Canberra Raiders beat Cronulla Sharks, Corey Horsburgh scores two tries

Canberra overcame their growing injury crisis to claim a crucial NRL win last season, beating Cronulla 24-20 at GIO Stadium.

The Raiders, who were missing star prop Josh Papali’i, Xavier Savage and wingers Nick Cotric and Jordan Rapana, lost hooker Danny Levi to a suspected fractured jaw just minutes into Sunday’s game but didn’t budge stop you from achieving the thrilling victory.

They led 24-10 after 56 minutes but ended up saving for their lives when the home side threatened to steal the points after two consecutive Cronulla attempts before Canberra’s defense could freeze the result.

It was the victory the Raiders sorely needed after tragically losing their opening two games of the year on their two-game tour of Queensland.

Their hero was Corey Horsburgh, the bench prop, who scored two tries while doubling his 63-game career tally with two devastating runs. Cronulla had minimal chance to stop.

In notable scenes, Horsburgh was beaten in the backfield by Sharks enforcer Royce Hunt but got up and scored on the next play as the Raiders demonstrated their authority in the contest.

Hunt was trapped for the shot but Cronulla scored despite being a man down through Jesse Ramien, while they drew to a single tie with seven minutes to go when the Brit crossed Nikora from the second rower.

Without their Dally M-winning halfback Nicho Hynes (Wade), they benefited from a sharp offensive display from dynamic winger Ronaldo Mulitalo, who created the game’s opening try with magical footwork before scoring thanks to Will Kennedy’s delicate kick.