2019 Grand Final V Roosters: Teams and Previews *Teams p1*

[LastRaider]

I’m not worried, I love it.

It’s a bit like the Sharks in 2016. Everyone wrote them off against the Storm and we all know who got the chocolates that day

[EJ]

I also don't see the negativity towards us. Just a lot of people correctly saying Goosters are favourites. They are. Who cares? They don't have the emotional tidal wave that's heading up the Hume right now. I think that counts for a lot. If we win, those same people will also correctly be singing our praises.

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[The Nickman]

I also don't see the negativity towards us. Just a lot of people correctly saying Goosters are favourites. They are. Who cares? They don't have the emotional tidal wave that's heading up the Hume right now. I think that counts for a lot. If we win, those same people will also correctly be singing our praises.

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Exactly. **** spot on

[GreenMachine]

Everyone I've come across wants a Raiders victory.
We are the story of the GF, I can't wait!

[Begbie]

Far, far bigger upsets happen each weekend. I should know - I lose enough money backing favourites! Honestly, it’s going to be a close game and if we turn up and get the run of the green, we are premiers.

[1992]

One Rorters fan called up Maquarie Sports Radio yesterday and said all Sydney NRL fans should be behind their fellow Sydney team and support the Roosters.
Said he would do like wise.

[Beejay]

I'm an absolute mess.

[jimmy82]

Bay 231

[Azza]

I also don't see the negativity towards us. Just a lot of people correctly saying Goosters are favourites. They are. Who cares? They don't have the emotional tidal wave that's heading up the Hume right now. I think that counts for a lot. If we win, those same people will also correctly be singing our praises.

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There's been a heap of comments that we are making up the numbers, which is just ridiculous. Very proud of the Raiders this year and it's not a fair statement. I think regardless of the result our team will make it a hell of a show.

[jimmy82]

Yeah I don’t see how we’re making up the numbers.. we beat storm twice and beat south’s... I mean who else is there that you could say wouldn’t be making up the numbers.
Media suggesting it’s a one team comp by the sounds of it, albeit rorting the salary cap system

[jozzas]

Practice makes perfect: How Raiders hung on with 12 men

The toughest 10 minutes of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad's career were made easier by specific sin-bin training drills that Canberra have stepped up in recent weeks to grind their way into a historic grand final.

Key to the Raiders' resolve has been the weekly 13 on 12 defence scenarios coach Ricky Stuart has run for this exact game-day situation.

Read more: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2019/09 ... th-12-men/

[Coastalraider]

We are so much better at going in as the underdogs.

I am loving the talk this week, and Sticky would be as well. So much less pressure than last week.

[sprintman]

We have so much mindshare these days

[greeneyed]

I just finished writing my game day preview... I still can't believe I've just written the Grand Final preview!

[greeneyed]

It's going to be a warm one - 32 degrees forecast for Sunday.

28 at Sydney Olympic Park: http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/syd ... park.shtml

[Billy Walker]

I just finished writing my game day preview... I still can't believe I've just written the Grand Final preview!

Great job GE - And here’s hoping that you find them tedious to write over the next 10 years!

[TheMarauder]

It's almost as if we're viewed as a bit of a comedy club, a nostalgia act, for want of a better description. Not taken seriously, always 'complimented' with a hint of humour and thinly-veiled disbelief that we have made it as far as we have. I could be wrong but I don't recall Cronulla being subjected to the same treatment in 2016, despite never having won a competition. Win or lose, I believe we'll have a real go and make it hard for the Roosters. There would be nothing sweeter than winning a brutal battle against them.

I don’t recall us getting that treatment either

I swear so many of you just need to play the victim card, even when we finally have a good team and we’re playing good footy

Jeez, I’ve made about three posts here and just an observation about some of the commentary about us in the media. No victim card at all here, we’ve been poor for a while and now we’re good, nothing more than that...

[Boomercm]

The amount of negativity about the Raiders,both from many of our own fans and the media generally, is driving me nuts. This is a quality football team. I hope we spring a massive surprise on Sunday. According to many, if we get thrashed 30-6 it will be expected.

I said after round 1 if CNK turned out to be the real deal we would be a hell of a side this year (recall he struggled under the high ball in the monsoon on Goldie). Turned out he is and we are! We still have some limitations - but f*ck anyone who says we don't deserve to be there. We are a tough tough side and are capable of beating anyone. We don't have the finesse in the halves that they do... But we've found a way around that all year. We should be $2.50, not $3.00.

[KasparRaider]

It is just sloppy journalism without research. It is like how they wrote us off at the beginning of the year. There was no examination of what the new recruits and positional changes might add to our defenses structure. It’s the first stereotype in their head. And now, no research on just how close we came to beating the Roosters twice this year. We are even tougher and better now. That said, of course the Roosters should be favorites but the critics should be giving us more cred. They will see come Sunday night.

[greeneyed]

Power rankings: Soward: Roosters a lock for back-to-back titles

2. Canberra Raiders (2)
The Raiders have had an amazing season and it's nice to be able to see them fulfil their potential. But having said that, there were signs early in that game and in the second half that the pressure was certainly on them. They defended well and came through that and they deserve their place in the grand final, but they'll be right in the pressure cooker this week.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/09/30/sow ... ck-titles/

Five things: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2019/09 ... -roosters/

Joey Leilua expected to be fit for Grand Final: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2019/09 ... ey-leilua/

Three key Roosters, Keary, Friend and Aubusson, primed to line up for the grand final: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/09/30/thr ... and-final/

[Coastalraider]

I’m just showing blind faith in ‘Nickmanism’ this week - he showed me a post on the weekend with his preseason predictions and why we would make the grand final, and every bloody prediction came true.

He also says we will win on Sunday, so I’ve stopped putting any thought into it, and will just accept that a win is a foregone conclusion now.

Have faith in ‘Nickstradamus’.

#idreamgreenin2019

[The Nickman]

I’m just showing blind faith in ‘Nickmanism’ this week - he showed me a post on the weekend with his preseason predictions and why we would make the grand final, and every bloody prediction came true.

He also says we will win on Sunday, so I’ve stopped putting any thought into it, and will just accept that a win is a foregone conclusion now.

Have faith in ‘Nickstradamus’.

#idreamgreenin2019

Yeah, genuinely spewing I didn’t use these powers to predict the lotto numbers instead.

Ah well, have to just settle for a Raiders premiership and Aidan Sezer getting Clive Churchill medalist, I s’pose.

[Coastalraider]

I’m just showing blind faith in ‘Nickmanism’ this week - he showed me a post on the weekend with his preseason predictions and why we would make the grand final, and every bloody prediction came true.

He also says we will win on Sunday, so I’ve stopped putting any thought into it, and will just accept that a win is a foregone conclusion now.

Have faith in ‘Nickstradamus’.

#idreamgreenin2019

Yeah, genuinely spewing I didn’t use these powers to predict the lotto numbers instead.

Ah well, have to just settle for a Raiders premiership and Aidan Sezer getting Clive Churchill medalist, I s’pose.

I just put some $ on Hodgo paying $11 for The Churchill - Papa paying $8 for anytime scorer!

[Northern Raider]

It's almost as if we're viewed as a bit of a comedy club, a nostalgia act, for want of a better description. Not taken seriously, always 'complimented' with a hint of humour and thinly-veiled disbelief that we have made it as far as we have. I could be wrong but I don't recall Cronulla being subjected to the same treatment in 2016, despite never having won a competition. Win or lose, I believe we'll have a real go and make it hard for the Roosters. There would be nothing sweeter than winning a brutal battle against them.

I don’t recall us getting that treatment either

I swear so many of you just need to play the victim card, even when we finally have a good team and we’re playing good footy

Jeez, I’ve made about three posts here and just an observation about some of the commentary about us in the media. No victim card at all here, we’ve been poor for a while and now we’re good, nothing more than that...

Don't worry about The Rickman. He's got a reputation as a bit of a jerk. Nobody likes him except Manbush.

[The Nickman]

It's almost as if we're viewed as a bit of a comedy club, a nostalgia act, for want of a better description. Not taken seriously, always 'complimented' with a hint of humour and thinly-veiled disbelief that we have made it as far as we have. I could be wrong but I don't recall Cronulla being subjected to the same treatment in 2016, despite never having won a competition. Win or lose, I believe we'll have a real go and make it hard for the Roosters. There would be nothing sweeter than winning a brutal battle against them.

I don’t recall us getting that treatment either

I swear so many of you just need to play the victim card, even when we finally have a good team and we’re playing good footy

Jeez, I’ve made about three posts here and just an observation about some of the commentary about us in the media. No victim card at all here, we’ve been poor for a while and now we’re good, nothing more than that...

Don't worry about The Rickman. He's got a reputation as a bit of a jerk. Nobody likes him except Manbush.

That’s not true at all!

Even Manbush hates me

[greeneyed]

Canberra Raiders fans invited to farewell the team on Wednesday as they head to Sydney for the Grand Final

The Canberra Raiders are in their first Grand Final since 1994 with a groundswell of support erupting from the Nation’s Capital and surrounding regions.

Following on from Tuesday mornings Members Only training session at GIO Stadium, the broader Raiders fanbase is invited to see the team off as they depart for Sydney on Wednesday morning.

Members and fans are invited to cheer the team as they depart Raiders HQ on Wednesday, as they make their way out of town from Battye St, then onto Braybrooke St and Ginninderra Drive.

The Huawei Viking Raiders horn will leave Raiders HQ at 10.30am on Wednesday along with the Raiders team bus and fans are encouraged to come and show their support! Free Parking is available near the AIS Arena in the GIO Stadium precinct.

For members and fans heading to the game early and for those based in Sydney, the team will appear at the NRL Fan Fest on Thursday afternoon from 12.15pm-1.15pm at Martin Place. Fans can come and hear from the team as they prepare for Sunday’s match.

More details on the NRL Fan Fest can be found at https://www.nrl.com/finals/fan-fest/

For those people who can’t make it to the game, there are preparations underway for a live viewing site to be established in Canberra with more details to be released in the next 24 hours.

There are also plans for the Raiders to hold a fan welcome home event on Tuesday following the Grand Final. Details for this event will communicated once they have been finalised.

Canberra Raiders media release

[reptar]

I love Rickman! He's nothing like that Nickman character, who wrote him out of the script?

[greeneyed]

I'm finding this week overwhelming.

[Northern Raider]

I love Rickman! He's nothing like that Nickman character, who wrote him out of the script?

I heard those 2 were related.

[The Nickman]

I love Rickman! He's nothing like that Nickman character, who wrote him out of the script?

It was an executive decision, I’m hearing it came down from on high from above even Fergus himself.

[The Nickman]

I'm finding this week overwhelming.

Are you going to run down the street on Wednesday chasing the bus and crying?

[dubby]

I'm not nervous so far. I'm just hoping the players are enjoying the experience, lapping up the atmosphere and feeling relaxed.

We've pretty much got no expectation to win, from most.

Boys, just go out, play hard, be smart, be professional and smash the hell out of them especially in that first 20 minutes.

Pressure Keary. We know he'll be kicking to Tupou.
Middles, Teddy will be in support so keep it tight.
They'll run at our edges, so talk up to each other.
JWH will be out to dominate Papa early. Bateman, come in and nail him repeatedly early. Show him whose boss.

Enjoy the moment lads. We sure are.

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[1992]

Imagine the extreme buzz kill if it is magic round all over again?

[1992]

Even if we lose I would be VERY happy for Cronk.
I also love waiting in long lines at the Post Office.

[Peter]

We all know Cronk goes to the line then turn his back to pass. He won’t run it early in the game so Tapine needs to hit him in the ribs, legally. Get under the skin of JWH and get numbers around Rapana when they put the high ball up for Tupou.