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Sport

Campo's trusty right on target as Raiders return

February 11, 2012

FIELD goals in trial games. You're kidding, right?

But when you've had the wretched injury luck that's haunted Raiders star Terry Campese, any time is a good time to fire off that trusty right boot.

The representative five-eighth directed traffic, proved his powerful kicking game remains intact and - most importantly - emerged unscathed from last night's 27-18 win against the Melbourne Storm in Albury.

Countless words have been devoted to Campese's rotten 2011 season, in which he played just eight minutes, tearing his adductor in his comeback match from a knee reconstruction.

He showed no ill effects of either injury, playing the first 60 minutes before being rested for the final 30-minute period.

Raiders coach David Furner said there were plenty of positives to take out of the year's first match against a Melbourne Storm side missing its big three of Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith.

''What I am seeing is the hard work the boys have been putting in,'' Furner said.

''But like any team at this point of time, the important thing is we've got no injuries, just a couple of bumps and bruises.

''That first 30 [minutes] we had some really good possession, just playing a little bit more direct.''

Kangaroos front-rower David Shillington and centre Jarrod Croker were the only two Raiders' regular first-graders left out of the side.

Shillington is expected to return from an elbow injury against the Bulldogs next Saturday while Croker (knee) will be monitored during the week.

Tom Learoyd-Lahrs left the field for the Raiders midway through the second period with a minor foot injury.

The Raiders used a 25-man squad last night which will be culled to about 20 for their final pre-season hitout against the Bulldogs in Wagga Wagga next weekend.

''With Shillington coming back and maybe Croker, I'll have to look through the tape,'' Furner said.

''I will be narrowing the squad down. I wanted to get a real good 60 minutes out of this trial, I think we did.''

Canberra's first two tries came without Campese's input - Bronson Harrison throwing a lovely cut-out ball to Reece Robinson for the first before new recruit Shaun Berrigan showed neat footwork to barge his way over.

With the first period winding down, Campese caught the 6583-strong crowd, the Storm and his own teammates by surprise with a long-range 40m drop goal.

Distance was never an issue as the ball hung in the night sky before scraping inside the left post.

After tries to Todd Lowrie and Matt McGahan reduced the deficit to 13-10, a towering Campese bomb caught the Storm napping, with Dimitri Pelo picking up the scraps to score.

With Campese and several other first-grade regulars, including NSW fullback Josh Dugan, substituted for the final half hour, the Raiders blooded a handful of fringe players and under 20s prospects.

Second-rower Jarrad Kennedy and imposing youngster Edrick Lee sealed the victory, with Ryan Hoffman's try for the Storm sandwiched in between.

Meanwhile, the Raiders' under 16s and under 18s both went down to Manly in their season-opening matches yesterday.

AT A GLANCE CANBERRA RAIDERS 27 (Jarrad Kennedy, Dimitri Pelo, Edrick Lee, Reece Robinson, Shaun Berrigan tries; Josh Dugan 2, Sam Williams goal; Terry Campese field goal) bt MELBOURNE STORM 18 (Ryan Hoffman, Ryan Hinchcliffe, Todd Lowrie, Matt McGahan tries; Luke Kelly goal) at Lavington Sports Ground last night.