minutes got the Gold Coast within six points, before Kyle Feldt snagged an intercept and went 40 metres to seal the game and pass Matt Bowen to become North Queensland's greatest try-scorer with 131.

Look back at all the action in our live blog below, and check out all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre.

That will do it for today

Well, it's been another interesting day in the NRL, with the Titans almost pulling off the great escape against the Cowboys, only for Kyle Feldt to grab a bit of history on his way to sealing a 35-22 win in front of their home fans.

And the Raiders bounced back from their horrible fortnight with one of their best performances in recent memory to absolutely thump the Eels 41-8.

Two teams who, at their best, look as dangerous as anyone in the league but have shown a propensity for lapses.

And that's it for round five! We'll be back tomorrow morning with the Round-Up at ABC Sport so don't forget to check that out as we bring you a little slice of something from every match over the past four days.

Thanks for joining us and see you next time!

FULL-TIME: Canberra shreds the Eels 41-8

Xavier Savage sits on the ground and points to the sky after a try in an NRL game.
(Getty)

It's a complete performances from the Raiders at home, bouncing back from two straight losses to take Parramatta apart to the tune of seven tries to two.

Coach Ricky Stuart will be happy to see his team never let up, scoring basically every 15 minutes tonight, especially after they gave up an 18-0 lead to the Sharks last week.

"After last week's s*** we dished out we owed it to our fans and ourselves to put a bit of pride back in our jerseys and show that was a one-off s*** game," Jordan Rapana tells ABC Sport.

80' Reagan Campbell-Gillard is pinged for a second high shot in the last five minutes

And Jordan Rapana pegs the ball at him. Things don't boil over.

Matt Timoko has another try and the conversion takes the Raiders beyond 40

The Raiders centre's brilliant night continues as Simi Sasagi charges at the line, has the ball punched out by Clint Gutherson and Matt Timoko swoops to score.

Gutherson tells the referee "it's a knock-on", but it looks for all money like he punched it out of a solid grip on the ball. And the bunker agrees.

"I think Parramatta needs to stop whinging and get on with the game," former Canberra halfback Sam Williams says on ABC Sport.

74' The kick-off is out on the full

The Eels get a penalty on halfway so the Raiders will be forced into more goal-line defence, but a dropped ball from Kelma Tuilagi lets them off the hook. Pretty poor dummy-half pass Joey Lussick, and Tuilagi stares daggers at him.

Maika Sivo at the double for Parramatta

Once again James Schiller is caught in no man's land by a long ball, this time from Dylan Brown, finding Maika Sivo on the left wing and he muscles over.

"I don't think it's been good enough from the wingers," former Raider Sam Williams says of their defensive effort tonight.

The Raiders make it 35-4 with a penalty goal

The Eels are pinged for an infringement at marker and Jamal Fogarty slots a penalty goal.

The Raiders lead the penalty count 8-2 now.

66' The Eels win a captain's challenge … and immediately waste it

Parramatta wins a captain's challenge for a strip in a two-man tackle after Ryan Matterson releases, but a dummy-half pass goes to no-one and Blaize Talagi knocks on in trying to pick it up. Raiders back on the attack.

More Matt Timoko magic and the Raiders are making it look easy

The Raiders centre beats four or five defenders from a standing start, breaking through the middle of the field and setting up Hudson Young to score under the posts. This scoreline is getting out of hand now.

Call them Parramatta Unagi, because these Eels are cooked.

The Raiders are on a roll now as James Schiller dives over

Brilliant hands on the right side from Jamal Fogarty to Jordan Rapana to Matt Timoko to James Schiller to create the overlap and the winger sprints 30 metres to score in the corner.

57' What is happening out there?

J'maine Hopgood breaks the line and flings a pass to Joey Lussick, who's absolutely contacted by Joe Tapine before the ball gets to him, but the bunker says no!

Hudson Young then scooped the ball up and was stripped by Shaun Lane in a two-man tackle. And that's penalised.

So, rather than a Parramatta penalty in front of the posts 20 metres out, the Raiders get a piggyback up the field.

56' Rapana's knee is looking OK now

The Raiders fullback swoops on a chip, fields it with one hand and zips 40 metres upfield and looks to be moving pretty freely in the open field.

Canberra is right on the attack, but James Schiller knocks on in a great ball and all tackle from Dylan Brown.

The Raiders are in again and the bunker says it's a try!

Xavier Savage gets outside Sean Russell and breaks down the left wing and banana kicks back in-field for Danny Levi to score.

But the referee thinks Levi's offside off the kick.

He is, but Savage does just barely enough to run him back onside after the kick.

The Eels aren't happy. It looks like a line-ball call and you could have upheld the on-field 'no try' ruling. Alas, it's overturned and the Raiders are 23-4 ahead after Jamal Fogarty's conversion.

Clint Gutherson throws a wonder-ball for Maika Sivo to score

Gutherson's cut-out ball floated in slow-motion to Maika Sivo and James Schiller was out of position, clutching at the failed intercept as Sivo caught the ball and touched down as he brought it around to improve the kicking position.

But it's not enough for Gutherson to add the extras.

Matt Timoko scores a blinder for the Raiders while stuck in the spin cycle

The Raiders break down the right through James Schiller, who passes back in to Matt Timoko. The Eels' cover defence catches up to him and Dylan Brown hangs on, spinning Timoko around and over the sideline, but the Canberra has enough wherewithal to adjust as his body is flung into touch to slam the ball down in the corner.

42' Jordan Rapana re-injures his 'locked knee'

I thought if he was any chance of getting back out on the field he'd absolutely have to do it while he was warm, but he's back out after cooling down following what former Raider Sam Williams labels on ABC Sport a "locked knee". Yuck.

But his first play of the half sees him land hard after taking the grab in the air and it looks like the knee has popped out again. He can't move.

He's trying to walk it off and Williams says he's seen the Canberra doctor get over to him to "unlock" or pop the knee back into place.

My mum sometimes suffers similar lock-ups in her knee as a result of an old skiing injury (I promise I'm not as bougie as that sentence makes me sound).

The players are back out on the field for the second half

Both teams surrendered leads to lose last week, so can the Raiders put together a full game's worth of good rugby league? Or will the Eels strike back?

Let's find out in the final 40 minutes of round five.

Enjoy this Xavier Savage special

The Raiders winger is the embodiment of "X" factor.

HALF-TIME: Jamal Fogarty's field goal makes it 13-0 to the Raiders

Jamal Fogarty pushes the Raiders out to 13-0 with 30 seconds left before half-time with a 25-metre shot from dead in front. His kicking game has been perfect all season and vital again tonight.

The Raiders won't turn their nose up at 13-0, but it's certainly been a less-than-clinical performance from both teams.

Former Raiders halfback Sam Williams says the Eels are feeling the absence of Mitchell Moses and look "one pass short" tonight.

36' A bit of fire around Corey Horsburgh

The Raiders' redhead regathers a chip from Dylan Brown and cops an arm across the face from Brown on the ground. There's a bit of push and shove, but not much to write home about really.

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