For 39 minutes, it didn’t just rain on the Roosters.
Despite a clear, crisp winter’s night, the proverbial poured down on the Tricolours and their skipper James Tedesco, their umbrella cartwheeling down Driver Avenue all the while.
Canberra’s Jamal Fogarty spent his summer honing an already impressive kicking game alongside Ricky Stuart, and the first 30 minutes of an 20-18 win torturing the Australian, NSW and Roosters skipper with his aerial assault on Sunday night.
Tedesco eventually came good beneath the high ball — he is one of the best fullbacks the game has seen after all.
The Roosters did too as Origin hero Lindsay Collins barged over to make it a two-point game with four minutes to go.
But as is the fear for the one-time premiership favourites and a season that continues to slip away, they left too much to do in too little time.
James Tedesco had another rough night against the Raiders.Credit: Getty
Six wins from their last nine games is the Roosters’ likely equation just to make the finals, while the Raiders jump to fifth with a -69 points differential.
Twice in the first half Tedesco was emphatically outjumped by Jack Wighton and Sebastian Kris for Raiders tries.
Until Collins laid out the blueprint in Origin I, it’s hard to recall the last time it happened, but it’s been that type of 2023 for the Roosters and Tedesco.
In between the assault from on high, Tedesco argued in vain against a last pass for an Albert Hopoate try that might possibly have left the hands backwards, before certainly travelling forwards for Canberra’s second try.
Jack Wighton outleaps James Tedesco for one of the Raiders’ first-half tries.Credit: NRL Photos/Grant Trouville
The Raiders led 18-0 just before the break, and no one would have begrudged them a try or two more given their dominance.
Joey Manu — who had 36 touches and 318 running metres at fullback last week when Tedesco was away on Origin duty — was nowhere to be found.
Turns out he was on the right edge at centre and had actually handled once or twice during the first half.
Not until Luke Keary came and found him did the Golden Boot winner finally cut loose. Manu promptly cut Canberra to pieces, scything past Raiders defenders to trouble the scorers when, until that point, the Roosters hadn’t looked like doing anything of the sort.
Lindsay Collins’ late try set up a grandstand finish but it wasn’t to be for his Roosters side.Credit: Getty
Two minutes after half-time the pair combined again. A crossfield kick from Keary came down with the Kiwi superstar and it was 18-12.
The Roosters second-half fight had to be admired. It simply had to be produced too.
Fogarty was $1.04 to score when he broke into the backfield midway through the second stanza. Daniel Tupou and Nathan Brown somehow rounded him up a metre from the tryline.
Victor Radley raced up and stifled play soon after, before Canberra settled for a penalty goal and a 20-12 advantage.
When Fogarty sent another missile up into the ether, Tedesco finally flew high and claimed it.
Attrition and desperation became the order of the evening. The casualties that had started with Josh Papali’i and an injured hamstring in the 10th minute claimed Angus Crichton with a knee and Egan Butcher via a failed HIA.
Collins crossed to set up a grandstand finish. Tedesco had a difficult chance to be the star of it, but couldn’t reel in a tough pass when a half-break loomed.
Radley was then penalised for a high shot on Jarrod Croker and it really did feel like Groundhog Day all over again as Canberra held on.
As has been the case all year, the Roosters threatened to finally deliver. And as has been the case for most of the year, they didn’t.
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