The Western Suburbs Magpies have pulled off a dramatic 22-18 comeback win over the Canberra Raiders at GIO Stadium, turning the match on its head in a thrilling final 10 minutes.
Canberra struck early, posting two tries in the first 13 minutes to take a 12-0 lead. But Wests refused to fold. Lock Jaxon Rahme hit back late in the half, catching the Raiders’ ruck defence napping as he darted over from dummy-half. Kurt Falls’ conversion cut the margin to 12-6 at the break.
The Raiders extended their lead to 18-6 shortly after half-time through Jordan Martin, but the Magpies came to life in the final 15 minutes.
A key moment came when Raiders winger Atini Tuialii went down with cramp, leaving Canberra with a 12-man defensive line. Wests shifted quickly to the left edge, where Izaac Tu’itupou crossed for a much-needed try, narrowing the gap to 18-10.
With momentum swinging, the Magpies struck again. A deft kick and desperate chase from Alex Lobb kept the ball in play. Lobb dummied and offloaded to Elie El-Zakhem, who crashed over to bring the score to 18-16. Falls nailed the conversion.
Then, in the very next set, Lobb produced another moment of brilliance—chasing down a Falls grubber, regathering cleanly, and diving over to give the Magpies the lead for the first time all game. Another successful kick from Falls sealed the 22-18 win as the siren sounded.
Key Moment
Two massive kick chases from winger Alex Lobb turned the match. His first led directly to a try assist, and his second sealed the win. It was a clutch double play that flipped the script in the dying minutes. Check out our other Match Reports to relieve 2025's games.
