League: Warriors run riot over Raiders

Konrad Hurrell of the Warriors tries to bust through the Raiders defence. (Photo by Stefan...
Konrad Hurrell of the Warriors tries to bust through the Raiders defence. (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)
The Warriors have blitzed a Canberra Raiders side who were dressed like the Incredible Hulk, but played more like his skittish and mild mannered alter-ego Bruce Banner.

The Raiders Marvel superhero-inspired uniform did little to help them in the face of a rampant Warriors side that were all power and class in a dominant 54-18, ten tries-to-three victory.

Big winger Manu Vatuvei scored a second-half hat-trick and prop Sam Rapira crossed for a double, as the Warriors racked up more than 50 points for the third time in as many meetings with the Raiders.

The win is the Warriors first in three games and ends their 13-year-losing streak in Canberra and gives them their first victory at GIO Stadium since 1997.

After heading into the match in ninth position, the Warriors have surged up the NRL ladder into seventh position, where they remain locked together on 24 points behind North Queensland and above both Melbourne and Parramatta.

The woeful Raiders meanwhile, have now lost three games in a row, and seven of their last eight, to remain equal-last with the 16th-placed Sharks on 14 points.

Despite missing star halfback Shaun Johnson for the second week in a row, the Warriors were clinical and composed throughout, with halves Thomas Leuluai and Chad Townsend - who kicked seven goals from nine attempts - combining well to direct play and set their powerful outsides free.

Young gun Tuimoala Lolohea looked more than comfortable off the bench in his second appearance, and showed great confidence to fire a 20 metre pass infield for Ngani Laumape's second-half score, while back-rower Feleti Mateo was strong in his return from a calf injury.

The Raiders enjoyed the better of possession throughout the first half on the back of some varied kicking and strong defence but were unable to make the most of their attacking chances.

The Warriors, as they have done each of their past five matches, managed to score in the first 10 minutes, when back-rower Sione Lousi strolled over out wide on the back of their first powerful set.

The Raiders continued to find themselves within attacking range but struggled to penetrate and fell further behind when Tomkins jinked and weaved past five defenders to score under the bar, with Chad Towsend's conversion putting them ahead 10-0 after 14 minutes.

Undeterred, the Raiders did well to force four line-drop outs in the opening 20, yet their weak left edge struggled defensively and were made to pay time and again, with Hurrell, Ben Matulino, and Rapira all scoring through that channel to make it 28-0 at the break.

Mistakes continued to let the home side down in the second-half, and the Warriors kept the foot on the throat, despite losing both Hurrell (hamstring) and prop Jacob Lillyman (lower leg) to injuries.

Rapira, Vatuvei and Laumape all crossed early, before Vatuvei ran in two more tries in the 64th and 68th minutes.

The Raiders finally showed some of the Hulk's rage as the Warriors dropped off in the dying stages, with Josh McCrone, Jarrod Croker, and Reece Robinson all scoring to leave a bittersweet taste in the visitor's mouths.

Warriors 54 (Sione Lousi, Sam Tomkins, Konrad Hurrell, Ben Matulino, Sam Rapira 2, Manu Vatuvei 3, Ngani Laumape tries; Townsend 7 from 9 goals), Raiders 18 (Josh McCrone, Jarrod Croker, Reece Robinson tries; Croker 3 goals).

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