Through green eyes 2019

[TongueFTW]

I thought CNK came up with two really important defensive plays. One with NAS on his double movement, and the other when Chambers kicked through for Vunivalu. Both times, his presence prevented tries - good positioning. He was unlucky not to have a try assist too. He dropped that bomb, but to be fair, it wasn’t the easiest catch with Addo-Carr putting pressure on.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble



Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. It's a common misquote from Shakespeare's Macbeth. The witches are actually chanting, "Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

Regardless, we've certainly heard a lot about bubbles this past week or so. And we will certainly see toil on Friday night - and someone is bound to be in trouble - when the Raiders take on the Rabbitohs in an historic, first Preliminary Final in the nation's capital.

After the Raiders' remarkable win over the Melbourne Storm in Week 1 of the finals, Green Machine coach Ricky Stuart said this:

"I'm not trying to keep a lid on things or downplaying that win. But we won't get involved in the Canberra bubble because there'll be a lot of excitement and hype. But we will not be distracted in our focus for the game at home. We've got to live in our own bubble – and that won't be the Canberra bubble. We will be professional and stick to our task in what has got us here."

It is a theme he's repeated ever since.

"Canberra bubble" was the "word of the year" in 2018. It is defined as "the insular environment of federal politics."

Of course, the insular environment of federal politics doesn't have much to do with the city, the people of Canberra. That has more to do with politicians from all over the country and Parliament House.

The "Canberra bubble" Ricky Stuart is referring to has a lot to do with the city and the people of Canberra.

It is the bubble that we saw 30 years ago when the Canberra Raiders won their first premiership. And 25 years ago, when the Raiders won their third premiership in 1994 on this very day.

Canberra unified in their love for the Raiders in a way that had never been seen before and rarely since. The city was said to have found its "soul". They were heady days, when green fever swept through Canberra, and the fountains, the sausages, the bread, the milk and just about everything else turned green.

But we probably first saw this Canberra bubble in 1987, when the Raiders made their first Grand Final. Back then, just making the Grand Final was the achievement. A parade was held in the week leading up to the game. That was a hard learned lesson for the club. Never get caught up in the bubble before something is really achieved.

The anniversary of the 1987 Grand Final falls on this Friday.

As they head into the Preliminary Final, there is no better reminder for the players that nothing has been achieved in 2019, just yet.

***

The "Canberra bubble" was well and truly inflating in the first couple of days of this week - when tickets went on sale for Friday's game.

The match was a sellout within 24 hours, within minutes of tickets being made available to the general public on Tuesday morning. It shapes as record crowd for a Canberra home match, one that will break the record of 26,476 set in 2010 for a finals clash with the Wests Tigers. It should be an incredible atmosphere and one incredible Viking Clap - despite the large numbers of Rabbitohs fans who will no doubt descend on Canberra Stadium.

It was the usual mad scramble for tickets. I do think that the NRL could have handled the process a whole lot better than it did. It is no doubt complex to manage and there are a lot of competing considerations. However, I think club members deserved to be treated better than they were on Monday, during the member pre-sales.

There appeared to be very few tickets made available on the western side of the ground, right from 10am when members could purchase. They were mostly allocated tickets on the eastern side of the ground, and then the ends... and then into standing. Member codes providing access to the pre-sales were supposed to work just once... but that did not prove to be the case and were shared and used multiple times. Put that together with the fact that each member could purchase up to eight tickets - a lot of people who were not members got early access to seats. At the same time, some members were reporting they couldn't get seats, or standing room only. Many had to split their seating and take single seats.

What's worse, at 4pm on Monday, superior seats started opening up on the western side of the ground when pre-sales were opened to NRL.com account holders and Telstra customers. So some members then doubled up their purchases, just so they could get seats, rather than standing tickets, or their preferred seating.

There has to be a better way. I understand that the NRL needs to have seating available for corporate sales, sponsors and the clubs... and I'll put my hand up... I am a Club 82 member who bought a corporate ticket. I'm sure I don't fully understand all the ins and outs. But when you have members reporting that they could only get standing tickets during a pre-sale... there's something wrong with the process.

It would be nice to think that the NRL learns from this experience. But almost exactly the same thing happened in 2016, when Canberra Stadium sold out in Week 1 of the finals.

And one last thing before I finish on this subject... the sell out demonstrates one thing very clearly. The city of Canberra deserves a stadium that can hold at least 30,000 people. And if the ACT expects the NRL to continue to stage Preliminary Finals in Canberra, that is what is needed.

***

As to someone being in trouble... I do worry that the referees' crackdown on sin bins last weekend might come back to bite the Green Machine.

After the Week 1 matches, referees boss Graham Annesley went to great pains to point out that either Elliott Whitehead (obstruction) or Jarrod Croker (ruck infringement) should have been sin binned in the Raiders' clash with the Storm.

There was subsequently a spate of binnings in Week 2. I'm not sure 10 minutes off the field was the appropriate penalty in some cases - it was too severe. The idea of bringing back the option of five minute binnings was floated this week - and I think that's a good idea, particularly in circumstances when there is no foul play.

The Raiders are going to have to be at their most disciplined on Friday night - particularly when you consider that Canberra is the third most penalised team, and the Rabbitohs concede the least. Hopefully, we see a contest that involves 13 against 13 for 80 minutes.

***

The Raiders are firm favourites to beat the Rabbitohs and progress to the Grand Final. But it'll be a tougher contest than the odds suggest. The Rabbitohs have some very dangerous players in the play making roles, and some big, tough forwards. They've also got a bit of forward flair, with Cameron Murray at lock. Add in a very wily coach in Wayne Bennett, and this is easily a match that could tip the other way. The Rabbitohs will need to improve on their performances in the first two weeks of the finals, particularly in defence, if they're to win. But if the Raiders bring their most intense defence and play to their potential, I think they should get the victory... and make their first decider in 25 years. Anything can happen from there.

On Sunday, the Canberra Raiders Jersey Flegg face the Rabbitohs in the Grand Final at Western Sydney Stadium. It's a shame it could not have been staged at Canberra Stadium on Friday as part of a double header - in front of a capacity crowd. However, that is not to be. I'll be heading down to Sydney for the match. Get to the game if you can, as our Under 20s would no doubt like to see a lot of lime green in the crowd. Hopefully, they can bring home the title.

***

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 clash with the Storm. Let us know if you agree with the ratings... or not!

Total points

Josh Papalii 186
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 169
Elliott Whitehead 168
Jack Wighton 168
Jarrod Croker 162
John Bateman 158
Josh Hodgson 156
Sia Soliola 155
Dunamis Lui 144
Corey Horsburgh 127
Ryan Sutton 127
Nick Cotric 123
Siliva Havili 121
Jordan Rapana 116
Bailey Simonsson 114
Aidan Sezer 101
Joe Tapine 88
Hudson Young 69
Joey Leilua 63
Sam Williams 59
Michael Oldfield 55
Emre Guler 47
Sebastian Kris 21
Tom Starling 15
Jack Murchie 6
JJ Collins 4

Average points per match

John Bateman 7.5
Josh Papalii 7.4
Josh Hodgson 7.1
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 7.0
Elliott Whitehead 6.7
Jack Wighton 6.7
Jarrod Croker 6.5
Sia Soliola 6.5
Corey Horsburgh 6.4
Ryan Sutton 6.4
Aidan Sezer 6.3
Joey Leilua 6.3
Michael Oldfield 6.1
Jordan Rapana 6.1
Bailey Simonsson 6.0
Jack Murchie 6.0
Sam Williams 5.9
Joe Tapine 5.9
Nick Cotric 5.9
Dunamis Lui 5.8
Hudson Young 5.8
Siliva Havili 5.5
Sebastian Kris 5.3
Emre Guler 5.2
Tom Starling 5.0
JJ Collins 4.0



Plus follow us on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Twitter: @TheGHRaiders

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[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"It's been years of hard work and disappointments and a lot of lows to get the opportunity of playing in a grand final. I couldn't be more proud of those blokes in that change room, they've got the opportunity to create a bit of their own history. We're only half way there, we've got another game to play and by no means we'll be looking too far ahead. We've got a week of preparation and we're going to be playing a very classy football team, Melbourne or Roosters.

I think we can certainly attack a little bit better but defensively, you can’t defend like that if you don't believe in each other and don't have the trust and camaraderie. It's not just defensive strategy and structures, you've got to have trust and if you're not mates with each other, there's no trust.

I want the players to enjoy this week, to embrace the hype and the understanding of the celebrations of being in a grand final. If you want to be a big-time player, you've got to handle that hype. The guys who are consistently good in semi-finals and those kinds of arenas, they embrace those kinds of arenas."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

Finals Week 3 2019. Canberra Raiders 16 - South Sydney Rabbitohs 10. After a wait of 25 years, the Canberra Raiders will once again play in a Grand Final. It has been a long wait for the club, the fans, the city. The Preliminary Final was not a pretty game. But it was a match that the Canberra Raiders simply refused to lose. The defence was extraordinary.

In the second half, it repeatedly seemed that the Rabbitohs would crack the game open. And then with 10 minutes remaining, the Raiders leading 10-6, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was sent to the sin bin. He had chased down Adam Reynolds - who had intercepted and made a huge break down field. But the ball came free in the tackle, and he was harshly ruled to have stripped it. Most Raiders fans feared the worst. The Rabbitohs had come from behind to win in Week 2 of the finals, after the sin binning of Jake Trbojevic. But it proved to be a turning point for the Raiders. The 12 men lifted - and when Josh Papalii scored under the posts, the Raiders locked up a Grand Final berth. The Rabbitohs would go on to score a late try, but it proved to be scant consolation.



The Raiders defence was extraordinary, but so too was the crowd. It was like a pulsating, surging beast. And when Papalii scored that try, there were scenes like we had never seen before at Canberra Stadium. The crowd broke into a spontaneous Viking Clap or two as the final minutes ticked down. Just thinking about that final 10 minutes, I choke up. But at the ground, for me the final hooter was simply relief. The emotion would only come in the wee hours of Saturday morning, watching the replay. There is lots more emotion to come in the next week. Ricky Stuart will be doing his best to keep that in check amongst the players. They will have soaked up the win last night, and the achievement of making the Grand Final will have been acknowledged. But he'll no doubt be stressing that that is not enough - that is not all they want to achieve.

Now we wait to see which team the Raiders will face in the Grand Final. The Roosters or the Storm. The Raiders will have to be better than they were last night if they're to beat either of them, particularly in attack. Regardless, this next week is going to be one hell of a ride for all who bleed green.



Stats that mattered?

The match statistics underline how courageous the Raiders' performance was against the Rabbitohs. South Sydney dominated possession in the second half, finishing with a 56 per cent possession share overall. They had the ball for a full seven minutes more than Canberra. In the second half, South Sydney had 60 per cent of the territory. The Rabbitohs forced six line drop outs on the Raiders, with Canberra failing to force even one. The Rabbitohs made more runs (194-155), running metres (1675-1421), kick return metres (221-205), tackle breaks (36-30) and line breaks (5-2).

The Raiders didn't complete poorly. Both teams completed at 80 per cent. Errors were close to level (Raiders 12, Rabbitohs 11), while the penalty count was low (Raiders conceded five, Rabbitohs three). But the Rabbitohs had 10 more sets with the ball than the Raiders.

In most games, a team with the Rabbitohs' set of statistics would have won. But Canberra made good use of the ball that they did have. They won the post contact metres (449-434) and the average set distance (41-27). They produced more kicking metres (610 from 22 kicks, compared with 546 from 26 kicks for the Rabbitohs) - and they really had to. And Canberra's defence was simply terrific. The Raiders missed more tackles (36-30), but produced fewer ineffective tackles (13-16) - and all up, the Raiders had the better effective tackle rate (89-87 per cent). Ultimately, the stat that mattered was this: three tries to two.

Memorable moments?

The Raiders' first two tries were perhaps a little controversial. Rabbitohs winger Corey Allan looked like he grounded the ball in the in goal, before losing it... with Jarrod Croker grounding it. It was a little fortunate that the bunker ruled that Allan was looking to escape the in goal, and playing on. Jack Wighton scored a spectacular four pointer, ruled correctly that he had not knocked on, but had intentionally kicked ahead for himself.

But there is little doubt that the best try and the moment of the match belonged Josh Papalii. Perhaps it was challenged by the moment that 80 minutes expired, with the Raiders qualifying for the Grand Final. But the way he powered up the middle of the park, fending aside Damien Cook - it was magic, and so was the reaction of the crowd.

Best performers?

Josh Papalii. One try, 18 runs for 179 metres, 57 post contact metres, one line break, seven tackle breaks, two offloads, 35 tackles, 92 per cent tackle efficiency.

Jack Wighton. One try, 12 runs for 151 metres, 35 post contact metres, three tackle breaks, 23 tackles, 92 per cent tackle efficiency, 265 kicking metres from eight kicks.

Josh Hodgson. Two runs for 19 metres, one tackle break, one one-on-one steal, 48 tackles, 86 per cent tackle efficiency, 205 kicking metres from six kicks.

Top tacklers: Josh Hodgson 48, Sia Soliola 39, John Bateman 39.
Most metres gained: Josh Papalii 179, Jack Wighton 121, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 147.

My player ratings:

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 6
Nick Cotric 6
Jarrod Croker 7
Joseph Leilua 6
Jordan Rapana 6
Jack Wighton 8
Aidan Sezer 5
Josh Papalii 9
Josh Hodgson 8
Sia Soliola 7
John Bateman 7
Elliott Whitehead 6
Joe Tapine 6

Bailey Simonsson 4
Emre Guler 5
Corey Horsburgh 7
Dunamis Lui 5

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



Plus follow us on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders

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[gangrenous]

Hodgson is also a 9 for mine. His best “big stage” game to date.

I’m far from Tapine’s biggest fan, but I think he was a 7 last night. Great defence.

Those average set distances are ridiculous. The Raiders were amazing at making ground out of their own end.

Sezer and Wighton need to end sets better next week. Can’t win a GF with zero drop outs unless we’re scoring tries all the time instead.

[Begbie]

I'd change Tapine to a 7 too. Apart from that, good job.

[LastRaider]

I really thought you might award the first 10 of the year. I thought Papa was worthy of 10.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: One for the true believers



There has been a rash of stories this week from Canberra Raiders supporters. They're personal accounts of their journey as fans of the Green Machine, from mainstream journalists to bloggers... as they find themselves in Grand Final week, with their team one of the last two left in the 2019 premiership. There have been some great stories.

I've written a lot about my personal experiences following the Canberra Raiders, my memories of games past. The Canberra Raiders first Grand Final back in 1987 and the first premiership in 1989, the greatest Grand Final of all time. Why I couldn't attend the 1994 Grand Final... and what happened afterwards.

I've written so much about games past, that I'm probably now a bit like your old uncle, who repeats the same stories over and over... and who you try and avoid sitting next to at Christmas lunch.

But as we head to our first grand final in 25 years, it's hard not to reflect on the past. To add to the personal accounts.

I'm one of the lucky ones.

I moved to Canberra in 1982, fresh out of university, for work. I had lived all my life in Brisbane, and my family was deeply involved in rugby league and the Easts Tigers. My grandfather played and worked for the club for much of his life in just about every capacity. Managing junior footy, running the chook raffle on Saturday's at Stones Corner. My uncle coached from juniors to reserves, winning a Reserve Grade premiership for the men in black and gold. Both were life members of their club. My aunts married footballers.

And when I left Brisbane, I was leaving behind the Tigers. I consoled myself with the fact that a new team had been admitted into the "Sydney competition" - and I could spend my winter weekends going to the footy.

I went to the Raiders' first trial match at Seiffert Oval and the first match. The ground was like a "palace" compared to the suburban grounds of Brisbane. A real grandstand, and a lush, green, perfect surface. The Queanbeyan Leagues Club was a "palace" as well. That year I saw the team's first ever win, by one point, over the 1981 Grand Finalists, Newtown. It was almost like a Grand Final victory that day.

They were difficult early years for the Raiders and in that first year they were regularly beaten by big scores. The club was hampered by the 13 import rule - designed by the Sydney clubs to stop a player drain to the two newly admitted clubs - and they started with a wooden spoon.

But the Raiders slowly became my team.

I say I'm one of the lucky ones, as the Raiders quickly became successful. They found themselves in a play-off for a finals place in just their third season. Then a Grand Final in 1987. What a ride that was! I still remember a group of us standing in front of the El Alamein Fountain at Kings Cross after a few drinks on the night before the Grand Final, singing "We are the Canberra Raiders", the original club song.

It was the start of the "glory years". Three premierships and four Grand Finals between 1989 and 1994. The club was unlucky in a few more years as well. 1988, 1993 and 1995 were all seasons that "could have been". But the past 25 years have been mostly been tough going for the club and the fans.

There have been some roller-coaster seasons when we dared to dream. What about 2003, when an unfashionable Raiders outfit started the season with seven victories in a row, only to be denied a Grand Final appearance by the Warriors and a Stacey Jones field goal? What about 2016? A club record 10 wins in a row and some of the most breath-taking attack you'll ever see... only to suffer two, two point losses in the finals. There have been other seasons with purple patches too.

But since Canberra's last premiership, there have been just four Preliminary Final appearances. And there have been a lot of cold, dark days and nights in the past 25 years. Some huge losses, small crowds. For me, possibly the lowest point came in 2001, with the Raiders kicked off their home ground by a rugby union game, forced to play at what was then a crumbling Manuka Oval in the drizzle. There were reportedly 7,000 people there, but it didn't seem like it - rugby union was ascendant - and the Warriors inflicted a 12 point defeat on the "home team".

For much of the NRL era, the Raiders were in and out of the finals. They were a team perpetually on the edge of the top eight. But in the past six years, the Raiders have missed the finals every year but one. It was close to the worst period in the club's history.

The Raiders have now rebuilt. It is a credit to all at the club. Coach Ricky Stuart has often been maligned in the rugby league world, but he has now achieved what for so long seemed impossible. Thirty years since that first day of premiership glory. A quarter of a century since the last, more than a generation.

The Raiders are now on the edge of a dream.

Enjoy your Grand Final day. It's one for the true believers.

***

It has been an incredible past week. Last Friday night, we witnessed some history at Canberra Stadium. I've never seen such scenes at the ground when Josh Papalii scored the winning try. The crowd was pulsating. The post game, celebratory Viking Clap led by Sia Soliola was extraordinary.

Since then it has been a whirlwind. Grand Final training opened to members, the team and the Viking Horn farewelled from the national capital, the Grand Final squad presented to an adoring crowd in Martin Place. I hope the players are more in control of their emotions than I am! I choke up every time I think about the Grand Final. Here's some highlights of the week, as The Greenhouse has recorded them.



























***

The Roosters are hot favourites to win on Sunday, and they are deservedly favourites. There has been so much written about the game, I'm not going to add much more. But I will say this. I think the Raiders have the defence and the game plan to put the Roosters off their game. I tipped the Raiders to finish on the edge of the top eight this year. So I admit my pre-season punditry was a "little off". However, I do believe Canberra can now go all the way. Raiders by four.

***

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 Preliminary Final against the Rabbitohs. Let us know if you agree with the ratings... or not!

Total points

Josh Papalii 195
Jack Wighton 176
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 175
Elliott Whitehead 174
Jarrod Croker 169
John Bateman 165
Josh Hodgson 164
Sia Soliola 162
Dunamis Lui 149
Corey Horsburgh 134
Nick Cotric 129
Ryan Sutton 127
Jordan Rapana 122
Siliva Havili 121
Bailey Simonsson 118
Aidan Sezer 106
Joe Tapine 94
Hudson Young 69
Joey Leilua 69
Sam Williams 59
Michael Oldfield 55
Emre Guler 52
Sebastian Kris 21
Tom Starling 15
Jack Murchie 6
JJ Collins 4

Average points per match

John Bateman 7.5
Josh Papalii 7.5
Josh Hodgson 7.1
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 7.0
Jack Wighton 6.8
Elliott Whitehead 6.7
Jarrod Croker 6.5
Sia Soliola 6.5
Corey Horsburgh 6.4
Ryan Sutton 6.4
Joey Leilua 6.3
Aidan Sezer 6.2
Michael Oldfield 6.1
Jordan Rapana 6.1
Jack Murchie 6.0
Bailey Simonsson 5.9
Sam Williams 5.9
Joe Tapine 5.9
Nick Cotric 5.9
Hudson Young 5.8
Dunamis Lui 5.7
Siliva Havili 5.5
Sebastian Kris 5.3
Emre Guler 5.2
Tom Starling 5.0
JJ Collins 4.0



Plus follow us on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Twitter: @TheGHRaiders

If you can put some sentences together and you'd like to write a regular column for The Greenhouse, let us know! We are keen to have more contributing writers!

[dubby]

It's been a fantastic week, one we've all truly enjoyed and appreciated.

I think the lean years and tough times have created a tough, loyal and dedicated raiders fan. At times we've thrown our hands up, become extremely frustrated and disheartened.

So it's with renewed enthusiasm and that word appreciation again, we are soaking up this grand final week and the atmosphere it brings.

I look forward to the game, and will cheer my heart out.

To all of you raiders fans, thank you. We've endured some bleak years. This time, this moment, this game is for you. We really needed to experience this occasion, and if we win we will celebrate long and hard, with tears, passion and an elation not seen in a long, long time.

Go you Raiders.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Coastalraider]

Great write up G-E, it must be a pleasure to be in a position to write a GF edition.

I said to someone after the Friday win - I think we have just been a part of the best crowd and atmosphere the Raiders will ever play in front of. Full house, vast majority of the crowd as member ticket purchases, so a true 100% Raiders crowd, breaking a 25 year grand final drought. It was a genuine honour to be a part of a night that will go down in history as one of those 'I was there' nights.

I sincerely hope we get to be a part of another one on Sunday.

[LastRaider]

Here here Coastalraider, let’s hope Sunday is one of those “I was there” nights too!

[Woodgers]

Good write up GE, stirring the emotions there. I'm sure it will only get worse before Sunday.

[afgtnk]

Thanks GE. Following the Raiders wouldn't be the same without this website and its presence.

As a supporter there have been some consistently dark days. Many of us thought we'd be were we are right now, again. I too was one of the few there that night at Manuka - we had indeed become Canberra's side act. Glad to see that natural order has been restored.

The next step is to win this comp, maintain our quality and performances, and have a new stadium built.

[Bay53]

Yeah great write up.

As you know I have asked you a lot of times on trips to Sydney about those glory days and the beginnings of the club.

It has been such a pleasure to finally be part of the new glory days.

However - for Christ sake, stop whinging about a game in 2001. It was a Super Rugby Grand Final. My understanding is the issue had a lot to do with Fox Sports and their refusal to shift games so the Raiders could play on the Friday or Sunday and thus avoid the clash.

Perhaps we should have played the home game in Wagga?

[Bay53]

Sunday will be my 41st AFL or NRL grand final that I have attended.

In that time only once has my team won the first grade premiership - Essendon in 2000. I was involved in a team that played in the AFL curtain raiser in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and Essendon lost in 2001 plus the Raiders twice made Under 20s grand finals but nearly everytime I have been a neutral supporter.

For someone who drove to the first home game in 2004, parked at CIT and had to ask someone where the ground was, I have come a long way following this team.

A win will provide memories that last a lifetime.

[greeneyed]

Yeah great write up.

As you know I have asked you a lot of times on trips to Sydney about those glory days and the beginnings of the club.

It has been such a pleasure to finally be part of the new glory days.

However - for Christ sake, stop whinging about a game in 2001. It was a Super Rugby Grand Final. My understanding is the issue had a lot to do with Fox Sports and their refusal to shift games so the Raiders could play on the Friday or Sunday and thus avoid the clash.

Perhaps we should have played the home game in Wagga?

Thanks for the advice.

[afgtnk]

The night at Manuka wasn't that bad, it was more the symbolism of it and what it represented.

The Brumbies were flying high and competing for the title, the toast of the town, generating big crowds. It was all about them; everyone wanted to follow them, players wanted to play for them, and other clubs wanted to copy them.

The Raiders had become the ugly duckling, a mere afterthought, reduced to playing on a huge oval in the rain, in an ugly jersey, in front of a sparse crowd, and losing. It wasn't cool to be a Raiders fan and we were losing new support hand over fist to interstate clubs.

Fair to say after some tough years, we've now well and truly taken our crown back to again be the number one show in town.

[-TW-]

This last month of footy has made those grim years worth it

I remember 2013 where we got pumped by 50 a few weeks in a row, a lot of us were questioning if we would ever be in a grand final again

2014 Sticky comes in, the infamous press conference after getting towelled by the Dragons "Until I get international and state of origin players in with this group of guys, nothing's gonna change"

Yeah sure Stick, where are they coming from?

2015 Hodgson and Soliola sign on, with Austin and a few others. We start to improve but fall short. Promising signs. Leilua bails on Newcastle and joins mid year. "Oh great we've signed another lemon"

2016 Eliot Whitehead arrives after Hodgson's success in 15.

Probably the most out and out exciting year we've had. Having a team that could score 50 in the blink of an eye. A 10 game winning streak often racking up scores, but often questioned that it was against soft opponents.

Knocking off Melbourne on a Monday night to announce we had arrived. But stumbled at the final hurdle.. was it a false dawn?

2017/18 suggests so. Had the teams ego got ahead of itself? Still blowing teams off the park, but often getting blown off the park in return.

2019 was it more of the same? The crux of the squad stayed the same, Austin, Boyd and Paulo out more poms in Bateman and Sutton in and some guy called Bailey Simmonsson from rugby 7s on a train and trial contract.

Concerns our forward pack was too light, we didn't have quality halves, and our backs depth was very light on with Oldfield and this Simonsson fella battling for Rapana's wing spot. Stick drops the bombshell that Wighton will play 6 and now we need a FB as well. Were really up **** creek here.

Enter CNK, unwanted by the warriors and desperate for a chance, boy didn't he grab it..

A lighter pack meant better more resilent defence that could hold on for long periods, those fade outs became ugly scrappy wins, and the belief grew.

Scrapping our way to 4th and a date with Melbourne. Wasn't confident, but hey we'd come from 18-0 down to win when it looked like we'd get pumped by 50 and the whole thing would unravel.

For the majority of the first half we looked the better side but just couldn't convert. Melbourne hit the lead and we looked like we'd just fall short. Enter big Jonneh and were off to a home prelim and arguably the most stressful week of my Raiders supporting life.

A game we're expected to win comfortably, but it just had a vibe about it.. and I was worried.
It was right for a Souths ambush, and for about 20 minutes that was what we got. But this new found Raiders defence held on and kept them to one try.. when years gone by it would have been all over.

Jacky Wighton goes over in the corner after the VR takes 36266262 looks at it and we have some breathing space.

Enter the man of the moment PAAPAAALLIIIII YESSSS!!! Absolute scenes at GIO, grown adults in tears, strangers in group hugs.. we'd finally done it..

we're there, somewhere that 6 years ago we thought would never happen.

Sent from my CPH1831 using Tapatalk

[dubby]

Good post Tim.

Hope you're heading to the game. First drinks on me

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[greeneyed]

Nice post TW and thanks to all for your nice comments!

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



2019 Grand Final. Sydney Roosters 14 - Canberra Raiders 8. The Canberra Raiders were the better team for most of the 2019 Grand Final. But it is only the final scoreboard that counts in rugby league. The Sydney Roosters are the premiers, and the Canberra Raiders' 25 year wait for a title will last at least a little longer. The manner of the loss was the most heart-breaking thing. A refereeing blunder, with the scores level and 10 minutes remaining, being the turning point.

Both of the Roosters' tries had an element of good fortune about them. The first, early in the match, followed a Raiders charge down of a Roosters' kick, which came in contact with a Roosters' trainer. The Roosters were awarded a scrum feed, as the incident happened in the Raiders' own half, the advantage given to the "attacking" team. The call was "correct", though the laws of the game don't explicitly mention the ball coming in contact with a trainer. It is certainly what happens when the ball hits a referee.

But the incident also showed that this rule is a dud. The Raiders had an advantage, and lost it due to interference in the play from the opposition's trainer.

Trainers are, in practice, on the field while a team has possession and is on the attack. It means that trainers from one side or other are on the field all of the time. It is something that rightly drives rugby league fans mad. Trainers now operate as an extra man, organising their team, coaching them. And it simply shouldn't happen. Trainers should only be on the field when there is an injury and players need hydration. That doesn't require them to be on the field for a full attacking set. Even then... surely if a trainer from one team interferes with play, that team should be the one penalised. The rule is a dud and needs changing.

The Roosters were on fire in attack early, and had all the possession. And the Raiders couldn't stop the Sam Verrills try in the set following the contentious incident, in just the sixth minute.

The Roosters' second, decisive try, came after what some have described as the "worst call in rugby league history". After a Canberra bomb to the Roosters' red zone, referee Ben Cummins called "six again". He ruled the Roosters touched the ball, before being recovered by the Raiders. Jack Wighton acted on the call... but Cummins' assistants told him to change the call. The Roosters had not touched the ball, they claimed, so it was still the last tackle. As Wighton said later:

"It's big, mate, it's massive. I saw it mate, it would have been on the toe or I would have thrown the ball if it was not that instruction. I heard the Roosters boys saying I had to give the ball over and I thought they were trying to trick me.

"I told my forward, Emre [Guler], to hold the ball because it was six again, then he threw it to me and I definitely wasn't passing it because I knew it was six again. It was a massive moment in the game."

The ball was turned over to the Roosters, and James Tedesco scored two plays later.

Referees boss Graham Annesley has since said that the correction to the call was the correct call. The "six again" call was the incorrect call. And if the call hadn't been corrected, then that would have possibly led to the Raiders incorrectly scoring points.

I have some doubt about "six again" being the incorrect call. But worse still, Mr Annesley has failed to acknowledge how costly the inital "incorrect" call was for Canberra. The Raiders would have made a different final play. It is why the loss was so heartbreaking.



It is a credit to Ricky Stuart that he and the club have not come out publicly and blamed the loss on the officiating. As Jack Wighton made clear:

"We're definitely not going to blame a ref for that loss, we had more than enough opportunities. A good team won."

There's no doubt about that. The Roosters are an exceptionally good team. The speed of their attack is blistering at times. The passing is crisp and quick, the rucks very fast. Their defence is outstanding. They certainly showed that when they had to play with just 12 men, after Cooper Cronk was sin binned for an early tackle on Josh Papalii in a try scoring situation.

Some have questioned whether the sin binning was too harsh a call. However, the Roosters were completely shot on their right side, had Cronk not made the early tackle. Papalii or a support would have almost certainly scored. That's a regulation sin binning in 2019. The penalty goal to Croker allowed Canberra to level, 8-8. But the Raiders needed to score a try during that 10 minutes and couldn't. At one stage, the Raiders nearly scored, but Joey Leilua probably should have passed to his winger earlier.

You have to give it to the Roosters. They took advantage of their opportunities and they finished in front on the scoreboard.



Stats that mattered?

I said earlier that the Raiders were the better team, at the very least for most of the match. After the initial blitzkrieg from the Roosters, the Raiders got into their groove - and took control of possession and territory. Canberra had a 54 per cent share of possession, despite the Roosters having a better completion rate (86-81 per cent). While the Raiders made more errors (10-7), the Roosters conceded more penalties (7-5). Canberra was most dominant in the second half, with roughly 60 per cent of the ball and 65 per cent of the territory.

The Raiders made more runs (183-164), running metres (1642-1593), kick return metres (226-188), post contact metres (552-545), tackle breaks (39-30) and offloads (an extraordinary 19-1). Metres per set were effectively level (44 metres). The Roosters kicked more (26-23) and made more kicking metres (673-556), but were often forced to, to get out of trouble. Both teams forced two line drop outs.

The Raiders produced an extraordinary 92 per cent effective tackle rate (Roosters 82 per cent). The Roosters made more tackles (358-348), but they missed more (39-30) and produced many more ineffective tackles (an unbelievable 38-1).

Just about everywhere you look, the Raiders were the better team, but on the final scoreboard.

Memorable moments?

The Raiders scored one try, a very good one for Jack Wighton. But unfortunately, this match will go down in history as a game where a refereeing blunder was the most memorable moment. Rugby league fans have long feared that a refereeing blunder would be instrumental in deciding a Grand Final... but now we have one. I don't want to underplay the wonderful effort of the Raiders in controlling the game, their defence, their courage, heart and commitment. The players and coaches, all at the Raiders, deserved a better outcome. They've done their club proud and their city proud.

It was great to see Jack Wighton awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for the best on ground after the match. The response of the Roosters' fans was unfortunate and disrespectful. And it was wonderful to see Sia Soliola awarded the Ken Stephen Medal after the match as well, for his off field charitable work. Both medals were very well deserved.

It'd be remiss of me if I didn't mention what the fans brought to the game. Lime green took over The Brewery at The Greenhouse pre-game event. In every venue around the ground. The Viking Clap. The sea of green outside and at the southern end. It was an extraordinary experience, just being at the ground.

Best performers?

Jack Wighton. One try, 10 runs for 97 metres, 31 post contact metres, one line break, six tackle breaks, 17 tackles, 85 per cent tackle efficiency, 253 kicking metres from 13 kicks, one forced line drop out.

Josh Papalii. 18 runs for 164 metres, 59 post contact metres, two tackle breaks, 34 tackles, 100 per cent tackle efficiency.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. 21 runs for 237 metres, 88 kick return metres, 64 post contact metres, eight tackle breaks, four dummy half runs for 27 metres.

John Bateman. 11 runs for 100 metres, 29 post contact metres, two tackle breaks, two offloads, 50 tackles, 96 per cent tackle efficiency.

Top tacklers: John Bateman 50, Joe Tapine 39, Elliott Whitehead 38.
Most metres gained: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 237, Josh Papalii 164, Nick Cotric 144.

My player ratings:

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 8
Nick Cotric 6
Jarrod Croker 6
Joseph Leilua 7
Jordan Rapana 6
Jack Wighton 9
Aidan Sezer 6
Josh Papalii 8
Josh Hodgson 7
Sia Soliola 7
John Bateman 8
Elliott Whitehead 7
Joe Tapine 7

Bailey Simonsson 3*
Emre Guler 6
Corey Horsburgh 7
Dunamis Lui 5

*Limited minutes

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



Plus follow us on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders

If you can put some sentences together and you'd like to write a regular column for The Greenhouse, let us know! We are keen to have more contributing writers!

[Begbie]

This last month of footy has made those grim years worth it

I remember 2013 where we got pumped by 50 a few weeks in a row, a lot of us were questioning if we would ever be in a grand final again

2014 Sticky comes in, the infamous press conference after getting towelled by the Dragons "Until I get international and state of origin players in with this group of guys, nothing's gonna change"

Yeah sure Stick, where are they coming from?

2015 Hodgson and Soliola sign on, with Austin and a few others. We start to improve but fall short. Promising signs. Leilua bails on Newcastle and joins mid year. "Oh great we've signed another lemon"

2016 Eliot Whitehead arrives after Hodgson's success in 15.

Probably the most out and out exciting year we've had. Having a team that could score 50 in the blink of an eye. A 10 game winning streak often racking up scores, but often questioned that it was against soft opponents.

Knocking off Melbourne on a Monday night to announce we had arrived. But stumbled at the final hurdle.. was it a false dawn?

2017/18 suggests so. Had the teams ego got ahead of itself? Still blowing teams off the park, but often getting blown off the park in return.

2019 was it more of the same? The crux of the squad stayed the same, Austin, Boyd and Paulo out more poms in Bateman and Sutton in and some guy called Bailey Simmonsson from rugby 7s on a train and trial contract.

Concerns our forward pack was too light, we didn't have quality halves, and our backs depth was very light on with Oldfield and this Simonsson fella battling for Rapana's wing spot. Stick drops the bombshell that Wighton will play 6 and now we need a FB as well. Were really up **** creek here.

Enter CNK, unwanted by the warriors and desperate for a chance, boy didn't he grab it..

A lighter pack meant better more resilent defence that could hold on for long periods, those fade outs became ugly scrappy wins, and the belief grew.

Scrapping our way to 4th and a date with Melbourne. Wasn't confident, but hey we'd come from 18-0 down to win when it looked like we'd get pumped by 50 and the whole thing would unravel.

For the majority of the first half we looked the better side but just couldn't convert. Melbourne hit the lead and we looked like we'd just fall short. Enter big Jonneh and were off to a home prelim and arguably the most stressful week of my Raiders supporting life.

A game we're expected to win comfortably, but it just had a vibe about it.. and I was worried.
It was right for a Souths ambush, and for about 20 minutes that was what we got. But this new found Raiders defence held on and kept them to one try.. when years gone by it would have been all over.

Jacky Wighton goes over in the corner after the VR takes 36266262 looks at it and we have some breathing space.

Enter the man of the moment PAAPAAALLIIIII YESSSS!!! Absolute scenes at GIO, grown adults in tears, strangers in group hugs.. we'd finally done it..

we're there, somewhere that 6 years ago we thought would never happen.

Sent from my CPH1831 using Tapatalk

I hadn't read this - great post.

[Coastalraider]

Great write up GE, and a hard one to do after a day like yesterday. Well balanced.

I would put Croker at an 8, he had a real captains knock yesterday, the only thing I could fault was not jagging one of the bombs to his edge, and both were difficult takes against good opposition.

[Begbie]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



2019 Grand Final. Sydney Roosters 14 - Canberra Raiders 8. The Canberra Raiders were the better team for most of the 2019 Grand Final. But it is only the final scoreboard that counts in rugby league. The Sydney Roosters are the premiers, and the Canberra Raiders' 25 year wait for a title will last at least a little longer. The manner of the loss was the most heart-breaking thing. A refereeing blunder, with the scores level and 10 minutes remaining, being the turning point.

Great post. Sorry it ended this way. Thanks for all your efforts this year, see you next.

[edwahu]

Great write up as always.

[TongueFTW]

Nice write up, GE. I think Croker is worth an extra point. I forced myself to rewatch the game today and was really impressed with his efforts in defence.

[greeneyed]

I admit I may be harsher on Croker, because he's my favourite player... and I'm always wanting to make sure I overcome my unconscious bias.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Oh so close!

2019 Season Review



2019. It was the best season for the Canberra Raiders in 25 years. The Raiders had not made the Grand Final for a quarter of a century - and the Raiders got "oh so close" to a fourth premiership. The wait for a title continues - for a club that has waited longer than any other, apart from the Eels. However, Raiders fans were left bursting with pride after the Grand Final - a match in which the Raiders were the better team everywhere but on the final scoreboard.

There were some incredible victories along the way - including the two finals matches leading to the Grand Final. There is nothing more difficult than beating the Storm in Melbourne, and the Raiders did it twice in 2019, in the space of five weeks. The victory in Melbourne in Week 1 saw the Raiders qualify for the Preliminary Final at home. And what a match that was in front of a record crowd at Canberra Stadium. When Josh Papalii scored under the posts, I've never seen such a wild outpouring of emotion at Bruce. What a sweet night it was. Canberra was swept up in green fever and we experienced a Grand Final week we will never forget.

It culminated on 6 October, when the supporters in lime took over Homebush, took over Sydney. A Viking Clap we will never forget. And the Raiders showed all the characteristics which got them to the Grand Final. They were resilient, composed, united and tough. Their defence was outstanding. However, fortune didn't smile on the Green Machine in some key moments, and the Roosters took their opportunities in a controversial match.

The Raiders transformed their game in 2019.

In 2016, the Raiders finished in second position on the ladder and made a Preliminary Final. Along the way, they won 10 matches in a row. They were number one in the league for points scored, scoring nearly 100 points more than the second placed team. No Canberra team had ever scored more points in a season. It wasn't quite so pretty on the defensive side of the ledger. And the Raiders lost twice in the finals and failed to qualify for the Grand Final.

Two years of bitter disappointment followed. Those years underlined two things. First, scoring plenty of points is not enough. Canberra finished second for most points scored in 2018, but in 10th place on the ladder. The Raiders had to do something about their defence. Secondly, good game management is required to win in the clutch situations. 2017 and 2018 were marred by many close, last gasp losses - due to a lack of composure and controlled play-making.

Ricky Stuart's preparations for the 2019 season focussed on both - and he changed the way that the Raiders play. It almost delivered a title - and the Raiders now have a premiership window that is wide open.

****

So how did he do it exactly? What do the statistics tell us?

In 2019, the Raiders' attack became more conservative. They finished the regular season scoring just under 22 points per match, five less than in 2016 - and ranking fourth in attack. On average, they scored 3.7 tries per match, fifth in the league. By the end of the finals campaign, they ranked seventh for average points scored (20.7) and sixth for tries scored (3.5) per game. There was much more emphasis on completions and controlling possession, with the Raiders posting a completion rate just under 80 per cent (77 per cent in 2016). They were second to the Storm for highest possession share (over 51 per cent, up from 47 per cent in 2018). Canberra ranked fourth for fewest errors, and second for fewest handling errors (under eight per match).

There was much more emphasis on game management. The Raiders kicked a whole lot more than in the past. At one stage of the season, they were up at the top of the tree for most kicks and kicking metres. By the end of the year, they ranked sixth for total kicks (21) and fifth for kick metres (565 metres) per match. In 2018, no team kicked less than the Raiders, and ranked second for least kicking metres per game. Canberra became a team that forced line drop outs on the opposition (ranked seventh, last in 2018) and kicked field goals (ranked first).

All that helped the defence. If you hold the ball more, you don't have to do so much tackling. If you're in the right part of the field, it takes the pressure off. Coach Ricky Stuart recently revealed his team's goal at the start of the season was to finish as the No. 1 defensive team. They didn't make that, but they finished in the top three, behind the Storm and Roosters. They held three teams scoreless. They conceded just over 15 points and 2.6 tries per match. That compares with 23 points and 3.6 tries conceded per match in 2018. The Raiders cut their missed tackles (29.9 per match, compared with 32.2 in 2018) and ranked first for fewest ineffective tackles (12 per game). They ranked fourth for fewest metres conceded (1368 metres per game).

Of course, a change of tactics was not enough to lift the defensive record. Big players like Junior Paulo and Shannon Boyd moved on, and John Bateman came into the team. A shift to a more mobile forward pack was critical, but so was Jack Wighton's move from fullback to five eighth. Jack Wighton and Aidan Sezer are both strong defensive halves - and conceded a try only once every three matches this year.

Ricky Stuart often said during the course of this season that he was not concerned about his team scoring points. That he knew his team could do that.

But that is probably the area which will need to improve most in 2020. In 2019, the Roosters conceded 2.3 tries, compared with 2.6 by the Raiders. Canberra was in the right defensive post code. But the Roosters also scored 4.4 tries per match, the Raiders 3.5.

Even at the Raiders' attacking peak in 2016, they did not score a lot of tries because they made a lot of running metres. Nor did they score a lot of tries through a dominant half pulling the strings. The Raiders scored tries through more unconventional play and the strike of their outside backs.

Canberra did lift its running metres this year (ranked seventh, 1591 metres per match), with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad boosting the kick return metres (ranked sixth, 186 metres per match - compared with last in 2018). Dummy half running remained a feature of the Raiders' game (ranked first, at 16 per match) and a lot of the attack came down the middle. The Raiders passed less than any other team (74 general play passes per game) and were top three for one pass hit ups (77 per game, behind only the Eels and Roosters). Canberra ranked 11th for offloads (nine per game).

However, the Raiders' strike in 2019 was affected by the loss of Joey Leilua for much of the season - and Jordan Rapana was also impacted by injury. Canberra's tackle breaks were down a touch (33 per game), while line breaks dropped from 4.4 (ranked second) to 3.6 (ranked ninth) per game.

The Raiders' try assists (two per game, ranked 13th, compared with 2.6 per game in 2018) and line break assists (1.8 per game, ranked 15th, compared with 2.4 per game in 2018) were down. Both Aidan Sezer and Jack Wighton averaged around one try assist every two games - while the likes of Luke Keary and Mitchell Moses produced more than one each game on average.

Josh Hodgson, was up with the best dummy halves - Cameron Smith and Damien Cook - for try assists and line break assists. But the quest for more options amongst the playmakers is no doubt the reason the Raiders have recruited George Williams from Wigan from next season. This year in Super League, Williams ranked equal fourth for try assists (21 in total) and scored 14 tries himself. He could be the key to lifting the Raiders' attack in 2020.

If the Raiders can maintain their defensive intensity next season - and simultaneously improve their attack - the Raiders have every chance of taking a premiership in 2020.

SEASON REPORT CARD

Attack: B
Defence: A
Forwards: A
Backs: B
Spine: A
Overall: A

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and for mine, the Raiders player of the year is Josh Papalii. That probably comes as no surprise to anyone. He won the Meninga Medal and the Fans' Choice Player of the Year, has been selected for Queensland and Australia, and has become the best prop in the game, in my view. He's now the leader of the pack.

John Bateman was outstanding too, averaging the same 7.5/10 rating that I gave Papalii. Papalii is in front of him because he played every single week and amassed more total points, while Bateman missed some matches due to injury. But what a first season in the NRL it was for the English second rower. What a huge difference he made to the team. As Ricky Stuart has often said, he needed a player in the team that must win, and Bateman competes like that every week. He has no doubt helped change the culture at the club. He was a very worthy Dally M Second rower of the Year.

Josh Hodgson was again Josh Hodgson. Having him available for the full season made a big difference - after spending a good part of the 2018 season on the sideline. He also added another dimension to his game in 2019 - perfecting the one on one steal. He ended the season with 12, almost half of the Raiders' tally of 25. It was a play that was often critical to swinging the momentum of matches.

Rounding out my top five are Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Jack Wighton.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was a revelation. I knew he was a good young player when he was recruited at the last minute from the Warriors. But I wasn’t sure fullback was his best position -and there was no way I was expecting he'd be as good as he was. He jumped into the No. 1 role like a duck to water. He's deservedly been rewarded with a Kiwi jersey.

Wighton's shift to five eighth saw him selected for New South Wales and Australia - and win the Clive Churchill Medal for the best on ground in the Grand Final. It is the second time coach Ricky Stuart has tried him in the No. 6 jersey, and this time he was well and truly ready. His running and defence were terrific, as expected, but his kicking game has developed strongly too.

So there you have it. My top five Canberra Raiders for 2019:

1. Josh Papalii
2. John Bateman
3. Josh Hodgson
4. Charzne Nicoll-Klokstad
5. Jack Wighton

Total points:

Josh Papalii 203
Jack Wighton 185
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 183
Elliott Whitehead 181
Jarrod Croker 175
John Bateman 173
Josh Hodgson 171
Sia Soliola 169
Dunamis Lui 154
Corey Horsburgh 141
Nick Cotric 135
Jordan Rapana 128
Ryan Sutton 127
Bailey Simonsson 121
Siliva Havili 121
Aidan Sezer 112
Joe Tapine 101
Joey Leilua 76
Hudson Young 69
Sam Williams 59
Emre Guler 58
Michael Oldfield 55
Sebastian Kris 21
Tom Starling 15
Jack Murchie 6
JJ Collins 4

Average points per match:

John Bateman 7.5
Josh Papalii 7.5
Josh Hodgson 7.1
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 7.0
Jack Wighton 6.9
Elliott Whitehead 6.7
Sia Soliola 6.5
Jarrod Croker 6.5
Corey Horsburgh 6.4
Ryan Sutton 6.4
Joey Leilua 6.3
Aidan Sezer 6.2
Michael Oldfield 6.1
Jordan Rapana 6.1
Jack Murchie 6.0
Joe Tapine 5.9
Sam Williams 5.9
Nick Cotric 5.9
Bailey Simonsson 5.8
Hudson Young 5.8
Dunamis Lui 5.7
Siliva Havili 5.5
Emre Guler 5.3
Sebastian Kris 5.3
Tom Starling 5.0
JJ Collins 4.0

****

In a season full of good performances, the best victory came in Round 22. Canberra has rarely beaten the Storm in Melbourne. Not only did they do that in Round 22, they did it after losing two players to the sin bin and conceding an 18-0 lead to the Storm. They then scored 22 unanswered points.

There were some other great games... notably the two finals victories. But how about the one point win at a sold out Shark Park, the final home game of captain Paul Gallen? Aidan Sezer scored three field goals to get the win in golden point!

Here are my top five victories of 2019:


Number 1: Round 22 Canberra Raiders V Melbourne Storm


Number 2: Preliminary Final Canberra Raiders V South Sydney Rabbitohs


Number 3: Finals Week 1 Canberra Raiders V Melbourne Storm


Number 4: Round 24 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks


Number 5: Round 13 Canberra Raiders V Wests Tigers

****

So that’s the last regular column of the year. Representative season is still to come... so I might yet be moved to write some more "As I saw it" columns. Thanks to all who’ve read the columns this year... and hopefully some Grand Final experience makes the difference for Canberra in 2020!



Plus follow us on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Twitter: @TheGHRaiders

If you can put some sentences together and you'd like to write a regular column for The Greenhouse, let us know! We are keen to have more contributing writers!

[The Nickman]

Well done on all the hard work you put in throughout the season for the benefit of all of us, Ferg… you truly are King of the Jerks.

[greeneyed]

Shouldn't you be asking to change your name to The Jerkman?

[The Nickman]

Shouldn't you be asking to change your name to The Jerkman?

Go on then.

[zim]

Great read GE.

[gerg]

Thanks GE. Great summary

Sent from my SM-G570F using Tapatalk

[Cranky Old Man]

Top class work all season long GE. Thank you very much for all your efforts.

[Brew]

Good Stuff GE


Sent from my iPhone using The Greenhouse

[RedRaider]

Excellent Grand Final summary GE. I agree with Coastal Raider and TongueFTW that JC was far better than a 6. The Grand Final was one of the best games he has ever played. For me the rating of Tapine is too high at 7. Turning his back on the opposition in our goal mouth gave their hooker a direction to run from dummy half. It was a lazy play from Tapine imo and CNK could not stop him alone that close to our line after Verrills right foot step. Not only that but it silenced the majority Raiders crowd for some time. On such moments Grand Finals rest.

There was another high light from Jack too. The 60 mtr on the fly, line drop out. We had been under great pressure and he has produced that type of kick. That was a 'give your team mates a lift' moment as were some of the defensive hits from JB. We have all laughed at some former players saying they would leave nothing in the tank, but he literally didn't in his defensive work. What a season he has had.