Canberra Raiders cruise to victory over Gold Coast Titans after coronavirus circus hits crowd

They tore apart the Gold Coast Titans in the first half to run out 24-6 victors at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.

In the end just 10,610 turned up after a day of uncertainty whether it would go ahead at all.

Just 2.5 hours before kick off the call came after a crowd that was tracking towards 15,000 had already dipped.

When will Canberra Stadium open its gates again for a Raiders game? No one knows, with Australian crowds going into lockdown from Monday.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart was blown away by the crowd that did come - especially since they only had a few hours notice the game was going ahead.

But he was unsure what was happening next week. The Green Machine are booked in for a trip across the Ditch to face the New Zealand Warriors at Eden Park.

As part of an historic double header with the ACT Brumbies and the Auckland Blues.

Whether they'll be allowed to fly there. Or even whether the Warriors, who will play the Knights in Newcastle on Saturday, will be allowed to return is unclear.

Stuart wasn't across all the discussions but felt any decisions would be made with the players' welfare in mind.

"It's an unusual landscape so we've just got to wait and see. We could be playing New Zealand here or we could be playing in front of nobody," he said.

"It's something that we will bunker down with this week and prepare to just play in front of whatever occurs. It's just a matter of trying to focus on footy."

Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton was still on a Clive Churchill Medal high, scoring a brace within the opening 15 minutes, cruising over from close range on each occasion. The second from a Corey Horsburgh offload - something that was also a feature of the first half.

Horsburgh was excellent, putting in a 61-minute shift for 110 metres. He started at lock, not on the edge. That duty was left to Joe Tapine in a nice little case of Canberra ducks and drakes.

Canberra prop Emre Guler was also excellent coming off the bench.

He scored the Raiders' third, shooting the home team out to an 18-0 lead at half-time.

If this opening game is anything to go by, watching Guler live will be one of the many joys Raiders fans will be deprived of over the coming months.

Guler also got an assist, putting Elliott Whitehead over in the second half to wrap up the game.

That came after the Titans started the second 40 brightly, testing a reshaped Raiders left edge following Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad's (concussion) loss.

While Nicoll-Klokstad's run from the back was a loss, it did highlight the Green Machine's versatility.

Bailey Simonsson slotting in at fullback and Michael Oldfield coming off the bench to play left wing.

Titans winger Anthony Don took advantage to cross for a try, but he should've had one earlier. Dropping the ball with only the tryline to beat.

New Raiders halfback George Williams looked at home, especially in defence where he made a number of crucial - and solid - tackles.

He also kicked well and will hopefully continue to grow into the role.

The Raiders will be waiting anxiously on whether Joe Tapine will be sanctioned after he was put on a report for a shoulder charge on Brian Kelly - who went off for a head injury assessment.

"I've got to see it again, but from only seeing it once and then on the screen, he got run into," Stuart said.

"With [Ryan Sutton's] two weeks ago in the trial, he did drop the shoulder and he deserved to get his week.

"But with 'Taps' it was a collision and forced on the player actually going into Taps.

"I just hope our match review committee don't look at Joe's record and say, 'Typical'. I just hope the kid gets a fair go."

Kelly's introduction allowed Tyrone Peachey to look dangerous following his switch to lock.

Having brought up his 2000^th NRL point - becoming the seventh player and the youngest to do so - Jarrod Croker finished the game on the sideline after coming off for an HIA as well.

Stuart said the fact the Titans were given little chance had made it a tough game to prepare for. With all the expectation the Raiders only had to turn up.

"They're tough games because everyone's telling you, 'Gee you're lucky to have the Gold Coast in your first game'," he said.

"The Gold Coast are a very much improved football team. We were very, very good in the first half, which got us out to a lead, and then when they moved Peachey into the middle and Kelly onto the left edge they seemed to have a lot more shape and structure coming at us in attack.

"They're an improved footy team the Titans. The perception was you're just going to have to turn up tonight and that's a really hard game to prepare for."

AT A GLANCE

CANBERRA RAIDERS 24 (Jack Wighton 2, Emre Guler, Elliott Whitehead tries; Jarrod Croker 4 goals) bt GOLD COAST TITANS 6 (Anthony Don try; Ash Taylor goal) at Canberra Stadium. Referees: Chris Sutton, Dave Munro. Crowd: 10,610.