2019 Finals Week 1 V Storm: Teams and Previews *Teams p1*

[greeneyed]

@TheGHRaiders on Twitter

VIDEO: Hear from Canberra Raiders Josh Hodgson and Aidan Sezer on tomorrow's Week 1 Finals match against the Melbourne Storm! WIN News Canberra reports: http://ow.ly/woj050w7XQs

#NRL #WeAreRaiders #wearecbr

[Northern Raider]

Just thinking. If Bunnies manage to upset the Roosters tonight then losing to the Storm might not be such a bad thing. Means we're on track to play Bunnies in the prelim. Rather play them than Roosters.

[Dr Zaius]

You’re not welcome in our sheds: Melbourne filthy at Raiders over wrestling storm


The Melbourne Storm are privately fuming at the Canberra Raiders and believe the Green Machine may have played a hand in a concerted campaign aimed at highlighting the minor premiers’ defensive techniques leading into their Round 22 clash a month ago.

Read more: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... b93130839f

If they weren't grubby merlin's there would be nothing to report on. Classic case of blaming the cop for your speeding fine.

[Northern Raider]

Just thinking. If Bunnies manage to upset the Roosters tonight then losing to the Storm might not be such a bad thing. Means we're on track to play Bunnies in the prelim. Rather play them than Roosters.

Yeah, forget I spoke

[Azza]

Let's just hope we don't cop a similar pasting at the hands of the drizzle

[IBG]

If we win tomorrow it basically means a Storm vs Roosters semi and us vs Sharks or Bunnies.

Huge, must win game tomorrow.

[Azza]

Not worried but not optimistic

[greeneyed]

Jarrod Croker’s incredible praise for ‘signing of the year’

Canberra co-captain Jarrod Croker believes teammate and new recruit John Bateman has been one of the signings of the year as the Raiders embark on their first finals series since 2016.

“He’s up there as one of the signings of the year,” Croker said. “As far as we’re concerned he’s been a fantastic signing for us and we’re stoked to have him here.

Read more and audio: https://www.sportsradio.com.au/jarrod-c ... YJxn9g-CpY

[greeneyed]

Finals heartbreak drives Canberra Raiders for Storm warning

Sometimes you learn more from heartbreak than success, which is why Josh Hodgson says the Canberra Raiders are ready for Melbourne redemption on Saturday.

"It's the little things that people don't see," Hodgson said. "It's not the trick plays or anything fancy. Kick pressure, the line speed, pinning teams in a corner - that's what wins you big games, that's what semi-finals are all about.

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... /?cs=14239

THE NRL PODCAST: Soward speaks to Jarrod Croker: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/23/the ... me-of-all/

[greeneyed]

Interesting. Jarrod Croker and Aidan Sezer... and Daryl Halligan headed to Melbourne Rectangular this afternoon for some goal kicking practice... Instagram Stories.

[Azza]

It's important if we're to keep the margin to less than 53 Steven

[Botman]

cant say im THAT displeased about missing the roosters there in week 1... they looked absolutely primed for that game, we're going to have to go through them at some point if we want to win the comp, but ****... they were firing in every cylinder tonight... that's a terrifying team to watch play at their best

[greeneyed]

It's important if we're to keep the margin to less than 53 Steven

I think you’re full of rubbish!

[Northern Raider]

cant say im THAT displeased about missing the roosters there in week 1... they looked absolutely primed for that game, we're going to have to go through them at some point if we want to win the comp, but ****... they were firing in every cylinder tonight... that's a terrifying team to watch play at their best

Yep. If that was the Raiders against them tonight they'd have handed our arses to us and this forum would be in meltdown.

We're good but we ain't that good.

[IBG]

cant say im THAT displeased about missing the roosters there in week 1... they looked absolutely primed for that game, we're going to have to go through them at some point if we want to win the comp, but ****... they were firing in every cylinder tonight... that's a terrifying team to watch play at their best

Spot on.

If we beat Melbourne then the Storm and Roosters have to beat each other to get into the GF while we have an easier run to get there.

Hopefully this is all part of Ricky's master plan and we win tomorrow...

[Botman]

I’m pretty bullish of our chances this year, and I really think we can beat the roosters if we play at our best and they’re a little off... they won’t be beaten playing like that tonight

[zim]

Yeah they were on fire.
On the plus side we defend differently to the rabbits. Their wingers and centres were so passive this game.

[pickles]

I think the chooks were very good but the bunnies didn’t put up much resistance either and I think our defence is better than that. To beat the chooks you need to take the game to them and the bunnies didn’t build any pressure for the entire 80 minutes!

It does make a win this week preferable for a number of reasons but having the storm and roosters have to beat each other up to get to the big show is a massive one.

I think we will know in our first defensive set whether or not we are up for this game. If we are getting up quick and bashing them we will put ourselves in a position to win. If we are passive we are in big trouble!

[GreenMachine]

Very calm about today. Was not the case in 2016.
I hope the players feel the same.
Need to start with energy.

[greeneyed]

Canberra Raiders forward Dunamis Lui welcomes shot at major upset of minor premiers

Few would consider taking on Melbourne away from home in the NRL finals a dream assignment but for Dunamis Lui and Canberra upset the Storm for the second time in five weeks is an opportunity they wouldn't pass up.

"If anybody said at the start of the year, 'do you guys want to finish fourth and play Melbourne in the first round of the finals' everybody would jump at the opportunity," Lui said.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/09/14/lui ... -premiers/

[greeneyed]

Canberra Raiders recruits bringing a wealth of finals experience to NRL charge

Melbourne Storm hooker Cameron Smith can almost lay claim to more NRL finals appearances than the 17 Canberra Raiders players he will meet on Saturday.

"[Premiership success] is one of those things you want to re-enact over and over," Ryan Sutton said given he and Bateman won a Super League title last year.

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... /?cs=14239

Josh Papalii hails Andrew McFadden's 'massive' impact on Canberra Raiders

Josh Papalii can think of no better word to sum up Andrew McFadden's impact on Canberra's rise to premiership contention than simply "massive".

"When he first turned up he was a bit hard on a few of us, and that was needed at the time," Papalii said.

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... /?cs=14239

[Hazza]

cant say im THAT displeased about missing the roosters there in week 1... they looked absolutely primed for that game, we're going to have to go through them at some point if we want to win the comp, but ****... they were firing in every cylinder tonight... that's a terrifying team to watch play at their best

Yep. If that was the Raiders against them tonight they'd have handed our arses to us and this forum would be in meltdown.

We're good but we ain't that good.

We're better than Souths though. I'd like to think we'd have been more competitive last night than Souths were. I do agree though, roosters at their best no one's beating them.

[Wiki Special]

He's in the rehab group last I heard. Hasn't been ruled out at this stage.

Thanks. If he doesn't play I hope Havili comes onto the bench for him.

[zim]

He's in the rehab group last I heard. Hasn't been ruled out at this stage.

Thanks. If he doesn't play I hope Havili comes onto the bench for him.

There's been new photos since then. No strapping or bib and hitting it up into the forwards. He's ready to go.

[Seiffert82]

Canberra Raiders forward Dunamis Lui welcomes shot at major upset of minor premiers

Few would consider taking on Melbourne away from home in the NRL finals a dream assignment but for Dunamis Lui and Canberra upset the Storm for the second time in five weeks is an opportunity they wouldn't pass up.

"If anybody said at the start of the year, 'do you guys want to finish fourth and play Melbourne in the first round of the finals' everybody would jump at the opportunity," Lui said.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/09/14/lui ... -premiers/

I hope Lui is up for a good game. He has been pretty good most of the season, but rather ordinary the past few weeks. A few too many errors.

[BJ]

Yes I mentioned it the other day. I think he had two errors for the season and then added 9 errors since round 20.

Needs to get back to basics. He’s still defending on the line very well.

[1992]

Canberra Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton hopes finals end in Kangaroos jersey

Jack Wighton jokes he's starting to get a complex. If he gets sin-binned a third time in Melbourne he'll be convinced there's a vendetta against him.

"Every time I go there they send me for a 10-minute rest. If they do it this time they've got a vendetta against me," he laughed. "Hopefully this time I'm going down there slate clean and they don't send me for 10.

Don' worry, bro...you still get paid.

Imagine if every dumb thing you said in your early 20s was on public record...

It wasn't a private conversation, he put it on the internet. Anyway, got some beers to drink. Is that okay with you Mr. Killington?