2020 Finals Week 3 V Storm: Teams and Previews *Teams p1*

[yeh raiders]

To be fair to Gould, we haven't strung many 80 minute performances together this year.

Also being fair to Gould - he’s a goose

Maybe , but I consider him a pretty good analyst of the game. Just because he hasn't tipped us doesn't mean we all have to act all butthurt

Yep he's one the game best analysts. He just sucks during live commentary due to his bias "interpretations" of rules etc.

[Azza]

To be fair to Gould, we haven't strung many 80 minute performances together this year.

Also being fair to Gould - he’s a goose

Maybe , but I consider him a pretty good analyst of the game. Just because he hasn't tipped us doesn't mean we all have to act all butthurt

Yep he's one the game best analysts. He just sucks during live commentary due to his bias "interpretations" of rules etc.

Yeah it's a classic thing for fans here to get into a flap about him tipping against us, but I can understand where he is coming from. During the GF when the Roosters were on top early, he spotted how well we were competing physically before the match started to turn, and lo and behold, within 10 minutes we were starting to gain the ascendancy. I don't care who he tips - he isn't always right, no one is. But he's better at spotting things than most commentators and I repeat, he isn't entirely wrong. We haven't strung too many 80 minute performances together this year. That said, I am confident we can come up with the goods this week.

[Coastalraider]

I’m in QLD, could I go to Sydney for the GF, then spend 14 days in Canberra with family and then re enter without quarantining??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Of course the GH is not the definitive source on these things, but my understanding is that is fine. As long as you spend 14 days not in NSW or Vic you can go back to Qld without quarantining. You could even go to SA and/or NT during those 14 days.

There is also a chance that Qld will open the border to NSW during those 14 days.

And also if you spend the 14 days in the 5 LGAs in northern NSW you would be fine as well.

I have QLDrs im working with at Bathurst with this week, that will have their family meet them at Byron next monday. They will be able to holiday for the 14 day period together with no restrictions, then drive home.

Those border areas will turn into a real grey zone... people form both states can visit and return home with no quarantine, so thats where all the cross border families are meeting etc.

[Bay53]

To be fair to Gould, we haven't strung many 80 minute performances together this year.

Also being fair to Gould - he’s a goose

Maybe , but I consider him a pretty good analyst of the game. Just because he hasn't tipped us doesn't mean we all have to act all butthurt

Yep he's one the game best analysts. He just sucks during live commentary due to his bias "interpretations" of rules etc.

Yeah it's a classic thing for fans here to get into a flap about him tipping against us, but I can understand where he is coming from. During the GF when the Roosters were on top early, he spotted how well we were competing physically before the match started to turn, and lo and behold, within 10 minutes we were starting to gain the ascendancy. I don't care who he tips - he isn't always right, no one is. But he's better at spotting things than most commentators and I repeat, he isn't entirely wrong. We haven't strung too many 80 minute performances together this year. That said, I am confident we can come up with the goods this week.

Well said. Who cares who Gould or anyone else tips. It makes no difference what so ever to whether we will win or not.

Last year everyone was tipping us to win the Prelim and we didn’t like that. Now we are underdogs.

[Raiders_Pat]

Young gun repaying Canberra Raiders' faith after disciplinary issues

This time last year Hudson Young was in the middle of an eight-match ban for a second eye-gouging offence and had just been forced to watch on as the Raiders went agonising close to an unlikely grand final upset. Twelve months on, Young is now arguably rugby league's comeback story of the season.

"The club have always been behind Hudson. I've always been one of Hudson's biggest admirers. But he needs to keep his head down and keep working hard, which he is very good at.

Read more: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/young- ... 563ul.html

'Take charge': How Stuart inspired Papalii and Tapine

Raiders prop Josh Papalii has revealed how he and lock Joseph Tapine had taken on leadership roles within the team after a mid-season meeting with coach Ricky Stuart in the wake of the club's forward injury crisis.

"Ricky brought me and Taps into his office, and just said with all the middles going down it was important for me and Taps to take charge," Papalii said.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/10/10/tak ... nd-tapine/

George Williams proved me wrong, to the benefit of Canberra Raiders: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... en-2998591

'No one gave us a chance': Raiders prove doubters wrong to keep season alive: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... ason-alive

I just wanted to comment on Taps - he has transformed in to a top tier forward this year. I must admit I thought his best position was second row for ages but he has really taken ownership of his role at lock this season. He is also a lot less susceptible to the niggle now which shows the development in his maturity. Him and Paps stepping up to lead the team in the middle (which in turn has inspired younger guys like Young and Sutton) has kept us right in the race despite the setbacks we have had with injury to key personnel. If our pack isn't the best in the competition then they are close. People wrote us off for the premiership without Hodgson but with our forwards playing well and with our halves in form we're a good shot.

[-TW-]

To be fair to Gould, we haven't strung many 80 minute performances together this year.

Also being fair to Gould - he’s a goose

Maybe , but I consider him a pretty good analyst of the game. Just because he hasn't tipped us doesn't mean we all have to act all butthurt

Yep he's one the game best analysts. He just sucks during live commentary due to his bias "interpretations" of rules etc.

Yeah it's a classic thing for fans here to get into a flap about him tipping against us, but I can understand where he is coming from. During the GF when the Roosters were on top early, he spotted how well we were competing physically before the match started to turn, and lo and behold, within 10 minutes we were starting to gain the ascendancy. I don't care who he tips - he isn't always right, no one is. But he's better at spotting things than most commentators and I repeat, he isn't entirely wrong. We haven't strung too many 80 minute performances together this year. That said, I am confident we can come up with the goods this week.

I'm more confident this week than last week.

The storm struggle to handle unstructured footy, and they are pretty bad at playing ad lib to catch up.

The roosters almost beat us through offloads alone, we missed a lot of tackles in 2nd phase play.

Unless the storm add this to their bow this week, we match up well.

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

[Raider Azz]

I don't find Blocker to be a hater at all. I've always found him pretty fair and even to all clubs. Sure he loves the Tigers but there's no bitterness in him. I kind of enjoy Blocker's commentary, he's like your happy idiot mate.

Brandy... yeah he's still seething about '90. Dripping from his voice.

I've talked to Blocker and he admitted he has a soft spot for the Raiders. He said that he has a lot of respect for the Raiders players of the day back at the time of the 1989 Grand Final, and while he's a passionate, died in the wool Tigers man, he does have a soft spot for the Raiders.

That's really interesting. Ben Elias said a similar thing on NRL on Fox last week - that he is a massive fan of the Raiders and has a lot of respect for Ricky, and will be cheering us on.

Really cool to see - if anyone has a right to hate us it would be those two. Unlike Brandy, who really doesn't have a strong reason to considering they got us back in 91.

[Northern Raider]

I don't find Blocker to be a hater at all. I've always found him pretty fair and even to all clubs. Sure he loves the Tigers but there's no bitterness in him. I kind of enjoy Blocker's commentary, he's like your happy idiot mate.

Brandy... yeah he's still seething about '90. Dripping from his voice.

I've talked to Blocker and he admitted he has a soft spot for the Raiders. He said that he has a lot of respect for the Raiders players of the day back at the time of the 1989 Grand Final, and while he's a passionate, died in the wool Tigers man, he does have a soft spot for the Raiders.

That's really interesting. Ben Elias said a similar thing on NRL on Fox last week - that he is a massive fan of the Raiders and has a lot of respect for Ricky, and will be cheering us on.

Really cool to see - if anyone has a right to hate us it would be those two. Unlike Brandy, who really doesn't have a strong reason to considering they got us back in 91.

Sounds like with Blocker and Benny developed a lot of respect for a major rival. Brandy just got bitter and twisted about it.

[Roger Kenworthy]

I like Gould in the media. He's a thinker and he gets people talking about the game.

Elias was a breath of fresh air on 360 last week. Very positive about the state of the game. They'll get rid of him soon.

I've never been offended by Brandy as so many on here seem to be. I've never found him particularly bias against us. That said I don't rate him as a commentator.

What has Warren Smith done at Fox. He's now ranked below the shocking Ginnane in the pecking order it would seem.

[Crusader]

srsly, love the bloke but Croker needs to complete his rushed tackles, yes he does break the momentum but they always break off or offload, but for him to admit he had a bad game is better then hearing it from someone else.

[radicalraider]

srsly, love the bloke but Croker needs to complete his rushed tackles, yes he does break the momentum but they always break off or offload, but for him to admit he had a bad game is better then hearing it from someone else.

We wouldn't be in the top 8 if Jack didn't cover his defensive errors each week.

[Green Machine 2011]

I've probably missed the boat but looking for tickets (2), any one south of the border help out with a members code?

[Mariner]

edit

[Off]

Azza your love of Gus Mecurio Goulding is disturbing but I can see where your going.

[greeneyed]

I've probably missed the boat but looking for tickets (2), any one south of the border help out with a members code?

Tickets are on sale to the general public.

[Green Machine 2011]

I've probably missed the boat but looking for tickets (2), any one south of the border help out with a members code?

Tickets are on sale to the general public.

Yeah just scored a couple, not quite nosebleeds but good enough!

[greeneyed]

The pen helping uncramp Canberra Raiders' Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad's style

Canberra Raiders fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is leaving no stone unturned to be fully recovered from severe cramps in time to face the Melbourne Storm on Friday. He got to work on his calf with an acupen on Sunday to help his recovery.

"It's meant to mimic the same thing acupuncture does. They've come up with a really good design and I really enjoyed it," Nicoll-Klokstad said.

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

Corey Harawira-Naera wants repay Canberra Raiders

Corey Harawira-Naera wants to repay Canberra's faith in him before returning to the tools this summer with those who helped him through his darkest days.

"It's pretty crazy. I couldn't have imagined (I'd be playing finals football) four or five months ago," the 25-year-old said. "I thought best-case was a year off. Never did I think it was going to be this year.

Read more: https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league ... -c-1380755

Raiders tighter and hungrier than in 2019: https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league ... -c-1378910

Hotel Canberra Raiders a lovely place to prepare for Melbourne Storm

The Queensland government has approved the Raiders' request to make a stopover in a Brisbane hotel on the day of their final against the Melbourne Storm at Lang Park. It enables them to take a nap and get to the stadium two hours before the game - and they did the same before last Friday's SCG match.

"It felt like my preparation was spot on. They shut down part of the hotel for us ... we had a nap," Tapine said.

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

You wanna play rough? Say hello to 'Scarface' Wighton

Jack Wighton has been scarred for life – but the Raiders five-eighth certainly holds no malice towards Roosters centre Mitch Aubusson, whose stray boot lacerated Wighton's left cheek at the SCG on Friday.

The wound required five stitches and has led to incessant teasing that Wighton is Canberra's version of Al Pacino from the 1983 hit movie "Scarface".

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/10/12/you ... e-wighton/

[-PJ-]

Boneys comin around to watch the boys advance to another GF.

Good fella boner.

[gangrenous]

To be fair to Gould, we haven't strung many 80 minute performances together this year.

Also being fair to Gould - he’s a goose

Maybe , but I consider him a pretty good analyst of the game. Just because he hasn't tipped us doesn't mean we all have to act all butthurt

Yep he's one the game best analysts. He just sucks during live commentary due to his bias "interpretations" of rules etc.

Yeah it's a classic thing for fans here to get into a flap about him tipping against us, but I can understand where he is coming from. During the GF when the Roosters were on top early, he spotted how well we were competing physically before the match started to turn, and lo and behold, within 10 minutes we were starting to gain the ascendancy. I don't care who he tips - he isn't always right, no one is. But he's better at spotting things than most commentators and I repeat, he isn't entirely wrong. We haven't strung too many 80 minute performances together this year. That said, I am confident we can come up with the goods this week.

Just to be clear on my view. Who Phil Gould tips doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Because he’s a goose.

He does get me upset when he goes on crusades against things like the penalty crackdown which then impacts the game.

I’d argue the current obstruction mess is partly his fault. For a while there obstructions in my opinion became black and white and predictable. Now the whining has built up on referees not understanding the game and calling obstructions for any detrimental impact to defence. Now it looks to me like you have some refs starting to be influenced by that and it’s become a crapshoot again.

[Mickey_Raider]

I don’t mind Gould’s analysis, I even go out of my way to listen to his podcast (well at least the parts of it which concern the Raiders).

But he does have a tendency to go on laboured rants where he repeats himself over and over. Skip +15 seconds button is your friend when he starts doing that.

Also put me in the boat for those who couldn’t give a **** who tips us or doesn’t.

[Botman]

You guys have lost the **** plot
Gould is boardering on senility, just a dribbling fool 90% of the time, his general feel and understanding of the game pased him by many many years ago. He just talks nonsense.

He still has SOME insight, someone with his experience will always have something to offer, but its a rare sight to behold. The fact he gets any priase is a damning indictment on the level of main strem media analysis of this code. I've said it 1000 times, there is almost no one who actually informs the viewer beyond their own level of knowledge... i dont remember the last time a RL media personality mentioned an aspect of RL that made me raise my eyebrows in interest... 99% of the time they're spewing **** the online, hardcore fanbase have been on to for literal months.

i've said it a number of times and i say it again, the level of analysis we get on this site and others like it, trumps 95% of what is on Nine or Fox. The fans, the hardcore ones, know and can articulate the game far better than most of the drooling idiots on the tele can, Gould included.

But when you dont give a **** and you dont do the work and just fire off takes, you'll always fall into some good spots. Gould is right to doubt our 80 minute effort, last week was probably the first and only genuine 80 minute effort we've had all year. But any **** clown in any pub could give you the same analysis. We've been talking about it on this very site for months. So excuse me for not giving a cookie to a legendary coach, who is highly paid for doling out takes that some drunk **** on the GH could spew up 5 month ago.

[radicalraider]

Here's another bious mut - buzz on 360 giving the raiders absolutely no credit. Saying stupid things like " i just wonder if Radley was playing would papalii get through the line"..

[Botman]

Here's another bious mut - buzz on 360 giving the raiders absolutely no credit. Saying stupid things like " i just wonder if Radley was playing would papalii get through the line"..

Just another **** hot take merchant who just spews trash without any effort
I ask ernestly, gossip column stuff aside... on field football analysis about the game itself, has anyone on this site ever listened to some analsysis from Buzz Rothfield that made them sit up and take notice?

[greeneyed]

Cameron Smith-Craig Bellamy rift over coach’s friendship with Ricky Stuart
Paul Kent

Craig Bellamy and Ricky Stuart’s friendship almost broke down last season when news broke on a Friday under this byline that Cameron Smith’s wife Barb was presented with a pricey diamond ring in commemoration of his 400th game.

For reasons that can only be attributed to a distorted sense of paranoia, Smith believed the ring story was planted by Stuart in an attempt to unsettle him.The evidence was nothing more solid than Stuart’s friendship with me and its timing, which was unfortunate but unrelated.

Read more: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport ... 77b6e242b2

Raiders star seeks double bliss: Jarrod Croker will spend the week intensely focused on what he needs to do to help the Canberra Raiders get past the Melbourne Storm on Friday night and into the NRL Grand Final. But you could forgive him for keeping one eye on the form guide: https://bit.ly/34QVcEw

Sydney-based Viking clap drummer Simon Tayoun locked out of Friday‘s preliminary final in Brisbane: https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/canbe ... 44eff6050d

Locked out: How the Queensland government is punishing Canberra's diehard fans: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/locked ... 56422.html

[greeneyed]

The more I hear about Cameron Smith, the more I think he’s a pretty awful bloke.

And by the way, presenting his wife with a $15,000 ring was an absolutely disgraceful waste of NRL money.

[gangrenous]

Firmly in the pigman school of Phil Gould opinions over here.

[BadnMean]

The more I hear about Cameron Smith, the more I think he’s a pretty awful bloke.

And by the way, presenting his wife with a $15,000 ring was an absolutely disgraceful waste of NRL money.

It was widely panned at the time that honouring "women in league" by giving an expensive gift to someone who happened to be married to a great player instead of actually honouring... i dunno... maybe one of the hundreds, thousands of women actually involved in league as a player, ref, coach, administrator, club stalwart, board member (pro or local) etc etc etc... literally anything else would have been a lay up PR win and actually good for an unsung sector of the game, literally anything except giving the wife of a noted cap cheat a diamond ring.

You could sum up the Greenberg era in that idiotic, sycophantic own goal alone.

Thank the elder gods he was gone before covid hit. We wouldn't have a game left.

[Azza]

You guys have lost the **** plot
Gould is boardering on senility, just a dribbling fool 90% of the time, his general feel and understanding of the game pased him by many many years ago. He just talks nonsense.

He still has SOME insight, someone with his experience will always have something to offer, but its a rare sight to behold. The fact he gets any priase is a damning indictment on the level of main strem media analysis of this code. I've said it 1000 times, there is almost no one who actually informs the viewer beyond their own level of knowledge... i dont remember the last time a RL media personality mentioned an aspect of RL that made me raise my eyebrows in interest... 99% of the time they're spewing **** the online, hardcore fanbase have been on to for literal months

You're a wanker

[pickles]

Gould would be insignificant if the NRL just ignored him. Instead he goes on and on and on about rubbish until they decide to change the rules and everyone finally realised that it was probably better the other way.

I couldn’t give a single **** what he thinks about our chances!

From what I can tell most rugby league pundits watch less footy and care less than the serious fans and have to agree with the botman that better analysis is found elsewhere, like here.

To be honest it’s good that everyone thinks we will lose. They did last week and look how that turned out. Favouritism is a dangerous thing this time of year!

[BJ]

Firmly in the pigman school of Phil Gould opinions over here.

Spot on both of you. Gould does have occasional brilliant insight but it’s far too often spoiled by his own agendas and ego.

[BadnMean]

Gould would be insignificant if the NRL just ignored him. Instead he goes on and on and on about rubbish until they decide to change the rules and everyone finally realised that it was probably better the other way.

At which point Gould changes his opinion, offers a deflection and begins complaining about the new status quo as if it isn't exactly what he asked for with exactly the pitfalls everyone else pointed to eventuating.

But he blithely carries on and is never really fact checked for his positions shifting. Probably go back to bleating about "feel for the game"- after decrying both interpretations of a rule within 24 months. And hope no one remembers the last time we accepted a ref who used to ref by "feel of the game" in Bill Harrigan, Gould was famously sent from sideline for haranguing the ref.

No time for him. Watch some late 80s games on Youtube and they (commentators) just largely accept the refs decision and get on with it. They call the game not the ref. Fair dinkum there's a game where Stone calls Sticky offside on the chase where Ricky kicked it- and it' a 50m kick! All Mossop says is "I think Mick will realise later he's made a blue here", then gets on with the action.

Definition of pompous and bad for the game through the endless crap he heaps on decisions which filters through to Sunday morning heroes tormenting junior refs.

[Lui_Bon]

I'm a bit disappointed for Simon that he can't go to the game. He's a good guy and a great enhancement to the game day, especially this year.

Don't really care about Gould at all. He is yesterday's man and I don't need to think about him until we're in the GF.

[bonehead]

Boneys comin around to watch the boys advance to another GF.

Good fella boner.

just tryin to keep up with you mate.

Door up!

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

[Botman]

You guys have lost the **** plot
Gould is boardering on senility, just a dribbling fool 90% of the time, his general feel and understanding of the game pased him by many many years ago. He just talks nonsense.

He still has SOME insight, someone with his experience will always have something to offer, but its a rare sight to behold. The fact he gets any priase is a damning indictment on the level of main strem media analysis of this code. I've said it 1000 times, there is almost no one who actually informs the viewer beyond their own level of knowledge... i dont remember the last time a RL media personality mentioned an aspect of RL that made me raise my eyebrows in interest... 99% of the time they're spewing **** the online, hardcore fanbase have been on to for literal months

You're a wanker

A fair and valid counter.

[GreenMachine]

Phil Ghoul - he's that broken clock that's right twice a day...