My season... so far...

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DarkRaider
Glenn Lazarus
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My season... so far...

Post by DarkRaider »

This is perhaps a bit premature, but if our season ends against Melbourne on Saturday I'm not sure I could bear to write this up. This year I set myself a goal of attending every single Raiders game live. I'm still on track. I'm absolutely giddy at the possibility we could make or even win the Grand Final in the year I chose to do this. It's been one hell of a year, a bit of a roller coaster at times. So I thought I'd share some of my experiences with you all.

April 10, 2015. Canberra Raiders announce the signing of Aidan Sezer. It was on this day I first knew 2016 would be something special. I still had hopes for last year of course, but I always kept one eye on this year. I've had big wraps on Sezer ever since he debuted for the Titans, and he would be the man to lead us to the promised land, I was sure of it. Some of the performances last year, the positive talk coming out of the club during pre-season, the addition of English international Elliot Whitehead, and rumours of Joe Tapine and Junior Paulo did nothing to temper my excitement. Sitting with my Dad at Wade Park, Orange, watching us destroy the Knights in the first half of our trial, our attack clicking in ways I hadn't seen before in my time as a supporter, I made the call. The Raiders were going to do something special in 2016, and I wasn't going to miss a second. I committed to attending every game this year. No matter when, no matter where.

A quick look at the draw demonstrated that this wouldn't be easy. New Plymouth! Where the hell is that, I remember thinking. Had to look it up on a map. I questioned my resolve. Nonetheless, I set about making travel plans for our first away game, Round 3 Newcastle, and began booking flights and hotels for mid season trips to Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

One of the early season highlights for me was Round 5 at Belmore. Monday night in Sydney is a difficult fixture to get to. My commitment was tested here, having no choice but to work a full day, jump straight in the car and drive to Belmore, watch the game, then drive straight back to Canberra. I couldn't find anyone to accompany me. Feeling under the weather at work that day, and with rain forecast, I almost pulled the pin. But I went, and I'm glad I did. This was my first game at one of those traditional suburban grounds, and I loved it. Parking in Belmore, walking through the main street towards the ground, was incredible. The place was pumping, blue and white swarming every local establishment. I copped tremendous abuse wearing my Raiders gear. I lapped it up. The atmosphere at the game was hostile, but the boys put together a famous victory and the crowd was silenced. I didn't get much lip on the way back to the car, funnily enough!

Next on the highlights reel was the thrashing of the Tigers at home in Round 8. This was a very, very satisfying victory off the back of a couple of bad defeats. The game itself was great, Leipana announcing themselves to the world with dominant performance. The aftermath was even better. Celebrating with some of the boys at the pub after a win like that remains one of my best memories as a supporter. It's a bit of a blur, but I distinctly remember Leipana making an absolute spectacle of themselves on the dance floor. Jordan Rapana missing no opportunity to tell everyone in the joint how many tries he scored that day, waving four fingers in the air all night. Great scenes.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the regular season for me was Round 11, my solo trip to New Plymouth. Not much of an international traveller usually, especially not alone, and having never been to New Zealand, this pushed me way outside my comfort zone. But I don't regret it for a second, and I'll never forget it. It was a bit of a trek; bus to Sydney, fly to Auckland, then a five hour drive in a rental in the dark in the pouring rain on one the wildest roads I've driven. The game was awesome. The locals were great, and absolutely rugby league mad. New Zealand certainly deserves a second team. The boys put together a dominant performance, again very satisfying off the back of a couple of tough defeats. We weren't to know at the time but this was the start of our amazing run. To this day we've only been defeated twice since then. One thing that really sticks with me from this game is a defeated, teary-eyed Issac Luke leading his hometown in a thunderous haka. It was and I think always will be one of the most spine-tingling things I've witnessed on a footy field. Of course, I took a couple of days post-match to enjoy some of New Zealand on the way back to Auckland, and had a wonderful time.

The last highlight I'd like to share is the back to back wins of Round 22 and 23. I said on these forums leading into these two that it would be tough, but if we won both, we would go on to win the premiership this year. I'm still feeling pretty good about that prediction. At the very least, I won't be far off. These were the two best performances of the year so far. Getting the win at Shark Park was a great feeling, and then a defensive masterclass to beat the Storm. Back to back wins against the ladder leaders. The boys entrenched themselves in the top four and announced themselves as premiership contenders. There were plenty of other highlights but I won't go into all of them. The Gold Coast getaway with the Mrs. The boy's weekend with my old man in Brisbane and my first time at the impressive Suncorp Stadium. Visiting my sister in Newcastle. First visits to the famous suburban ovals of Leichhardt and Brookvale. Country footy and cheap beer in Bathurst. It's been fantastic.

Just when everything was looking rosy: disaster. The last four weeks have been tough. Austin broken hand, possibly out for the season. Wighton charged, possibly out for the season. Hodgson injured ankle, possibly out for the season. And of course the gut-wrenching loss to Cronulla last week. But we've come through it. Everyone's good to go. Season back on track. Now here we stand, even my wildest expectations exceeded. Second place. Preliminary final. Fourteen from 16 wins. Best season in decades. The best attack in the league. Ironically in light of my original excitement, Aidan Sezer, while a solid contributor, has probably not been the sole catalyst that brought us to this point. We are where we are thanks to solid growth across the whole squad. A real team effort. Croker, Papalii, Hodgson, Boyd, Rapana, Leilua all finding an extra gear this year. And of course remarkable work from the coaching and support staff.

The championship rounds await us now. What happens from here cannot be predicted by anyone. Form, class, experience, ladder position, injury, luck. They all contribute but are ultimately meaningless now. The thing that matters now, the only thing, is how much strength and willpower can be mustered on the day. Whatever happens from here this was a season to be proud of, and the future looks bright. But our Raiders are good enough to win this competition, this year. Do not let yourselves be convinced otherwise. From here, anything but the trophy will be disappointing, no doubt. But the same is true of the other three teams, and it could all end prematurely in an instant, without warning.

My plans are locked in for Melbourne, and I've long held my grand final tickets. If we are there, I'll be there. I've become so emotionally invested in the Raiders this year. I'm sure many of us have. There's only one thing I know for sure: this is all going to end in tears one way or another. Let's just hope they're tears of joy.
Last edited by DarkRaider on September 18, 2016, 5:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Rick
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by Rick »

Amazing effort and a great read. Good work!


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Bay53
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by Bay53 »

This is a great article. The tv coverage these days is fantastic, and I know there are plenty of people on this forum who are way to far from Canberra to come regularly, but there is no way you can have the same feelings not being there.

Let's hope there are two more games to attend.
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by Ruben Daley »

Great work, DR. The more you invest in the team, the more hurt when they lose and the more you enjoy it when they win. No one will be happier than you if they go all the way.
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Fair Cop
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by Fair Cop »

Outstanding stuff
#The Clap #The Team #The Vibe
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by -GD- »

Fantastic read DarkRaider!!

That is commitment!!
Victor05
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by Victor05 »

Awesome effort, we are slowly ticking off at least one away ground a season and more if we can...would love to do a whole season...maybe once the mortgage is paid off :)

I think the lows of the past few years (the thrashing in the rain at Bruce from Melbourne was the worst) makes these highs even more special, made better by the fact that we have a group of players and a coach that we can be so proud of with none of the BS we are used to.
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by Green_Hammock »

I hope this gets shared on the ol Twitter. Great effort to go to every game!
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by dubby »

Excellent read, dark raider. I applaud your commitment and dedication

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The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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T_R
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by T_R »

That was awesome
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Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by redlynchraider »

Great read Dark Raider. That is commitment !
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T_R
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by T_R »

We need more posts like this.

GE, as the only Mod who can string a sentence together, delivers them in spades, but I'd love to see this kind of thing more often.

Great read.
Image

Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
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DarkRaider
Glenn Lazarus
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by DarkRaider »

Thanks for the kind words all. Next season I'll have to take a step back when it comes to away games, but I'll still try get to a few. I think the Cowboys are the only team for whom I've not gone to a home game now, so Townsville is definitely on the agenda next time we play there.
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Raiders Lim!
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by Raiders Lim! »

Loved it DR. Let's pray for these tears of joy!


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dubby
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Re: Bleed Green 2016: A Retrospective

Post by dubby »

T_R wrote:We need more posts like this.

GE, as the only Mod who can string a sentence together, delivers them in spades, but I'd love to see this kind of thing more often.

Great read.
Image

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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raider dos
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by raider dos »

Excellent read! I kind of feel like I just read a transcript from Australian story. Nice job mate.
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Kryptonite
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Kryptonite »

Enjoyed reading your post, you are one dedicated Raiders supporter. Awesome
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Raidersfan
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Raidersfan »

Great read mate.

My commitment to the Raiders is not as wide spread as yours. However it has to be something extraordinary to miss a home game.

Will you be repeating your experiences next season ?
I don't post facts
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Ezy
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Ezy »

Nice read mate. How good is footy?
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by fulivai »

Its funny you mention the knights trial. I was thinking about that earlier this week. That first half was outstanding and showcased what this team was capable off.
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Woodgers »

Great read. Awesome stuff DarkRaider, that's tremendous commitment and I agree with you it could turn out to be the ultimate finish for your year.
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Campo88 »

Nice work mate! :)

I haven't travelled all over the shop to see them due to finances this year (unfortunately only able to make the QLD games), but locked in my spot in the crowd at the grand final as soon as tickets went up.

Our lads are definitely something special.

Pretty sure the tears will flow at the local if we pull off a win this weekend!

#believe2016 - the hashtag is real!
hiriser
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by hiriser »

That's dedication. Good work mate!
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Raider Bell
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Raider Bell »

I'm extremely happy for you that you decided to do it this year and get a great return on your investment. Great effort.
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greeneyed
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by greeneyed »

Terrific story!
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Green thumbs
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Green thumbs »

Dark Raider, I loved your post! Thanks for doing the hard yards, and for sharing your story. I think I'll have to lift my game next year and stop making excuses like needing to look after the grandkids! Hey, they'll just have to come with us if they want to be minded!
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The_Green_Hope
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by The_Green_Hope »

Thanks for putting that up, it was great to read. You've inspired me to make as many away games as I can.

That StGeorge game in the darkness of Kogarah must have been rough.
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Raider Bell
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Raider Bell »

What do you estimate it cost you all up, DR? Couldn't have been cheap.
"A hex on your house, and more importantly your health"
"I truly hope the spirit of my mate gives you hell, you deserve it"
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pickles
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by pickles »

That's a massive effort! I'm sure there's been some other highlights too both home and away!
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Beejay
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Beejay »

Thanks for sharing. That was a great read.
Bay53
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Bay53 »

I now feel like a part time fan for having missed only the New Plymouth game this year.
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reptar
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by reptar »

It is a bit of an experience driving to New Plymouth!
Gina Riley: Oh, come on, John. That’s a bit old hat, the corrupt IOC delegate.
John Clarke: Old hat? Gina, in the scientific world when they see that something is happening again and again and again, repeatedly, they don’t call it old hat. They call it a pattern.
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greeneyed
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by greeneyed »

Dark Raider... Could you read your PMs please?
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KW
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by KW »

DR - please come to the pre game in Melbourne as I want to buy you a beer. I've always wanted to do what you've done but have never seriously attempted it. What a year to do it as well!

There is a book called "bicycle kicks" by Simon Hood, he did a similar thing following the 4th Division York City FC around England on his bike, I reckon you'd love it, I highly recommend

Townsville (and Auckland) are the two grounds I'm yet to visit, would love to go with you next year!

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Matt
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Re: My season... so far...

Post by Matt »

Great read DR
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