Canberra Raiders News

Sharks' Craig Fitzgibbon replaces injured Tom Hazelton with Oregon Kaufusi for critical Storm match.

LeagueNews.co

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has announced that Oregon Kaufusi, an international player from Samoa, will step in for Tom Hazelton in the upcoming match against the Storm this Friday, which is crucial for securing a spot in the grand final.

Fitzgibbon faced a tough decision regarding who to start in Saturday's semi-final against the Raiders. Initially, he chose Hazelton after Kaufusi sustained a calf injury during the Round 22 victory against the Cowboys.

Unfortunately for Hazelton, he was ruled out just four minutes into the game due to a Category 1 head injury, which will keep him from playing in the preliminary final in Melbourne due to the NRL's 11-day concussion stand-down policy.

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Cronulla Sharks shocked by eliminating top team Canberra Raiders in surprising finals upset.

LeagueNews.co

On Saturday night, an unexpected upset unfolded as the Cronulla Sharks eliminated the Canberra Raiders, marking one of the most significant surprises of 2025. This outcome was particularly striking considering the Raiders had enjoyed their most dominant season in 35 years.

The minor premiers, who entered the finals with a season-long underdog spirit, faced a swift exit from the competition, leaving coach Ricky Stuart at a loss for words.

"We were just outplayed by a better team tonight," Stuart stated during the post-match press conference.

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In a shocking upset, the Sharks eliminated the top-seeded Raiders, leaving Coach Stuart disappointed.

Zero Tackle

The greatest upset of 2025 took place on Saturday night, when the Cronulla Sharks sent the Canberra Raiders home packing, after the latter's most dominant season in 35 years.

The minor premiers, whose season-long underdog mentality led them to the finals, were eliminated in straight sets, leaving Raiders head coach Ricky Stuart speechless.

Despite his visible disappointment, he did admit he was impressed with his side in the first half, before dwindling off when it mattered most.

"We were good for the first 38 minutes of the first half, and started well in the second half," he said.

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