Report from the NRL.com website. Looks like Chalky may have sewn up the No 1 jersey for the opening game.
Raiders bag 26-4 trail win over Tigers
Saturday, March 3, 2007 - 10:34 PM
Dismissed as wooden spoon favourites, a depleted Canberra Raiders have received a welcome confidence boost by downing a near full-strength Wests Tigers 26-4 in their NRL trial in Brisbane.
The Raiders were the joke of the NRL when they were downed by a combined Redcliffe-Broncos feeder side last weekend in a crushing blow for new coach Neil Henry.
But they turned their form around by comfortably brushing aside a Tigers side boasting stars Benji Marshall, John Morris and Robbie Farah in their starting side for the first time.
Adding injury to insult, Tigers backrower Liam Fulton - who has re-signed until the end of 2010 - was stretchered off early in the second half after being concussed in a tackle.
The Tigers would have feared the worst when the stretcher was called for Fulton after the premiership-winning backrower only returned to full fitness from a shoulder injury suffered in the opening 2006 NRL round.
All eyes were on Marshall as he made his starting debut following his eight-month recovery from a second major shoulder operation.
While Marshall tried hard all night, the bulked up pivot's reconstructed shoulders could not carry the Tigers, who were swept aside five tries to one including a double to Raiders fullback Marshall Chalk.
The loss was hardly the tonic the Tigers needed as they prepare for a daunting opening round clash against the Storm at Melbourne on March 16.
In contrast, the Raiders needed a lift before they opened their NRL account against Manly at Brookvale Oval on March 17.
After the Tigers trailed 12-0 at halftime, Taniela Tuiaki crashed over for a soft try in the 48th minute to give them a sniff.
But Canberra bounced back 13 minutes later when 20-year-old halfback Michael Dobson's deft pass set up a sideline try to Chalk.
Canberra was over again when Phil Graham (67th minute) latched onto a Marshall mis-kick and ran 80m to score before Chalk bagged his double in the 73rd.
Not helping the Tigers' cause was Ryan O'Hara being sin-binned midway through the first half for holding down in the tackle.
Raiders coach Henry bit his tongue when asked if he had silenced some critics with a side hampered by an eight-strong injury list.
"I don't know about silencing some people. The wooden spoon thing keeps coming up but punters can say what they like," he said.
"We just get on and play footy. We are working as hard as any other team.
"Plus it's just trials, the competition starts in a few weeks.
"But it's a confidence boost for us because we have a young squad and they need to build some self belief there."
Meanwhile, Tigers coach Tim Sheens said his side "gifted" the Raiders the win.
"I'm not trying to take anything away from them, they've copped some criticism and they've stung back."
Sheens believed Fulton would be fit for the season opener but was most concerned with Marshall's halves combination with former Eel Morris.
"They were all over the place tonight. They lost the composure of the game tonight."
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