Canberra Raiders Secure NRL Minor Premiership with Golden Point Win over Penrith

The Canberra Raiders secured a dramatic 20-16 golden-point victory over the Penrith Panthers in a thrilling NRL match held at Mudgee's Glen Willow Oval. With the scores tied at 16-all, Panthers' Nathan Cleary's 35-meter field goal attempt hit the post, and the ball was seized by Raiders winger Jed Stuart, who launched a 90-meter counter-attack, linking up with Ethan Strange and then fullback Kaeo Weekes, who scored the match-winning try. The Panthers had led for much of the game, with early tries from Casey McLean and a second-half score by Liam Martin, but the Raiders fought back through tries from Simi Sasagi and Strange to force extra time. Multiple field goal attempts from both sides kept the game tense, but the Raiders' sensational finish was hailed by commentators as one of the most remarkable moments in rugby league. The win puts Canberra in a strong position to claim the minor premiership and underscores their premiership credentials, while Penrith's hopes for a top-four finish were dealt a blow. The match was also notable for the injury to Raiders' Xavier Savage and the intense defensive efforts on both sides throughout the contest.