Through green eyes 2018

reptar · Post by **reptar** » April 20, 2018, 8:37 pm

greeneyed wrote:
reptar wrote: ↑April 20, 2018, 7:32 pm GE, have you seen a game at North Sydney Oval before? Despite being an oval, it's a great place.
No, that's why I said it will be the first time.

You could've meant the first time seeing Mounties there

I went to a game in the late 90s there and the Raiders flogged the Bears.

Post by **greeneyed** » April 20, 2018, 9:30 pm

reptar wrote: ↑April 20, 2018, 8:37 pm
greeneyed wrote:
reptar wrote: ↑April 20, 2018, 7:32 pm GE, have you seen a game at North Sydney Oval before? Despite being an oval, it's a great place.
No, that's why I said it will be the first time.
You could've meant the first time seeing Mounties there

I went to a game in the late 90s there and the Raiders flogged the Bears.

But I didn't say that... I said this:

I'm also heading to North Sydney Oval for the first time on Sunday afternoon

reptar · Post by **reptar** » April 20, 2018, 9:51 pm

greeneyed wrote:
reptar wrote: ↑April 20, 2018, 8:37 pm
greeneyed wrote:
reptar wrote: ↑April 20, 2018, 7:32 pm GE, have you seen a game at North Sydney Oval before? Despite being an oval, it's a great place.
No, that's why I said it will be the first time.
You could've meant the first time seeing Mounties there

I went to a game in the late 90s there and the Raiders flogged the Bears.
But I didn't say that... I said this:

I'm also heading to North Sydney Oval for the first time on Sunday afternoon

first time on a Sunday afternoon. Got it!

Post by **greeneyed** » April 20, 2018, 10:06 pm

That's not what I said either.

reptar · Post by **reptar** » April 20, 2018, 10:10 pm

You should say so!!!

Post by **greeneyed** » April 21, 2018, 10:16 pm

Through green eyes: As I saw it

Round 7 2018. South Sydney Rabbitohs 42 Canberra Raiders 22. The final score line at Central Coast Stadium flattered the Raiders. Canberra was out-coached and out-played, comprehensively. They were in it for a minute - the first minute. Siliva Havili made a great break up field, but it amounted to nothing. And then the Rabbitohs asserted their dominance and the match was never really in any doubt.

At times the Canberra defence was simply embarrassing. The Rabbitohs knew where to run - the Raiders' right edge - and it was 18-0 before the match hit the 20 minute mark. The Rabbitohs' pack handed a schooling to the Raiders' pack - they just rolled over the top of them. It was remarkable that Canberra only trailed 24-12 at half time, with a try to Elliott Whitehead just before half time just keeping the Raiders in striking distance. But by the 62nd minute, the Rabbitohs led by 42-12 - and only two late tries made the score vaguely respectable.

There has been a lot of discussion after the match - including in the press conference - about a few decisions in the game. I understand the desire of coach and captain to defend your players, particularly when they are being clobbered and potentially severely injured. But I would rather there was at least some focus on what the Raiders need to do to improve their performance. There's a lot of room to do so, and we didn't hear anything about that tonight.

No doubt the commentators and fans will talk about the refereeing decisions... and many fans seem to think that the sin binning of Jarrod Croker (holding back) was a tough call. But when I saw it live, I wasn't surprised at all that he was binned, given the approach the referees have taken this season. I've no complaint about the call. I do think the high tackle on Aidan Sezer by Sam Burgess was a send off offence. George Burgess was correctly put on report for a high tackle on Luke Bateman... but I am worried that Elliott Whitehead might also have a case to answer for a tackle on Tom Burgess that was not put on report. In any event, none of that made any difference to the result. It was a paddlin'. And the Raiders have to be a whole lot better.

Stats that mattered? The Rabbitohs finished with 53 per cent possession - and dominated with the ball in hand for long periods of the game. Canberra gave away 14 penalties (Rabbitohs 12), as mentioned, had a player sin binned, and made 13 errors (Rabbitoh 8). The Rabbitohs completed at 85 per cent, the Raiders just 69 per cent. The Raiders' ill discipline proved very costly.

The Rabbitohs made just seven more runs in the match, but ran 1621 metres with the ball in hand, compared with 1294 metres for the Raiders. The Rabbitohs also dominated the kicking metres (377m-145m). The "home" team made more line breaks (7-4) and offloads (16-13). Tackles made were basically even, but the Raiders missed a whopping 42 tackles, compared with 29 for the Rabbitohs.

Memorable moments? There were plenty for South Sydney, including a Greg Inglis intercept of an Aidan Sezer pass. There weren't too many memorable moments for Canberra. The best of their tries was probably the first to Nick Cotric. But really, this was a match Canberra Raiders fans would prefer to forget. The Raiders now go to Townsville to face a Cowboys team that has just beaten the Titans - North Queensland's second win of the season. If the Raiders go north and lose, they will be 2 and 6 and their season will be in dire straits.

Best performers?

Elliott Whitehead. Two tries, 12 runs for 99 metres, two tackle breaks, one line break, one offload, 26 tackles.

Junior Paulo. 15 runs for 147 metres, five tackle breaks, two offloads, 20 tackles.

Jack Wighton. Three try assists, three line break assists, 11 runs for 65 metres, three tackle breaks, one offload, eight tackles.

Top tacklers: Luke Bateman 27, Elliott Whitehead 26, Siliva Havili 24, Sia Soliola 24
Most metres gained: Junior Paulo 147, Dunamis Lui 119, Jarrod Croker 108

My player ratings:

Jack Wighton 7
Nick Cotric 6
Jarrod Croker 6
Joey Leilua 7
Jordan Rapana 6
Blake Austin 4
Aidan Sezer 4
Sia Soliola 6
Siliva Havili 6
Junior Paulo 7
Joe Tapine 6
Elliott Whitehead 7
Luke Bateman 5

Ata Hingano 4
Shannon Boyd 5
Josh Papalii 6
Dunamis Lui 6

Do you agree or disagree with the ratings? Let us know!

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RedRaider · Post by **RedRaider** » April 22, 2018, 1:49 am

I can't agree that Austin was a 4 GE. His defence in the opening minutes of the match was less than park level. 2 at best for him. I thought EW was an 8 as well. He chased all day and was rewarded with 2 good tries. Who were our leading 'missed tacklers'?

gangrenous · Post by **gangrenous** » April 22, 2018, 7:47 am

You can’t give EW an eight when he gives away a stupid penalty at an inopportune time shoulder charging a defender in the air. There was no upside to that play, only stupidity.

Also got to lose some more for the Burgess hit that will rule him out for some further weeks.

Can’t get an 8 doing stupid stuff like that in my books.

Post by **greeneyed** » April 22, 2018, 8:15 am

No player deserved an eight IMO after that performance. I agree I might have been a bit generous in some ratings.

LastRaider · Post by **LastRaider** » April 22, 2018, 8:43 am

Yeah I think GE you need to -1 from each score. More realistic to their performance

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Post by **greeneyed** » April 27, 2018, 3:33 pm

Through green eyes: Feeling hot, hot, hot

This week is one of the longest "road trips" for the Canberra Raiders. I was up at half past four and arrived in central Townsville seven hours later. This is my fourth trip to North Queensland's biggest city in five years - with two of those matches being held in Round 1, at the height of the heat and humidity.

Anzac Day is supposed to signal the start of the cool weather in Canberra... but it seems that's not the case in Townsville! Given we are two months into the competition, I thought it might be a bit cooler, this year. Not the case! It is currently 31C, sun beating down. I've walked three blocks to lunch and back again... and I've arrived back in a lather of sweat! Thankfully the Raiders will be playing at night, tomorrow, with a 7:30pm kick off. However, I suspect it will still be very warm and humid - and the Raiders will be playing in some unfamiliar and tough conditions.

I've never seen the Raiders win at the Willows Sports Complex in Townsville. My first trip to Townsville was for Round 1 2014 - and a side featuring Terry Campese and Jack Wighton in the halves and Anthony Milford at fullback led 16-0 after half an hour. I had hopes that Canberra might upset the Cowboys in that one, but it was not to be. Johnathan Thurston switched on, and the Cowboys ran out 28-22 victors.

It was another Round 1 clash last year... and we all remember what happened there. The Raiders came back to force golden point, but Thurston again intervened. Thurston attempted a field goal in the 84th minute, the ball hit the cross bar, and remarkably Gavin Cooper ran through to plant the ball in the in goal.

After the Central Coast thrashing at the hands of the South Sydney Rabbitohs last week, I can't say I'm going into this match with a lot of confidence. I'm expecting more heart break. The Cowboys had lost five straight going into Round 7. Johnathan Thurston's form is down... and some commentators have not held back in their criticism. But the Cowboys finally broke through for a win against the Titans in Townsville last week. They're turning their season around, just at the wrong time for Canberra. So I can't tip anything other than a Cowboys victory - and it could be by some margin. Hopefully I'm wrong... and I can head home to Canberra on Sunday a little less forlorn about season 2018.

****

I have to admit I find Townsville a slightly strange place. It is so hot, you rarely seem to see people on the streets. The city centre seems "dead". But there are some nice features... like the lovely old Queensland pubs. Old fashioned pubs are a rare commodity in Canberra these days, but there are some well preserved pubs, full of character up here in north Queensland. The local and visiting Raiders fans gathered in the Australia Hotel on Palmer Street last year after the game... and hopefully we do the same thing this year, but are celebrating an unexpected win!

****

If you've not travelled north, there are some options for you in the national capital - with Round 4 of the Canberra Raiders Cup to be played on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Get out to a game and support the grass roots teams!

And if you're a Raiders fan on the Central Coast, get along and see the Raiders' NSW Premiership affiliate, Mounties take on the Wyong Roos at Morry Breen Oval... and the Mounties Jersey Flegg team play the Sydney Roosters. It's a great opportunity to see the Raiders players who are aiming to demonstrate they are worthy of a first grade spot... and the Raiders' talented juniors coming through the system.

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here are the total points and average points per match after the loss to the Rabbitohs. Elliott Whitehead is leading the way... and he is also atop the leaderboard in the Canberra Raiders' Fans' Choice Player of the Year, after taking man of the match honours last week. Don't forget to vote for the Fans' Choice... either on TheGH.com.au or The GH Facebook group.

Total points after Round 7:

Elliott Whitehead 47
Iosia Soliola 45
Joey Leilua 45
Jordan Rapana 45
Shannon Boyd 45
Junior Paulo 44
Jarrod Croker 43
Nick Cotric 43
Siliva Havili 43
Luke Bateman 42
Dunamis Lui 41
Aidan Sezer 40
Jack Wighton 40
Josh Papalii 38
Joseph Tapine 32
Blake Austin 28
Sam Williams 27
Ata Hingano 11
Liam Knight 8
Charlie Gubb 4
Michael Oldfield 3

Average points per match after Round 7:

Elliott Whitehead 6.7
Jack Wighton 6.7
Iosia Soliola 6.4
Joey Leilua 6.4
Jordan Rapana 6.4
Shannon Boyd 6.4
Joseph Tapine 6.4
Josh Papalii 6.3
Junior Paulo 6.3
Jarrod Croker 6.1
Nick Cotric 6.1
Siliva Havili 6.1
Luke Bateman 6.0
Dunamis Lui 5.9
Aidan Sezer 5.7
Blake Austin 5.6
Sam Williams 5.4
Charlie Gubb 4.0
Liam Knight 4.0
Michael Oldfield 3.0
Ata Hingano 2.8

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Post by **greeneyed** » April 29, 2018, 8:20 am

Through green eyes: As I saw it

Round 8 2018. Canberra Raiders 18 - North Queensland Cowboys 8. It was a night for the true believers. Most Raiders fans did not see that display from the Green Machine coming. Most expected that the nine game losing streak in Townsville, which dates back to 2006, would continue. Many expected a big win for the Cowboys. Even if the match was close, most expected that Johnathan Thurston would produce some magic to break green hearts at the death. But the Raiders' defence was full of aggression, attitude and character. It was a huge turnaround from the soft defence in the loss to the Rabbitohs. It was the foundation for an outstanding win.

The defence was more remarkable because the Raiders kept turning over possession to the Cowboys, making critical errors and conceding penalties. The Cowboys had a territorial advantage for much of the match. Johnathan Thurston forced line drop out after line drop out. He nearly sent Michael Morgan to the try line, late, with the match in the balance. But the defence kept on turning up. The Raiders conceded just one try. And then they took advantage of their limited opportunities to score three of their own.

Stats that mattered? The Cowboys had 56 per cent possession, and 42 sets with the ball compared with 35 for the Raiders. The Raiders conceded nine penalties (five for the Cowboys) and made more errors (12-10). The Cowboys completed at 79 per cent, compared with just 71 per cent for the Raiders. The Cowboys made 1606 metres with the ball in hand, the Raiders just 1372 metres. Canberra had to make 372 tackles, the Cowboys 327. You shouldn't win football games with statistics like that - with a completion rate like that - but the Raiders did.

Why? The missed tackles are a good part of the story. The Raiders missed just 25, the Cowboys 36. Unusually, the Raiders also won the kicking metres (567-422)... but then Canberra was forced into repeated line drop outs. The Raiders had the advantage with offloads (10-4) and line breaks (3-2). Canberra certainly made the Cowboys pay for their defensive weaknesses, with the likes of Rapana and Cotric taking advantage of holes on the edge of the rucks.

Defence and making the most of limited chances. Those are the reasons the Raiders won it.

Memorable moments? The Raiders' tries were the result of dogged determination, scored from close range. Papalii somehow reached over the line and planted the ball under the posts. Aidan Sezer shrugged off a high tackle and broke through from close range. The best was the final try to Siliva Havili. With six minutes left, he just launched himself over the top of defenders - and he somehow got the ball to the ground. The referee said "no try" on field. But the bunker officials managed to find a shot of the ball touching grass - and Havili's efforts were rewarded with an overturned decision. It sealed the result.

The most memorable of moments, however, was a defensive play. With 12 minutes remaining, the Cowboys trailed by four. A Matt Scott offload created a chance for the home team... and Thurston put Michael Morgan into a gap witht a perfect pass, 40 metres from line. Jack Wighton was the last line of defence, he sized up Morgan, took him head on 10 metres out... and dislodged the ball. It was an absolutely critical try saver.

And let’s not forget another try saver shortly after when Aidan Sezer halted Coen Hess dead in his tracks just shy of the tryline.

The Raiders are now 3 and 5 to start the season... and if they had lost last night, it would have been very difficult to make the finals. They are still behind the eight ball. There are still things that need to be improved. But if the Raiders can produce the attitude and effort we saw last night consistently each week, they are in with a shot.

Best performers?

Joe Tapine. 52 tackles, nine runs for 62 metres, three tackle breaks, two offloads.

Siliva Havili. One try, one try assist, three runs for 14 metres, four tackle breaks, one line break, one line break assist, 42 tackles.

Jordan Rapana. 19 runs for 220 metres, 73 post contact metres, four tackle breaks, four tackles.

Nick Cotric. 15 runs for 133 metres, 40 post contact metres, nine tackle breaks, two tackles. Just missed what would have been a spectacular try, right before half time... but his foot just touched the chalk.

Top tacklers: Joe Tapine 53, Siliva Havili 42, Josh Papalii 36
Most metres gained: Jordan Rapana 220, Nick Cotric 133, Jack Wighton 102

None of the forwards broke the 100m gained mark, but Junior Paulo (97), Sia Soliola (94), Shannon Boyd (93) and Elliott Whitehead (92) broke the 90m mark.

My player ratings:

Jack Wighton 6
Nick Cotric 7
Jarrod Croker 6
Joey Leilua 6
Jordan Rapana 7
Blake Austin 7
Aidan Sezer 7
Sia Soliola 6
Siliva Havili 8
Junior Paulo 6
Joe Tapine 8
Elliott Whitehead 7
Josh Papalii 7

Ata Hingano 4
Shannon Boyd 7
Luke Bateman 6
Dunamis Lui 6

Do you agree or disagree with the ratings? Let us know!

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LastRaider · Post by **LastRaider** » April 29, 2018, 10:43 am

Ratings are fair. Nice win, still a lot of improvement needed across the team.

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Boomercm · Post by **Boomercm** » April 29, 2018, 2:16 pm

Nice write up. I'm glad to see Austin with a 7. He has been good (esp. defensively) for 2/3 games since he has been back.

We are now 3 of our last 4 and should be 6/8 imo. Our season could easily come down to those first 4 game, which is irritating.

reptar · Post by **reptar** » April 29, 2018, 2:37 pm

Boomercm wrote:Nice write up. I'm glad to see Austin with a 7. He has been good (esp. defensively) for 2/3 games since he has been back.

We are now 3 of our last 4 and should be 6/8 imo. Our season could easily come down to those first 4 game, which is irritating.

Not counting the Souths game? That was diabolical

LastRaider · Post by **LastRaider** » April 29, 2018, 2:55 pm

Boomercm wrote:Nice write up. I'm glad to see Austin with a 7. He has been good (esp. defensively) for 2/3 games since he has been back.

We are now 3 of our last 4 and should be 6/8 imo. Our season could easily come down to those first 4 game, which is irritating.

This year is shaping up to be like 2017. Losing the close games and missing out on the top 8

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RedRaider · Post by **RedRaider** » April 29, 2018, 3:04 pm

Agree with your ratings GE. I would like to say a special word about Lui. He brings a heap of energy when carrying the ball. I know he will always be middle of the ratings due to the number of minutes he plays, but he really gives his all each and every week. If Havili can keep this form going there will be no push to bring Hodgo back before the Rd 16-18 return time frame.

I hope you found one of those 'well preserved pubs, full of character' to celebrate in.

Post by **greeneyed** » April 29, 2018, 4:06 pm

RedRaider wrote:Agree with your ratings GE. I would like to say a special word about Lui. He brings a heap of energy when carrying the ball. I know he will always be middle of the ratings due to the number of minutes he plays, but he really gives his all each and every week. If Havili can keep this form going there will be no push to bring Hodgo back before the Rd 16-18 return time frame.

I hope you found one of those 'well preserved pubs, full of character' to celebrate in.

We did.

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reptar · Post by **reptar** » April 29, 2018, 4:46 pm

Did you buy a cheese platter, GE? Or am I supposed to tweet Tim Gavel and ask him to ask you during his Saturday morning radio show?

Post by **greeneyed** » April 29, 2018, 7:52 pm

No, cheese twisties.

The Nickman · Post by **The Nickman** » April 29, 2018, 8:29 pm

Weren’t they chicken twisties?

Either way, they accompanied a nice glass of Merlot quite well at midnight after a satisfying victory

-TW- · Post by **-TW-** » April 29, 2018, 8:43 pm

The Nickman wrote:Weren’t they chicken twisties?

Either way, they accompanied a nice glass of Merlot quite well at midnight after a satisfying victory

Merlot? I picked you more as a rum can kinda guy tbh

Post by **greeneyed** » April 29, 2018, 9:07 pm

Yeah they were chicken twisties.

reptar · Post by **reptar** » April 29, 2018, 9:40 pm

Merlot is a great celebratory red!

The Nickman · Post by **The Nickman** » April 30, 2018, 10:00 am

reptar wrote: ↑April 29, 2018, 9:40 pm Merlot is a great celebratory red!

Merlot/Shiraz/Cab Sav... I haven't met a red I don't like yet.

Boomercm · Post by **Boomercm** » April 30, 2018, 11:48 am

reptar wrote: ↑April 29, 2018, 2:37 pm
Boomercm wrote:Nice write up. I'm glad to see Austin with a 7. He has been good (esp. defensively) for 2/3 games since he has been back.

We are now 3 of our last 4 and should be 6/8 imo. Our season could easily come down to those first 4 game, which is irritating.
Not counting the Souths game? That was diabolical

Not in that 2/3!

Post by **greeneyed** » May 4, 2018, 5:03 pm

Through green eyes: Winds of change

Last week I was in Townsville, with the maximum temperatures in the low 30s. I returned to Canberra on Sunday evening... to be greeted by wild weather and 10 degrees. It has certainly turned cold in the national capital this week. The leaves are turning colour, dropping from the trees and wintry winds and rain swept across the city today.

The winds of change are sweeping through the Raiders as well, with 10 of the 19 players to face the Gold Coast Titans off contract. Some of the biggest names at the club, Paulo, Boyd, Papalii, Sezer are linked to other teams - and some have reportedly told the club they will be moving on.

It is a concerning time for Raiders fans... and I certainly would like to see the club retain at least some of those high profile players. But I am also glad that the club is being decisive on contract values and durations. I suspect that for too long, the Raiders have had too much of their salary cap tied up in forwards and not enough in the play makers. And what we're seeing at present is the result of the club freeing up cap space for the most critical positions on the field.

In addition, a bit of change in the squad will be no bad thing, in my view. Footy clubs go stale with no fresh blood - and the club's strategy of keeping the 2016 squad together doesn't seem to have worked.

What the Raiders seem to be in the process of doing is what the Melbourne Storm has traditionally done. Invest the cap in the key play makers, and rotate other players who don't take up a lot of cap space around them. Obviously, replicating that strategy is easier said than done... and the Storm have had the advantage of having some of the best play makers in thee game for the past decade on their books.

The adjustment the Raiders will be going through will be a bit painful. The uncertainty has probably been one reason for Canberra's inconsistent form. But as captain Jarrod Croker said today, the team just has to get on with it...

"Very rarely are you going to have the exact same team year-in, year-out so you've got to make the most of the boys that you're with every year, boys come and go" - Jarrod Croker

They Raiders certainly got on with it last Saturday in Townsville. I went to the game fully expecting the Cowboys would win by a big margin. But the team knuckled down, and despite handing over lots of possession to the home team, the defence was very solid. It was the first time I've seen the Raiders win in Townsville. It was the first time it had happened since 2006.

Strangely, I felt more relieved than excited. But it was great to see the team so determined to win. They'll need to come to Canberra Stadium with the same attitude in defence. If they do, it should be a good Raiders' victory.

****

Worryingly, the Titans do have a very good recent record at Canberra Stadium. They have lost just once in their past five visits to Canberra. And there have been some real heart breakers for Canberra amongst those losses. Two stick out in my memory.

In the last match at Bruce, in Round 4 of 2016, the Raiders led 20-6 with 15 minutes remaining - only to concede three tries in the final stages, surrendering the lead with two minutes remaining. The match ended in a 24-20 defeat. Then there was the golden point loss of 2011. The Raiders led by six with less than a minute left on the clock... and then Matt Orford knocked on at the base of the scrum. The Titans scored on the siren, forced golden point... and then took a 23-22 victory.

That's not to mention the heartbreak of the Round 1 loss in the final two minutes this year! Let's hope the Raiders are getting some revenge tomorrow!

****

Don't forget, the Raiders' NSW Premiership affiliate Mounties will take on the New Zealand Warriors in the curtain raiser for Raiders V Titans at Canberra Stadium. Mounties are on the top of the competition ladder, so make sure you get to the game early tomorrow. Gates open at 12:30pm.

And why not get along to a Round 5 Canberra Raiders Cup match this weekend? All four games will be played on Sunday, so there's no clash with the Raiders. The Greenhouse will be at Greenway for the top of the table clash between the Tuggeranong Bushrangers and West Belconnen Warriors... and will bring you live scores via @CanberraCup on Twitter.

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here are the total points and average points per match after the win over the Cowboys.

Total points after Round 8:

Elliott Whitehead 54
Jordan Rapana 52
Shannon Boyd 52
Iosia Soliola 51
Joey Leilua 51
Siliva Havili 51
Junior Paulo 50
Nick Cotric 50
Jarrod Croker 49
Luke Bateman 48
Aidan Sezer 47
Dunamis Lui 47
Jack Wighton 46
Josh Papalii 45
Joseph Tapine 40
Blake Austin 35
Sam Williams 27
Ata Hingano 15
Liam Knight 8
Charlie Gubb 4
Michael Oldfield 3

Average points per match after Round 8:

Elliott Whitehead 6.8
Joseph Tapine 6.7
Jack Wighton 6.6
Jordan Rapana 6.5
Shannon Boyd 6.5
Josh Papalii 6.4
Iosia Soliola 6.4
Joey Leilua 6.4
Siliva Havili 6.4
Junior Paulo 6.3
Nick Cotric 6.3
Jarrod Croker 6.1
Luke Bateman 6.0
Aidan Sezer 5.9
Dunamis Lui 5.9
Blake Austin 5.8
Sam Williams 5.4
Charlie Gubb 4.0
Liam Knight 4.0
Ata Hingano 3.0
Michael Oldfield 3.0

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Post by **greeneyed** » May 6, 2018, 11:32 am

Through green eyes: As I saw it

Round 9 2018. Canberra Raiders 32 - Gold Coast Titans 18. The Raiders produced a good win at home, and have won four of their last five matches. The season is almost back on an even keel, with a 4 and 5 record to start the season. The Raiders were completely dominant in the first half taking a 20-0 lead to the break. There were easily three or four more try scoring opportunities that didn't quite come off.

There were some nervous moments for the Canberra Stadium crowd when the Titans scored two quick tries to start the second half. The imposing lead was reduced to just eight points. Many would have thought: "Surely not again!" The Raiders reasserted control, but in the end, they were outpointed 18-12 in the second half. It was a comfortable victory, but there is still room for improvement in both attack and defence.

Stats that mattered? The Raiders had 52 per cent possession and completed at an impressive 85 per cent (65 per cent for the Titans). Canberra is probably still making more errors and conceding more penalties than Ricky Stuart would like (10 errors, 9 penalties). But the Titans' error count was decidedly worse (15) - and they conceded one more penalty than the Raiders as well.

The Raiders made a whopping 1800 metres with the ball in hand from 188 runs - compared with just 1409 metres from 149 runs for the Titans. Unusually, the Raiders out-kicked the opposition as well (314m-182m).

Canberra made an amazing 11 line breaks and 17 offloads (four and 11 for the Titans). That’s a lot of opportunities being created... but the other thing to take from that statistic is that quite a few opportunities were not converted into tries. Canberra had to make just tackles 264 tackles - and missed too many, at 35. But the Titans had to make many more tackles (345) and missed more (a mind boggling 45).

Memorable moments? Canberra scored some very good tries, with the tries to Nick Cotric and Jordan Rapana the best. But the things that stuck in my mind didn't produce points. Siliva Havili made a barnstorming run in the first half, but in the end he just couldn't get a pass away to set up a four pointer... the players in support just couldn't quite get into the right position. Also in the first half, Joe Tapine produced a breathtaking offload around the corner to Jordan Rapana, setting him away down the sideline. It deserved to end in points, but did not, with Blake Austin not able to regather the kick ahead from Rapana. And how about that break from Shannon Boyd up the middle of the field in the second half? The big prop ran like a lithe centre, but in the end, the move broke down.

Best performers?

Sia Soliola. One try, 17 runs for 170 metres, one line break, two offloads, 20 tackles.

Shannon Boyd. One try, 13 runs for 142 metres, five tackle breaks, two line breaks, 19 tackles.

Jordan Rapana. One try, 16 runs for 166 metres, six tackle breaks, three line breaks, six tackles.

Top tacklers: Josh Papalii 32, Elliott Whitehead 31, Joe Tapine 29
Most metres gained: Sia Soliola 170, Jordan Rapana 166, Jack Wighton 153.

It was difficult to pick out just three players as the best performers. Ten players broke the 100m gained mark (Soliola, Rapana, Wighton, Austin, Boyd, Leilua, Papalii, Tapine, Cotric, Lui). Wighton, Leilua, Austin, Sezer and Havili were all credited with a try assist, while the try scoring was shared by six players (Boyd, Cotric, Croker, Rapana, Soliola, Tapine). There were good contributions right across the park.

My player ratings:

Jack Wighton 6
Nick Cotric 7
Jarrod Croker 6
Joey Leilua 7
Jordan Rapana 7
Blake Austin 7
Aidan Sezer 6
Sia Soliola 8
Siliva Havili 7
Junior Paulo 6
Joe Tapine 7
Elliott Whitehead 6
Josh Papalii 7

Ata Hingano 4
Shannon Boyd 8
Luke Bateman 5
Dunamis Lui 6

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BadnMean · Post by **BadnMean** » May 6, 2018, 2:13 pm

Croker was a 7- important try plus the one he was knocked off.

We just take it for granted Croker will be first to any ball in the air, out jump the other guy and get it down clean like it's the easiest thing in the world these days.

Post by **greeneyed** » May 11, 2018, 1:50 pm

Through green eyes: Winter is here

Even though winter is officially a few weeks away, it certainly hit the national capital this week, with a blast of Arctic winds sweeping over south east Australia. Canberra's maximum temperature hit just 9C today and it is snowing in the Alps. Fortunately, the weather should improve by the time of Sunday afternoon's clash between Canberra and Cronulla... with not much chance of rain and a top of 16C. And if there's one upside to the early onset of winter... teams from Sydney seem to hate the cold!

There has been a growing rivalry between the Raiders and the Sharks in recent years. It probably started in 2012, when the Raiders hosted the Sharks in a finals match on an amazing spring afternoon... and blew them off the park with some sensational attack. But it was also a match which was tough in the middle, with a young Josh Papalii giving Sharks' captain Paul Gallen plenty of attention. The young buck dominated the old buck - and got under his skin as well, with Gallen claiming one very good Papalii tackle was a "dog act".

Incredibly, the Raiders have not won against the Sharks in Canberra since. It's a losing streak of five matches, which included the finals match of 2016. Michael Ennis added to the rivalry after the Raiders' narrow loss in that game, mocking the crowd with his own Viking Clap. The Sharks went on to win their first premiership that year. And I can't say it was a just reward for a club that was penalised lightly for systematic drug cheating just a couple of years before.

So I'm desperately looking for some overdue revenge at home on Sunday. I'm particularly looking forward to the match up at lock between Josh Papalii and Paul Gallen. Gallen is under an injury cloud, but I hope he plays... just to see some tough tackling from Papalii! Thanks should go to Tim Sedgwick for posting this in The GH Facebook group this week... it’s an old one, but a good one:

The Raiders are $1.55 favourites in the betting to win this match, with the Sharks paying $2.50. I think the Raiders should win, but the match will be a much more difficult assignment than those odds suggest. The Sharks love to play tough, they love to grind, and they've been winning ugly. The Raiders pack faces a tough battle - and they'll need to dominate the Sharks' forwards if Canberra is to win. Let's hope that's just what happens.

****

Congratulations to Shannon Boyd who will play his 100th match for the Canberra Raiders on Sunday. He had a blinder against the Titans, and while his form has been a bit up and down, he's now won three man of the match honours in the Canberra Raiders Fans' Choice Player of the Year voting. He's off contract, and is reportedly set to leave his junior club for the Titans on a very big contract. I'd like to see him retained - at the right price - particularly if he could consistently post the sort of numbers that he did last week.

Don't forget, Sunday also happens to be Mother's Day. Mary Konstantopoulos, one of the "Ladies who league", has interviewed Shannon's mother for her Mother's Day story on NRL.com. It is well worth a read.

****

It is Indigenous Round this weekend, and every club is wearing an Indigenous themed jersey - the second year in row that has happened. I think the Raiders have produced an outstanding design for the jersey this year.

The Raiders are auctioning the match jerseys to help raise funds for the Kato Ottio Memorial Fund through www.allbids.com.au with some big bids already lodged. In a very nice touch, the jerseys feature Kato's name on the inside collar. If you can afford it, jump in to support a good cause.

****

The Raiders' NSW Premiership affiliate Mounties will take on the Sharks' affiliate, the Newtown Jets on Saturday at Aubrey Keech Reserve. With no curtain raiser at Canberra Stadium on Sunday, it would have been a good opportunity for Mounties to again play in the national capital this week. Alternatively, it would have been good for one of Sunday's Round 6 Canberra Raiders Cup matches to feature as the curtain raiser.

In any event, if you're in western Sydney on Saturday, get along to Aubrey Keech... and if you're in Canberra, get along to a Canberra Raiders cup match. The Greenhouse will be at Seiffert Oval on Saturday for the Queanbeyan derby. It should be a great clash.

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here are the total points and average points per match after the win over the Titans.

Total points after Round 9:

Elliott Whitehead 60
Shannon Boyd 60
Iosia Soliola 59
Jordan Rapana 59
Joey Leilua 58
Siliva Havili 58
Nick Cotric 57
Junior Paulo 56
Jarrod Croker 55
Aidan Sezer 53
Dunamis Lui 53
Luke Bateman 53
Jack Wighton 52
Josh Papalii 52
Joseph Tapine 47
Blake Austin 42
Sam Williams 27
Ata Hingano 19
Liam Knight 8
Charlie Gubb 4
Michael Oldfield 3

Average points per match after Round 9:

Joseph Tapine 6.7
Elliott Whitehead 6.7
Shannon Boyd 6.7
Iosia Soliola 6.6
Jordan Rapana 6.6
Jack Wighton 6.5
Josh Papalii 6.5
Joey Leilua 6.4
Siliva Havili 6.4
Nick Cotric 6.3
Junior Paulo 6.2
Jarrod Croker 6.1
Blake Austin 6.0
Aidan Sezer 5.9
Dunamis Lui 5.9
Luke Bateman 5.9
Sam Williams 5.4
Charlie Gubb 4.0
Liam Knight 4.0
Ata Hingano 3.2
Michael Oldfield 3.0

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Post by **greeneyed** » May 14, 2018, 11:33 am

Through green eyes: As I saw it

"We're a better team than that but for the fourth time this year we've shot ourselves in the foot in regards to winning the game."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

Round 10 2018. Cronulla Sharks 24 - Canberra Raiders 16. It was another match that the Raiders should have won - but didn't. A win against an injury riddled Cronulla Sharks would have seen the Raiders move into the top eight for the first time this season, but instead Canberra stumbled at the hurdle. The Raiders started the match poorly, with errors and penalties gifting the visitors possession and territory. By half time, the Raiders had re-asserted control, going to the break with a 16-8 lead. They were in a position to go on and win the match. But the Raiders failed to score in the second half, while conceding three tries.

The loss of Blake Austin to an ankle injury late in the first half no doubt disrupted the team. Aidan Sezer and Ata Hingano struggled to direct the team after Austin departed the field, with Sezer making some crucial errors. The mind set in the second half seemed to be: "protect the lead" and "grind it out". But they simply could not match the Sharks in the trenches.

Coach Ricky Stuart said after the match that the loss was not due to a lack of effort. It's hard to put your finger on the problem - but the attitude, the mental toughness, did not seem to be there last night. The team did not have their heads switched on to start the match. When faced with adversity in the second half, the team repeatedly made poor choices. At times, the Raiders looked very disorganised, producing critical errors and poor fifth tackle options. And the Canberra forwards did not step up to match the Sharks' pack. To give credit to the opposition, there was no doubting the mental and physical toughness of a bits and pieces Sharks outfit.

Stats that mattered? The Sharks had a 53 per cent share of possession. Both teams completed at 71 per cent and there was not much difference in the error count (Sharks 11, Raiders 10) and penalties conceded (Raiders 8, Sharks 7). However, the Sharks made more runs (169-152) and made many more metres with the ball in hand (1870m-1636) - the latter boosted by some long range tries. Canberra had to make more tackles (339-305), and strangely, given the result, the Sharks missed more (34-27). But they clearly were able to scramble when it was needed. And the Raiders could only make one line break - while the Sharks produced four.

Memorable moments? The Raiders scored just two tries, the best being the result of an Elliott Whitehead kick, yes, an Elliott Whitehead kick. Nick Cotric performed some incredible acrobatics to gather in the ball and ground it just inside the dead ball line.

The most memorable moments for Canberra were probably in defence. In the 7th minute, Jarrod Croker miraculously held up a rampaging Ava Seumanufagi, somehow getting himself under the ball and preventing it from being grounded. Croker was again involved in a try saver in the 62nd minute, when he and Nick Cotric bundled former Raider Edrick Lee into touch. The best tackle however, came in the 75th minute, when James Segeyaro made a huge break up the middle of the field, but was stopped dead in his tracks by Jack Wighton. An absolute classic. It was quickly followed by some last ditch defence from Elliott Whitehead and Luke Bateman on Andrew Fifita, which forced him to lose the ball over the line. Unfortunately, all the good moments in defence were not quite enough.

Best performers?

Josh Papalii. 18 runs for 213 metres, one try assist, one line break assist, one offload, 31 tackles.

Joe Tapine. Eight runs for 103 metres, seven tackle breaks, one offload, 41 tackles.

Top tacklers: Joe Tapine 41, Siliva Havili 41, Elliott Whitehead 31
Most metres gained: Josh Papalii 213, Jordan Rapana 198, Jack Wighton 147.

My player ratings:

Jack Wighton 6
Nick Cotric 6
Jarrod Croker 6
Joey Leilua 6
Jordan Rapana 7
Blake Austin 5
Aidan Sezer 4
Sia Soliola 5
Siliva Havili 7
Shannon Boyd 6
Joe Tapine 7
Elliott Whitehead 6
Josh Papalii 7

Ata Hingano 4
Luke Bateman 5
Charlie Gubb 5
Dunamis Lui 5

Do you agree or disagree with the ratings? Let us know!

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LastRaider · Post by **LastRaider** » May 14, 2018, 10:11 pm

I’m really getting over Ricky’s continual comments around effort. Like “the effort was there”.... it’s just complete BS. Effort doesn’t deliver what we see week in, week out.

And what’s frustrating the most about this, is the raiders board are buying this **** week in week out. I can just picture the monthly board meeting when Stuart gives his report. “We have a great bunch of guys here who really put in on and off the field. The effort is there, just unlucky with the refereeing etc etc.

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zim · Post by **zim** » May 15, 2018, 11:10 am

The effort was there. More than enough effort to win that game, but poor execution and choices let us down. You take our halves performance this game and swap it with the doggies game and we just walk through it. No contest.

Even someone like Hingano got into the try saving action with that stop on Feki.

Boyd was pretty bad this game. Didn't get involved enough and got caught on the ground instead of at marker, which led to line breaks. Great way to bring up your 100th. Don't know how he gets a 6.

Post by **greeneyed** » May 18, 2018, 5:03 pm

Through green eyes: Thank God I’m a country boy!

Well not really. I couldn’t live anywhere much smaller than Canberra.

It’s been a long road trip out to the country today... to Mudgee, where the Raiders will take on the St George Illawarra Dragons at Glen Willow Stadium.

It’s a nice drive through some picturesque country side. There was some treacherous road once you pass Bathurst, something ironically called the Castlereagh “Highway”. It’s the sort of road where some village petrol station puts up a sign reading: “last fuel for the next 90 kms”. And if you drove off the side of the road and over a cliff, you might never be found.

In any case, there was no more picturesque country than around Mudgee itself. There’s something I love about wine country. Vineyards stretch all along the road side near the town... with the trees all turning gold and red. Sun shining, cool, crisp, clear blue skies. It was just beautiful. Mudgee itself is filled with character as well. I’m staying just a couple of blocks from the centre of the CBD in an area full of period homes... and staying in one that has been turned into a bed and breakfast. It’s charming... but where’s my Fox League on the TV? Where’s my wifi?!

I’ve spent the afternoon having lunch at a craft brewery... and walking around town. Even a bit of wine tasting... and there’ll be more of that tomorrow. It’s the sort of place where people want to chat in the shops. All the stores have Dragons and Raiders jerseys hanging in the windows. The banners in the streets are mostly red and white... but then it’s the Dragons’ home game. I believe this is just the second NRL fixture to be played at Mudgee and the locals are clearly excited by it.

I’m not a great fan of taking NRL matches to country venues. Trials, sure. I don’t mind a country road trip for a trial either. But I think it devalues the regular competition by not playing your top matches at top venues. Other clubs seem to make a habit of taking their home games against the Raiders “away”... to Cairns, Albury, Bathurst in recent years. I think it does disrespect our club. But there’s no doubt it spreads the word in the country.

And the Raiders don’t seem to mind a country venue, for the most part. Bathurst aside. I hope Mudgee produces a better outcome! I am tipping the Dragons will win, and win well. Please prove me wrong, Raiders!

****

I went out to the ground this afternoon as well. It’s a ground with a very good, but very small grandstand, and a pretty good hill. It’s a very good standard field for a country town. It has a ground record of 9,133... and that’s one of the reasons I don’t like to see NRL matches played at grounds with such limited capacity. We should be trying to grow our crowds, not down size the stadiums.

But in any case, those preparing the facility have it looking to be in first class condition.

****

I’m making this a short and sweet column... I’m writing this on an iPad! But to compensate, I’ve added lots of pictures! And to be serious, I am enjoying this trip and the place. It’s great.

Don’t forget our Monaro Colts are playing Illawarra on Saturday at Goulburn in the Country Championships semi final. Get along if you can, or watch on the live stream over in the Canberra Raiders Cup thread.

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here are the total points and average points per match after the loss to the Sharks.

Total points after Round 10:

Elliott Whitehead 66
Jordan Rapana 66
Shannon Boyd 66
Siliva Havili 65
Iosia Soliola 64
Joey Leilua 64
Nick Cotric 63
Jarrod Croker 61
Josh Papalii 59
Dunamis Lui 58
Jack Wighton 58
Luke Bateman 58
Aidan Sezer 57
Junior Paulo 56
Joseph Tapine 54
Blake Austin 47
Sam Williams 27
Ata Hingano 23
Charlie Gubb 9
Liam Knight 8
Michael Oldfield 3

Average points per match after Round 10:

Joseph Tapine 6.8
Elliott Whitehead 6.6
Jordan Rapana 6.6
Shannon Boyd 6.6
Josh Papalii 6.6
Siliva Havili 6.5
Jack Wighton 6.4
Iosia Soliola 6.4
Joey Leilua 6.4
Nick Cotric 6.3
Junior Paulo 6.2
Jarrod Croker 6.1
Blake Austin 5.9
Dunamis Lui 5.8
Luke Bateman 5.8
Aidan Sezer 5.7
Sam Williams 5.4
Charlie Gubb 4.5
Liam Knight 4.0
Ata Hingano 3.3
Michael Oldfield 3.0

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bonehead · Post by **bonehead** » May 18, 2018, 5:18 pm

I love mudgee, wine and motorcycle road heaven.

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