Green Machine hits top gear in big win over Eels

The Green Machine hit top gear on Sunday night as Matt Timoko and Xavier Savage starred in a 41-8 win over the Eels at GIO Stadium.

The speed of Canberra's backline proved too much for the Eels as Ricky Stuart's Generation Next ran in seven tries to bury the demons of last week's fadeout against Cronulla.

The Raiders took the lead through a Jamal Fogarty penalty goal in the 10th minute after Joey Lussick held on too long in the play the ball.

The Eels had a golden opportunity to hit back in the 13th minute but Wiremu Greig spilled the ball and the Raiders came away.

In Canberra's next set five-eighth Ethan Strange exploding into the back field and found Hudson Young who combined with Simi Sasagi before Seb Kris finished off the movement and the home side led 8-0.

Five-eighth Dylan Brown was next to come up with an error with the Eels in good field position as the Raiders continued to hold firm.

The Eels crossed in the 24th minute when Brown grubered for Maika Sivo to score in the corner but replays showed Clint Gutherson had lost the ball into a Raiders defender in the lead-up.

Come the 29th minute and the Raiders had a second when Savage left Gutherson in his wake with some slick footwork and the score hit 12-0.

A pinpoint kick by Strange in the shadows of half-time earned the Raiders a repeat set before James Schiller repeated the dose with a grubber kick but both times the Eels were able to recover the ball via a short dropout.

The Raiders rounded out an impressive opening term when Fogarty landed a field goal in the 40th minute to make the score 13-0.

Three minutes into the second half the home side produced another long range special after Schiller found space and sent the pass inside to Timoko who produced an acrobatic finish to plant the ball down in the corner.

Trailing 17-0 the Eels hit back when Gutherson put Sivo over in the left hand corner with a long cutout pass but the No.1 couldn't land the conversion.

Savage then stamped his class on the game again in the 53rd minute with a grubber back infield for Danny Levi to regather and score to make it 23-4.

A right side raid in the 59th minute finished with Schiller crossing out wide after some slick hands from Jordan Rapana and Timoko.

The tireless Young then capped a big night in the 61st minute when Timoko busted the line and sent the ball back inside for the back-rower to streak away and score. Fogarty converted for 33-4.

An error by youngster Blaize Talagi with 13 minutes to play handed the Raiders good field position before Fogarty slotted another penalty after J'maine Hopgood was pinged for not being square at marker.

Sivo completed his double with nine minutes to play thanks to a long ball from Brown as the Eels grabbed a late consolation before Timoko completed his double in the 79th minute to round out a 41-8 win.

The Raiders have now won both their home games in 2024, racking up 67 points to 20 in victories over Wests Tigers and the Eels.