Warriors Suffer Las Vegas ‘Nightmare’ as Raiders Deliver a Bold ‘Statement’ Following Whirlwind Journey

Canberra has moved past a challenging week, delivering a powerful message to the rest of the league with a commanding victory over the New Zealand Warriors.

Despite being in the spotlight for less-than-favourable reasons due to an incident involving a couple of their stars, the Raiders put those distractions behind them and secured a 30-8 triumph on Sunday (AEDT).

In front of a lively crowd at Allegiant Stadium that grew more fervent as the day progressed, Ricky Stuart’s squad showcased their skills on both offence and defence.

Xavier Savage shone with a first-half brace, including a spectacular long-range intercept try that had the Las Vegas supporters on their feet.

Luke Metcalf seemed poised to set up a try for the Warriors, but Savage sprang from the defensive line, snatched the ball, and sprinted nearly 100 metres to score.

“It’s a ball player’s nightmare,” Matty Johns remarked on Fox League.

“Sometimes, those outside players take a gamble, and this time it paid off.”

Kurt Capewell managed to halt Canberra’s momentum just before half-time, surprisingly finding himself on the wing and crossing the line to narrow the deficit.

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The Warriors faced another setback early in the second half as fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad made a critical blunder, allowing Seb Kris to seize the opportunity and score again after the Bunker overturned the on-field decision.

“He made it so much harder than it needed to be,” Braith Anasta critiqued regarding the error.

With time against them, the Warriors seemed to have a golden chance to get back in the match, but one of their key players failed to capitalise.

Following a perfectly-placed kick from Chanel Harris-Tavita into the in-goal area, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was unable to ground the ball, his body language reflecting his disappointment.

The Bunker then reviewed the play and confirmed it was not a try.

Canberra capitalised on the missed chance as Matt Timoko joined the scoring, while club debutant Savelio Tamale dazzled with his nimble footwork in Sin City.

Though the halves pairing of Jamal Fogarty and Ethan Strange continued to flourish on the grand stage, the same couldn’t be said for the Warriors’ revamped squad.

“I think the Warriors are lacking direction … we’re witnessing the impact of Shaun Johnson’s absence,” Anasta noted.

There was a flicker of hope for the Warriors in the last 15 minutes when Joseph Tapine was sin-binned for a shoulder charge, enabling Tuivasa-Sheck to convert in the corner.

However, it was insufficient as they stumbled in their 2025 season opener, highlighting concerning signs, while the Raiders thrived against the odds and claimed two points from Las Vegas.

“They have undeniably made a statement on this grand stage,” Anasta asserted.