Jack Wighton’s superb season has continued as he helped Canberra keep pace with the NRL’s top four in a 37-8 win over on St George Illawarra in Wollongong.
Wighton scored two tries in the Raiders’ comfortable win, where Dragons’ rookie sensation Cody Ramsey also scored a double in the only bright spot for the hosts.
The 20-year-old showed a stack of speed and scored a double on the right wing for the Dragons, as they kept the Raiders honest in the first half.
With 57 family and friends watching on at WIN Stadium and 15 others watching the game via a live stream in a pub at Molong, Ramsey provided the only highlight for the Dragons.
But while he offered plenty of talent, the Dragons’ middle faltered and their defence was poor against a workmanlike Canberra side.
Canberra’s first try came in soft fashion when Hudson Young easily forced his way over in the middle, and it set the tone for the rest of the day.
Young and Joseph Tapine both marched through the middle, while Josh Papalii pulled off one of the hits of the year on Cameron McInnes.
Wighton’s tries meanwhile took his tally to the season for 10, well clear of the next best half.
His first of the day came in spectacular fashion.
Jordan Rapana ran onto a dream bounce from a George Williams kick, before he offloaded it back inside and Tapine eventually put the five-eighth over.
Wighton’s second however exemplified the Dragons’ struggles, when he hit a gaping hole from a simple Williams pass to stroll over.
It was one of four second-half tries for the Raiders as they tore the Dragons apart on their right.
Elliott Whitehead helped Jarrod Croker to one as he chased down a grubber-kick with no-one home, while John Sutton brushed through the line in the lead-up to another from John Bateman.
Semi Valemei got the game’s last try as Williams and Wighton combined to help leave the Dragons short for numbers with their winger the beneficiary.
The victory moves the Raiders to fifth they need Parramatta to drop one of their last two games to have a chance of climbing into the four.
