‘I’ve never been so confused’: Raiders slam officials, fall to Dolphins in thriller

Oh boy, here we go.

Ricky Stuart is not taking questions and just speaks briefly with an unwritten statement.

“I was very proud of how they [the Raiders] performed and the better team won,” Stuart says.

“But the game has interpretations and rules in position at the moment where we pick them and choose them, when we apply them, and it’s a very frustrating situation for those who are involved as players and coaches.

“In all the years I’ve been involved in the game as a coach, I’ve never been so confused.

“It’s disappointing to say the least, but I’m just so confused at the moment in regards to… I mean, you can’t have a rule and apply it one week and not the next week.

“I’ve never been so confused and it’s disappointing, because I love the game.”

He starts the press conference by saying the club is fully supportive of the plight Jai Arrow is in.

He says that Arrow has the club’s full support.

“He’s a very courageous footballer and he’s a very courageous young man,” Stuart says.

“He’s got a massive fight on his hands but he’s certainly got the rugby league world supporting him and I was wanting him to know from all of us here at the Raiders we’re fully supporting him too.”

A nice line from the Dolphins skipper Jamayne Isaako in that presser.

He was asked whether things around the club feel different now from last year.

“I think we’ve got to keep that belief within ourselves and obviously with our group,” Isaako says,

“We’re not sitting here looking at the ladder. Obviously it’s great to be in the top eight at the moment but we understand we’ve been halfway through the season, so we’re not sitting here falling in love with ourselves.

“There’s still plenty of things as a team that we need to improve on, but like Wolfie said, to be able to come win four in a row and do it here in Canberra with obviously the Origin boys out and a couple of guys getting an opportunity. I think that’s the thing I’m most proud of.”

In the press room there’s obviously a feeling that some of the decisions in that second half went against the Raiders.

No doubt Ricky will let us know if he feels aggrieved.

Woolf is asked by a local reporter about the penalty decisions.

“There’s always 5050 calls, there’s always a few that you feel go against you,” Woolf says.

“That’s every game.

“That’s doesn’t stop you from scoring tries, it doesn’t stop you from stopping tries.”

Finally, we have Kristian Woolf of the Dolphins join the press conference.

“I just thought we were really tough,” he says.

“Probably could have been a little bit smarter in that second half. We sort of allowed it to become a little bit scrappy and just look like we wanted to… there’s no doubt in our effort and our desire to win, but we just looked like we thought we had to win quickly.

“What I loved is just the way we hung in and defended and defended how long we were at the end.”

He adds that the debutants were very impressive.

“I’m really happy for them,” he says.

Woolf says that the team have turned a corner since a sluggish start for the season.

“I’ve been really happy with the last six weeks,” he says.

“No doubt we’re on the right path.

“We’ve had really close losses against one and two in the comp, and we’ve won our last four

“I just love the way we’re fighting for each other. That’s the most important thing. You can see we’re turning up, you can see we’re fighting for each other and that’s what you want the team to be about and our other parts will certainly come off of that.”

He says the Dolphins will “really enjoy” the bye week.

But yes, instinctively, I’d want the ball starting as far away from my line as possible.

The short drop out just feels like inviting too much pressure.

Hopefully it won’t be too long now…

Before we hear from the coaches, Matty Johns has been speaking on his Fox Sports show.

He s visibly upset talking about Jai Arrow’s MND diagnosis.

“Mate, we wish you all the very best,” Johns says.

“We’re thinking of you and your loved ones at this difficult time.

“He’s been on the show … our Sunday night show four or five times, I’m telling you, a champion bloke.

“It’s heartbreaking. We’re really thinking of you.

“There’s nothing else to say other than life’s f***** sometimes.”

His voice was cracking there and sent the show to a break, while Billy Moore tapped his leg.

Wow, what a game we have seen tonight.

Seven tries in the opening half. Just a try each in the second.

But the Dolphins have come out on top of what was a really, really good game.

Jed Stuart opened the scoring, just minutes after being told he would start in place of Seb Kris, who injured himself in the warm up.

The Dolphins hit back through Tevita Naufahu soon after, before Corey Horsburgh benefited from a ball that bounced twice on the cross bar before falling in his lap.

After that though, three-straight tries for the Dolphins opened up a gap the Raiders could never close, as Morgan Knowles, Jamayne Isaako and Ray Stone all scored in the space of 12 minutes.

Despite missing four Origin stars and two key backs through injury, the Dolphins excelled thanks to a sparkling performance from Isaiya Katoa.

The Raiders scored just before the break through Savelio Tamale, and then scored the first try of the second half through Zac Hosking to reduce the deficit to two points.

However, Brad Schneider bustled through the Raiders defence to score the clincher, before Raiders ill-discipline counted against them in the finale.

The Dolphins lost the ball straight off the penalty and the Raiders kicked on the first – presumably to give Weekes something to chase.

But instead they get the ball off a savage off break that takes the ball out just past the Dolphins 40.

The Raiders kick was from inside their own 20 so they get the ball.

The lesser spotted 20:40. How about it?

WHILE IN POSSESSION!

That is appalling discipline from the Raiders.

I don’t know who it was, but they felt that the Dolphins were slow in getting up off the tackle and deserved a set restart.

Corey Horsburgh with a shoulder charge – he’s on report for that as well.

Just a ill-discipline there from the Raiders hard man.

The Dolphins will take their time and try and see this one out from here.

That’s a poor choice from Ethan Sanders, kicking the ball on the third tackle.

The Raiders want a penalty for an escort but that is so optimistic.

And it’s not going to pay off for them – no more challenges and the Dolphins hang on.

The early kick was just not the right option – and it was too heavy regardless.

The Raiders kicked to the right side, challenging Trai Fuller once again.

The ball falls to Stuart, who gathered the bouncing ball one handed as it flew up to his shoulder and then kicked in one motion, but the Dolphins close the gap and it’s a penalty.

Brilliant kick off from Ethan Sanders!

He powered it into the sideline and the Raiders will get the ball back just outside the Dolphins 30!

Bradley Schneider did it all himself!

The former Raider just bulldozed himself through the first line of defence and then powered over Kaeo Weekes to score.

There wasn’t a lot on there for the Dolphins, a nice shift to the left side notwithstanding.

But Schneider just got the ball and powered through to score.

The kick is good and as the lead goes out to eight points, the atmosphere is sucked out of the crowd.

Dolphins lead 30-22.

Savelio Tamale does really well to get himself well placed to handle a Isaiya Katoa kick.

Katoa had an age to set himself for that kick and then measured it to find a leaping Bostock.

The Raiders go long.