Through green eyes 2021

[Billy Walker]

Anyone else foresee Croker scoring a hattrick in round 25 with the Roosters resting players and receiving 137/10 to win GEMVP?

Croker scoring a hat trick- absolutely no chance.

GE awarding him 137/10 regardless - not at all out of the question

[Rickmando]

Very surprised you blokes haven’t had the North Korea-style censorship yet for your criticism of the all-time NRL 3rd highest point scorer. You know you’re not allowed to do that around here

[BadnMean]

Very surprised you blokes haven’t had the North Korea-style censorship yet for your criticism of the all-time NRL 3rd highest point scorer. You know you’re not allowed to do that around here

Really? It's been open season on Croker for about 18 months I reckon. Hard to find a staunch backer, which is a bit sad given all he has contributed over the years. But plenty (me included) just think most of that is past tense now.

[dubby]

Croker hasn't been the same since Cam Smith busted his knee. A series of injuries have robbed the skipper of his form, confidence and impact. He's there because Rick said so.

It's a shame because for years he was a quality centre and a quality guy

Frankly it's time to make a decision. Do we let him continue to decline at this level, or do you show tough love and tap him on the shoulder?

It's a big decision because we have a bit of leadership void. EW is also struggling, while Papa seems to be inconsistent mentally.

This is no indictment on Croker. Time and injury catches up with all of us.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[T_R]

Croker hasn't been the same since Cam Smith busted his knee. A series of injuries have robbed the skipper of his form, confidence and impact. He's there because Rick said so.

It's a shame because for years he was a quality centre and a quality guy

Frankly it's time to make a decision. Do we let him continue to decline at this level, or do you show tough love and tap him on the shoulder?

It's a big decision because we have a bit of leadership void. EW is also struggling, while Papa seems to be inconsistent mentally.

This is no indictment on Croker. Time and injury catches up with all of us.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yep. Seems like a great guy and has given fantastic service to the club...but he's a professional sportsman, and it's a career with a finite span. Time to hang up the boots, I'm afraid.

[Roger Kenworthy]

Croker hasn't been the same since Cam Smith busted his knee. A series of injuries have robbed the skipper of his form, confidence and impact. He's there because Rick said so.

It's a shame because for years he was a quality centre and a quality guy

Frankly it's time to make a decision. Do we let him continue to decline at this level, or do you show tough love and tap him on the shoulder?

It's a big decision because we have a bit of leadership void. EW is also struggling, while Papa seems to be inconsistent mentally.

This is no indictment on Croker. Time and injury catches up with all of us.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yep. Seems like a great guy and has given fantastic service to the club...but he's a professional sportsman, and it's a career with a finite span. Time to hang up the boots, I'm afraid.

Hmm, don't think I'd be leaving $1.5 million on the table if I was him. He's also not a candidate for medical retirement from what I can see, you can't medically retire someone for being off the pace. Eating the final three years of that deal may be the end of our Premiership window, it's barely ajar as it is.

[T_R]

Croker hasn't been the same since Cam Smith busted his knee. A series of injuries have robbed the skipper of his form, confidence and impact. He's there because Rick said so.

It's a shame because for years he was a quality centre and a quality guy

Frankly it's time to make a decision. Do we let him continue to decline at this level, or do you show tough love and tap him on the shoulder?

It's a big decision because we have a bit of leadership void. EW is also struggling, while Papa seems to be inconsistent mentally.

This is no indictment on Croker. Time and injury catches up with all of us.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yep. Seems like a great guy and has given fantastic service to the club...but he's a professional sportsman, and it's a career with a finite span. Time to hang up the boots, I'm afraid.

Hmm, don't think I'd be leaving $1.5 million on the table if I was him. He's also not a candidate for medical retirement from what I can see, you can't medically retire someone for being off the pace. Eating the final three years of that deal may be the end of our Premiership window, it's barely ajar as it is.

Fair call, too. Unfortunately, that means that Ricky has to step up and drop him.

[dubby]

Ricky won't drop him IMO

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[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Top ten greatest moments from 40 years of the Green Machine



It is the 40th season of the Canberra Raiders. It was 1982 when I moved to the nation's capital as a young man - and I started following the new team from day one. I saw their first trial match at Seiffert Oval, their first premiership match at home, and their very first win. There have been some incredible highs - and lows - over these past 40 seasons.

During the off season, we'll be celebrating the 40 year milestone - and we'll be involving the members of The Greenhouse in voting for the Canberra Raiders' 40 year dream team. We've been conducting a dream team poll every five years for some time. It'll be interesting to see how that changes in 2021. We've also got some other things planned. But today, I thought we'd have a foretaste of the celebrations.

So here it is... my take on the top ten greatest ever moments for the Green Machine. I'd love to think I might be surprised... and that something yet to happen in 2021 might feature on the list.

10. 2019 - The greatest ever moment at Canberra Stadium

There's been a host of memorable days at Canberra Stadium. The opening of the refurbished venue in 1990, a season opener for the new premiers in 1990 against the Dragons. The biggest ever victory produced by the club - 68-0 over the Eels in 1993. The final home games of some of the greatest ever Raiders - the likes of Mal Meninga, Laurie Daley and Ruben Wiki. The day in 1990 when Mal Meninga scored a record five tries and 38 points against the Roosters back in 1990. The day Terry Campese nearly equalled that record - when the Raiders posted their highest ever tally of 74 points. Brett Mullins' miracle try.

But, in my view, the 2019 Preliminary Final against the Rabbitohs is unmatched. It is the only Preliminary Final ever staged at Canberra Stadium. It was played in front of a record crowd. When Josh Papalii scored under the posts - to secure the victory - there has never been such a wild outpouring of emotion at Bruce. We had never waited so long to qualify for a premiership decider. Canberra was swept up in green fever and we experienced a Grand Final week Raiders fans will never forget.



9. 1991 - A fourth Grand Final

The Raiders’ season was turbulent off field, with the club on a financial precipice and a large potential salary cap breach only fixed by the players taking pay cuts. Still, the Raiders forced their way against the odds to the 1991 Grand Final, the club’s third in a row. It was a huge achievement. But a Penrith victory, 19-12, meant it would not be back to back to back.



8. 1982 - First taste of victory



The Raiders recorded their first ever win in 1982 at Seiffert Oval against the Newtown Jets, one of the 1981 Grand Finalists. Canberra trailed 8-2 at the break, but shortly after half time, a barnstorming try from John McLeod, after a David Grant bust, brought the Raiders back into the contest. Late in the match, the Raiders trailed the Jets 11-7, but a young replacement, Chris O’Sullivan proved the difference. He ran past two Newtown defenders, leapt over some more, and lunged over the try line. It produced a 12-11 lead for the home side, which the Raiders held until the hooter sounded.

It’s a cliché to say “the crowd went wild”, but it certainly did. There seemed to be many more in attendance than 9,982. The seven game losing streak was over, the local team had won its first ever match and the roar was as loud as if Canberra had won the premiership.

7. 2019 - A sixth Grand Final

2019 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. On 6 October, the supporters in lime took over Homebush, took over Sydney. They produced a spine tingling Viking Clap. 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. #Trainergate and #SixAgain sent the game into meltdown - and produced changes to the game's rules. It was a match in which the Raiders were the better team everywhere but on the final scoreboard. 14-8.







6. 1982 - Canberra Raiders admitted to the competition

On January 4, 1981, a meeting of the 16 ACT and region clubs voted unanimously to test the support of the local public for a Canberra team in the NSWRL and in principle to make a submission for admission. A survey of 1872 people later showed that 80.5 per cent of people wanted to attend matches if a local team played in the NSWRL competition.


Les McIntyre, founder of the Canberra Raiders.

Canberra's bid submission was delivered to the NSWRL on March 9, 1981 - and presented at a meeting in Sydney on March 30. At the end of a four and a half hour meeting, Canberra won out over bid competitor Campbelltown by 24 votes to 18. Canberra had to promise to pay for the travel costs of the Sydney clubs to make it happen. The Raiders played their first match against South Sydney on 27 February 1982 at Redfern Oval (losing 37-7), and their first home match at Seiffert Oval against Wests (losing 33-4). Canberra won just four games in its first season, but was on the path to glory.

5. 1987 - First Grand Final

Canberra made the semi finals for the first time in 1987, and despite losing the first match in the finals series against the Roosters, the Raiders subsequently left a trail of destruction on the way to the Grand Final. It had taken the club just six seasons to make it. The 46-12 finals victory over Souths will long be remembered for the repeated kicks to, and repeated fumbles from, Rabbitohs winger Steve Mavin. Then Mal Meninga returned from a broken arm – along with huge protective arm guard - for the Preliminary Final against the Roosters. The enduring memory of the 32-24 victory was Mal Meninga trampling over the top of Easts forward, David Trewhella, on the way to the try line.

In their first Grand Final, the Raiders went down to the Manly Sea Eagles 18-8. A fairy tale run was over. But the brilliant attacking football played by the Raiders in the finals campaign had the nation's capital under a spell.


1987 Grand Final Day highlights

4. 1986 - Meninga joins the Raiders



Mal Meninga was the first marquee signing for Canberra and his signing was instrumental in attracting other players to the club. It was the start of the rise of the club to a powerhouse. He is the greatest of all Raiders and is the only player from the club to be admitted to the NRL's most select group of the Hall of Fame players, the Immortals.

3. 1990 Back to back for club champions

The Raiders had a remarkable 1990 season, finishing minor premiers and featuring on Grand Final day in all three grades. The Raiders won the President's Cup match and were controversially defeated in reserves in extra time. In the big one, the Canberra Raiders were looking for back-to-back premierships, after their fairy tale first Grand Final victory in 1989. Penrith were looking for their first title.

Penrith started the match strongly, but Canberra quickly took control. "Canberra – they’re too hot, they’re too strong" came the famous call from the commentary box. It was 12-0 and it appeared as if the Raiders could overwhelm Penrith. However, the Panthers fought back and the match hung in the balance for much of the second half. Just five minutes from the end, the Raiders scored a spectacular try – Meninga and Daley barnstorming in attack, and Matthew Wood finishing with the four points. At full time, the match belonged to Canberra, 18-14.

As the hooter sounded, the Canberra Times posters emerged: "WE DID IT! AGAIN!" It was a different feeling to the ecstasy of 1989. It was almost a sense of relief, of all the expectations being met. It was how it was meant to be.

2. 1994 - Meninga goes out a winner

The Canberra Raiders kicked off and Martin Bella knocked on. The Raiders looked like they would win the 1994 Grand Final from the whistle. It capped off a wonderful year for what is now considered one of the best club teams of all time.

Paul Osborne was a middle of the road player for the Raiders. He was leaving the club, set to play in England, but the suspension of prop John Lomax meant Osborne would earn a late call up for the Grand Final. He played the match of his life. First, he produced a superb pass to David Furner to set up the first try for Canberra. Then he produced a miracle one handed pass around the body of Terry Lamb to Ken Nagas, sending the Canberra winger on his way to a 60 metre try.



Mal Meninga, already a legend, and playing his last game on Australian soil – capped the magnificent Raiders victory with a 30 metre intercept try, 17 minutes from the end of the match. His celebratory gesture after that try was captured in bronze, the statue adorning the entry to the Mal Meninga Grandstand at Canberra Stadium. Final score: 36-12.

1. 1989 - The greatest grand final of all



Nothing beats a first premiership. But the 1989 Grand Final victory is not the greatest moment just because it was the first premiership. That Grand Final is widely recognised at the greatest ever in Australian rugby league history. The cultural impact on the national capital, the joy in the Canberra community, has not been equalled before or since. It showed that Canberra was not "a city without a soul".

The stature of the win not only reflects what happened on the day. The Raiders had to produce an incredible winning streak of nine matches to take the crown. The finals campaign saw the Green Machine sweep aside the Sharks, Panthers and then the minor premiers, the Rabbitohs, before facing the Tigers in the decider.

The match itself was extraordinary. It was a game littered with critical moments, memorable turning points. A huge tackle from Raiders' forward Dean Lance on Balmain's leader of the pack, Steve Roach. An ankle tap from Raiders captain Mal Meninga to save a certain try for Tigers half Mick Neil. A missed field goal from hooker Benny Elias that would have sealed the result. It hit the crossbar and bounced away.



One minute and 31 seconds were left on the clock in regular time and the Raiders trailed the Tigers 14-8. Chris O'Sullivan signaled for the bomb at dummy half, and he hoisted it high. Laurie Daley batted the ball back to John Ferguson, who typically stepped his way through the Balmain defence. He took what appeared to be the most difficult path to the try line, scoring close to the posts. Mal Meninga's conversion sent the match into extra time.



An O'Sullivan field goal finally put the Raiders in front. Then, when Andy Currier fumbled a kick, Mal Meninga pounced. He passed to "no name" replacement forward Steve Jackson, 25 metres from the line. He somehow pushed off defender after defender, and crashed over. We know the famous commentary from Ian Maurice by heart. "He's there! Try! Try! Steve Jackson reached out and scored what will win the premiership for the Canberra Raiders! I didn't think there was any way he was going to make that. But he did. What strength! What power! What a Grand Final! What a premiership!".

The Raiders were the first team from fourth or fifth to win the premiership. They were the first team from outside Sydney to take the title.

After the match there were tears from Mal Meninga.

"I can't believe it. This is the greatest ever thing that has happened to me in football. Unbelievable... Beats playing for Australia, beats playing for Queensland, this is what it's all about, winning the Grand Final."

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here is the points tally after the clash with the Knights. Tell us what you think of the ratings!

Total points

Jordan Rapana 116
Ryan Sutton 114
Josh Papalii 104
Jack Wighton 103
Elliott Whitehead 99
Sebastian Kris 94
Tom Starling 94
Hudson Young 93
Josh Hodgson 93
Joe Tapine 87
Emre Guler 85
Bailey Simonsson 81
Corey Harrawira-Naera 80
Sia Soliola 72
George Williams 65
Ryan James 62
Curtis Scott 58
Jarrod Croker 54
Sam Williams 53
Semi Valemei 53
Dunamis Lui 49
Siliva Havili 44
Caleb Aekins 42
Corey Horsburgh 35
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 31
Matt Timoko 20
Xavier Savage 16
Harley Smith-Shields 13
Matt Frawley 13
Brad Schneider 2

Average points per match

Jordan Rapana 6.8
Ryan Sutton 6.7
Hudson Young 6.6
George Williams 6.5
Harley Smith-Shields 6.5
Josh Papalii 6.5
Matt Frawley 6.5
Joe Tapine 6.2
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 6.2
Josh Hodgson 6.2
Elliott Whitehead 6.2
Corey Harrawira-Naera 6.2
Emre Guler 6.1
Jack Wighton 6.1
Caleb Aekins 6.0
Sam Williams 5.9
Semi Valemei 5.9
Corey Horsburgh 5.8
Curtis Scott 5.8
Bailey Simonsson 5.8
Tom Starling 5.5
Jarrod Croker 5.4
Xavier Savage 5.3
Sebastian Kris 5.2
Ryan James 5.2
Matt Timoko 5.0
Dunamis Lui 4.9
Siliva Havili 4.9
Sia Soliola 4.8
Brad Schneider 2.0



Plus follow us on Facebook: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders

[hrundi89]

Good stuff GE. Wouldn't have changed a thing. That Souths game was a special moment for my son and I.

[dubby]

Great write up boss

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"There's not a lot of emotion. It's a win. If we defend like that in the first half next week, we get beaten by sixty. That second half defence came from a fair bit of want. The start in our game last week was for different reasons than effort. Everyone's got their own reasons for it. I've looked at it long and hard. We spoke about it and worked on it this week. But we still gave them - as they did us - a lot of opportunity to try and win the game, and we held on longest.

The defence in the second half won it. We tested ourselves because in the first 10 or so minutes, we turned the ball over twice when we got the footy in our own end and gave them an opportunity. Fortunately we showed a fair bit of resolve there to defend it. They threw a lot of shape at us. St George are a good team. They threw a lot or attack at us and we did a good job in the second half to hold them out.

You need players owning moments, especially coming into the back end of the season. It's one thing we didn't have last week, players owning any moments. Tonight there were a couple. That's what your job is and it's just nice to get the two points.

Josh Papalii is one of our senior members now. Over the last three or four weeks, I get a couple of those senior middles together and just say: 'Well, what do you want to start with and what do you want on the bench?' This time of year Papa comes out of Origin and there's other players that have got to take the load. Over the last two or three weeks it was the turn for other boys to come in and take their load, to take Papa's load. This week it was important for Papa to start with Joe Tapine.

It was a tough game. The worst rule we've got in the game is the inconsistency - and this is not the refs' fault - the inconsistency in pinging you for six-again for jumping early and yet there is so many of them. I think we've got to go back to a penalty. I was all for six agains for a number of parts of the interpretation around the ruck, especially the wrestle. This jumping early, it's too inconsistent and it's not the referees' fault, because they can't get it all right. But you can't get a team for jumping early then the next set the opposition's jumping early and nothing's done. It makes it so hard for teams. We talk about momentum in games, you can't get momentum back when you've got inconsistency in that regard and it's very difficult for the referee. I'm not pinpointing a referee or the referees themselves. It's too hard on them. It's just very hard for the players because it's a very frustrating part of the game at the moment."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

2021 Round 21. Canberra Raiders 20 - St George Illawarra Dragons 12. It wasn't pretty - but it was a win. Both teams took a fairly conservative approach, hoping to avoid error. The Raiders again started slowly, and were short on possession and territory. The Raiders' kicking game again didn't help much, early in the match. The Dragons produced four line line breaks in the first half. Canberra produced none, their two tries coming from kicks. But at the break, it was all tied up at 12 apiece. And in the second half, Canberra's defence was solid. The Green Machine took the lead four minutes into that second forty, and then refused to concede another point to the opposition.



Coach Ricky Stuart and the team have plenty to work on. The Raiders put themselves under pressure by turning over possession. The defence improved on last week, and the intent and attitude was better. The right edge was more solid with Whitehead and Timoko out there. The attack is spluttering. In the red zone, Canberra often looks disorganised or slow and predictable. They don't put the opposition into two minds. The set in the lead up to the Raiders' first try was a case in point. A kick from Elliott Whitehead and a spectacular bat back from Harley Smith-Shields produced a diamond from the rocks. The second try was the result of a good bomb from Sam Williams and a leap from Jack Wighton. The third was the result of a Starling scoot out of dummy half. The attack did look much better when Tom Starling was injected at around the 25th minute mark.

A good part of Ricky Stuart's comments were devoted to the issue of set restarts for off side infringements - and inconsistency in awarding them. I've been writing about the lack of consistency in "six again" calls for almost two years now. "Good line speed" is often code for teams deliberately breaching the 10 metres and that was one of the Dragons' tactics last night. The Raiders are aiming for "good line speed" too, but the frustrating thing for coaches, players and fans is the almost random nature of the six again calls. The game is now so fast that the referees can't keep up. They can't possibly achieve even a modicum of consistency. Because things happen so fast, there's little accountability for the calls.

Stuart refused last night to blame the rule changes that have been introduced in the past two years for the huge number of "blowouts" in score lines in 2021. But I think there's little doubt that they are the cause. In my view, all of the rule changes introduced for the 2021 season should be unwound, once we get past the Grand Final. Certainly, the Raiders coach wants penalties reintroduced for off side play and I'd be happy enough with that. Hopefully, we can have some rugby league next year.

The Raiders face the ladder leading Melbourne Storm next Thursday night - and if the Raiders play like they did last night, the score line could get ugly. Canberra also has games against two other top six teams - the Sea Eagles and Roosters - in the run to the finals. Realistically, a combination of injury and player departure has meant that the Raiders probably don't have the personnel to compete with the top teams at the business end. I'd love to be proven wrong about that. But the Raiders are still alive this morning. And while there's life, there's hope.

Stats that mattered?

The Dragons had 51 per cent of possession and completed 35 of 42 sets (83 per cent completion rate, Raiders 80 per cent). The "visitors" made slightly more running metres (1482-1445) and more line breaks (4-1) and tackle breaks (34-25). The Raiders made more post contact metres (519-481) and kick return metres (131-105). Metres per set were almost exactly the same for both teams (around 35 metres). Offloads were very low (four for each team).

The Dragons made more kicking metres (629-552) from one more kick (19-18). Canberra's kicking game was good in parts. Sam Williams got a try assist for his bomb for a chasing Jack Wighton - a 40/20 kick and a forced line drop out. The Dragons got some good territory - but at least a few of their kicks went dead, giving the Raiders seven tackle sets.

There was not much difference in the number of tackles made (Dragons 342, Raiders 337) or ineffective tackles (Dragons nine, Raiders eight). However the Raiders missed more tackles (34-25) - and the Dragons had a slightly better effective tackle rate (91 per cent, 90 per cent for the Raiders).

The Raiders made more errors (12-9) and conceded one more penalty (7-6). Set restarts ended up at five apiece. Ricky Stuart was careful not to criticise the referee last night, when making comments about set restarts for infringing the 10 metres. But the quality of the officiating last night was poor - and I have to say, there were some baffling decisions. "Escorts" that were not there. Obstructions that were not there. Jordan Rapana and Emre Guler were put on report, and I'll be surprised if they result in any serious charges from the match review committee.

Memorable moments?

This match did not have a lot of memorable moments. The best try for the Raiders was the first. It was a neat kick from Elliott Whitehead to the corner - and a spectacular bat back from winger Harley Smith-Shields. Smith-Shields was suspended mid air over the sideline when he managed the feat - with Rapana inside him to pounce on the ball. In the second half, Josh Papalii nearly scored a memorable try - with a knock on from Dragons winger Mikaele Ravalawa picked up by the Raiders prop. The line was wide open for Papalii and he crossed under the posts. It most definitely would have been the match sealer - but for the bunker finding a miniscule knock on from Jack Wighton in the contest for the ball with Ravalawa. It was correctly called no try.

Best performers?

Tom Starling. One try, eight runs for 51 metres, one line break, two tackle breaks, six dummy half runs for 36 metres, 28 tackles, 90 per cent tackle efficiency.

Jordan Rapana. One try, 19 runs for 167 metres, 48 kick return metres, 66 post contact metres, seven tackle breaks, six tackles, 86 per cent tackle efficiency.

Joseph Tapine. 15 runs for 128 metres, 51 post contact metres, two tackle breaks, three offloads, 35 tackles, 97 per cent tackle efficiency.

Jack Wighton and Josh Papalii were also in contention for points. Wighton was much improved in terms of his running game (13 runs for 121 metres, three tackle breaks, 30 post contact metres) and scored a try.

Top tacklers: Josh Hodgson 46, Josh Papalii 42, Joseph Tapine 35
Most metres gained: Jordan Rapana 167, Semi Valemei 162, Matt Timoko 132, Joseph Tapine 128

My player ratings:

Jordan Rapana 7
Harley Smith-Shields 6
Jarrod Croker 5
Matt Timoko 6
Semi Valemei 6
Jack Wighton 6
Sam Williams 6
Josh Papalii 7
Josh Hodgson 6
Jospeph Tapine 7
Hudson Young 6
Elliott Whitehead 6
Ryan Sutton 6

Tom Starling 7
Corey Harawira-Naera 6
Emre Guler 5
Elijah Anderson 1*

* Limited minutes

Do you agree with the ratings? Let us know what you think!



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!

[gangrenous]

How does going back to penalties for offside fix the problem of referees inconsistently penalising offside?

The only way to fix it is a prolonged crackdown so that teams comply. But that can never happen thanks to the media.

[greeneyed]

How does going back to penalties for offside fix the problem of referees inconsistently penalising offside?

The only way to fix it is a prolonged crackdown so that teams comply. But that can never happen thanks to the media.

I think if it is a penalty, the call has much more deterrent effect. The call is also subject to more scrutiny. Referees will consider them carefully. At the moment they call them, or not, willy nilly in an inconsistent fashion. And there is no accountability on the officials.

[gangrenous]

I think accountability is fair.

Deterrent I don’t agree with at all. If it’s really a bigger penalty then the 6-again call is less of a problem - The issue is that it isn’t! Teams will return to being happy to give away penalties and we have negative tactics again.

[greeneyed]

I think accountability is fair.

Deterrent I don’t agree with at all. If it’s really a bigger penalty then the 6-again call is less of a problem - The issue is that it isn’t! Teams will return to being happy to give away penalties and we have negative tactics again.

I'm happy in the sin bin being used for professional fouls. Those are professional fouls. At the moment, teams are even more happy to give away set restarts than the old penalties.

[-PJ-]

I think the six again ruling can be a double edged sword. Especially with ball in hand attacking the oppositions red zone. A penalty gives you a shot a goal.

A tackle restart does not guarantee points, a penalty within range..on most occasions does.

[RedRaider]

I think accountability is fair.

Deterrent I don’t agree with at all. If it’s really a bigger penalty then the 6-again call is less of a problem - The issue is that it isn’t! Teams will return to being happy to give away penalties and we have negative tactics again.

I'm happy in the sin bin being used for professional fouls. Those are professional fouls. At the moment, teams are even more happy to give away set restarts than the old penalties.

I would be happy to make the sin bin option a team responsibility. So if there were say 3 offside 6 again calls against a team, the next one means the offending player goes into the bin. I think the refs will need bunker support for this option to keep the count and I have little confidence that some bunker officials (Perenara) will get it right.

[BadnMean]

I think accountability is fair.

Deterrent I don’t agree with at all. If it’s really a bigger penalty then the 6-again call is less of a problem - The issue is that it isn’t! Teams will return to being happy to give away penalties and we have negative tactics again.

I'm happy in the sin bin being used for professional fouls. Those are professional fouls. At the moment, teams are even more happy to give away set restarts than the old penalties.

There's a time with the ball/recovery factor which is vastly different with a penalty vs six again as well.

With a 6 again, teams happily give it away first or 2nd tackle every time when they have a team under sustained pressure, battering a team trying to come out of their own 10m/20m. An extra tackle and the next guy still getting smashed just isn't a deterrent. They get the six again, but make 2 more metres, get smashed again, only have the ball for 4 more seconds than they might have without the 6 again and then find themselves back under pressure immediately the other team gets the ball in good field position. No real gain from the extra tackle.

It plays into the current trend of the game where momentum can cause lopsided possession for a whole half and it's very hard for the tired team to battle out of.

Give that team struggling to get out the 10m/20m a penalty instead and the situation takes on a vastly different complexion. They get a breather from being battered. They get some time with the ball. They get out of their red zone from the kick. Then the chance to put together a composed set with the ball, instead of 4 tired one out hit ups/dummy half runs into the teeth of the offside defence.

It's a genuine circuit breaker to arrest that momentum and possession glut. One of the reasons the momentum issue is so hard to break now is this kind of circuit breaker being taken out. Hence the blowouts etc. So yes it would slow the game down a little bit to bring it back but it would also stop the reward you currently get for deliberately cheating on tackles one and two- you're mad if you don't because the reward is so high (smash other team, hurt, tire, territory, pressure, dominance, attack next set) and even if the ref does ping you, the 6 again is a wet lettuce leaf that still doesn't take away the big rewards you just got for cheating at all.

[gangrenous]

That’s the problem. 6 again is the appropriate fix late in tackle counts or in the attacking half. Penalty is the appropriate fix early in tackle counts or in the defensive half.

[BadnMean]

That’s the problem. 6 again is the appropriate fix late in tackle counts or in the attacking half. Penalty is the appropriate fix early in tackle counts or in the defensive half.

I wonder if they could just fold into the captains challenge idea that when the ref signals a 6 again in your own half, captain has the option to signal for a penalty instead. Must be done within 2 seconds of the call or before the next tackle.

They can do this once per half, or as long as they still have a challenge left (it doesnt chew up a challenge though).

That's a very complicated fix when they could just go back to penalty for all offside infringments like it used to be.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: My 40 year dream team



It is the 40th season of the Canberra Raiders. As I mentioned last week, during the off season, we'll be celebrating the 40 year milestone. And one thing we'll do is involve the members of The Greenhouse in voting for the Canberra Raiders 40 year dream team.

We've been voting on the Raiders' best ever team every five years for some time. This was The Greenhouse 35 year dream team:



Some pretty handy players could not make the top 17 - but were named in the top 25 of all time. The likes of Jason Croker, Dean Lance, Alan Tongue, Terry Campese, Brett Mullins, Ken Nagas and Clinton Schifcofske.

The last vote was conducted after the 2016 season, when the Raiders had made their first Preliminary Final in 20 years. The top 17 included three new players: Josh Papalii, Jarrod Croker and Josh Hodgson.

I think that was pretty close to the team I'd have chosen at the time, but of course, things change.

When selecting the best players or teams of all time, recency bias is your biggest enemy. People remember the things that happened last week, and forget the things that happened last year - let alone the things that happened 40 years ago.

I'm fortunate, in that I've been watching the Raiders since day one. A lot of Raiders fans weren't around in 1982. A lot of them weren't even around to see the last premiership in 1994.

These days, rugby league fans are fortunate that every single game in the NRL has broadcast and recorded for posterity. If future generations are to ask 'Why was he so good?', they will be able to see why. But it was not so long ago that only a few games from each round were broadcast.

That is one reason that I love writing about the history of the Raiders. Telling, and re-telling, the stories of the club is the way to keep the feats of the greatest players, the magic of the greatest games, alive in our consciousness.

Will the passage of the last five years produce more change in the greatest team in Raiders history? To kick off the debate, today I'm going to name my own 40 year dream team. My views might well change after the debate, but here goes.



For a start, I believe Jordan Rapana has now become one of the club's two greatest wingers. The great "Chicka" Ferguson is definitely No. 1. It was tough leaving out Noa Nadruku. But Rapana is now amongst the top five try scorers in the club's history. This year he's overtaken Nadruku and Mal Meninga on that list - and could well overtake Laurie Daley. He broke Nadruku's record for most tries in a season in 2016, crossing 23 times. Rapana has earned it.

Josh Papalii was deservedly included in the 35 year dream team. He had become the world's best second rower, in my view. By the time 2020 had rolled around, he'd become the world's best prop. I loved Sam Backo, but Papalii has surpassed him now - and I'm putting big Papa alongside Glenn Lazarus in the starting front row.

That leaves a vacant second row position. The two prime candidates for that spot are David Furner and Jason Croker - and I've gone with Furner. He dropped to the bench in the vote five years ago, and Jason Croker dropped out of the top 17. I never felt comfortable about that. I don't think there are two better candidates from the past five years. I was tempted to go with Croker in the starting team. He is the Raiders most capped player. Tough as nails. But he didn't quite reach the represenative heights that Furner did. So, it's Furner into the second row and Croker on the bench.

Jarrod Croker displaced Peter Jackson as Mal Meninga's centre partner in the 35 year dream team. If I could select a young Ruben Wiki and an old Ruben Wiki, the young one might have taken my jersey No. 4. But Wiki definitely deserves his spot in the back row. And I believe Jarrod Croker has only strengthened his position in the dream team over the past five years. He is second only to Jason Croker for most appearances for the club. He is the club's greatest ever point scorer and goal kicker. He's the third greatest point scorer of all time.

Josh Hodgson remains the best hooker we've seen at the club since the great Steve Walters. He's was just behind Cameron Smith as the best hooker in the game for a while - but he's certainly not overtaken Walters. Walters was a game changer at dummy half, and in my view, was unjustly overlooked for the 2008 Australian Rugby League Team of the Century.

So there we have it. My 40 year dream team. Let the debate begin.

****

After last week's win over the Dragons, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said this:

"The worst rule we've got in the game is the inconsistency - and this is not the refs' fault - the inconsistency in pinging you for six-again for jumping early and yet there is so many of them. I think we've got to go back to a penalty. I was all for six agains for a number of parts of the interpretation around the ruck, especially the wrestle. This jumping early, it's too inconsistent and it's not the referees' fault, because they can't get it all right. But you can't get a team for jumping early then the next set the opposition's jumping early and nothing's done. It makes it so hard for teams. We talk about momentum in games, you can't get momentum back when you've got inconsistency in that regard and it's very difficult for the referee. I'm not pinpointing a referee or the referees themselves. It's too hard on them. It's just very hard for the players because it's a very frustrating part of the game at the moment."

Ricky is spot on, in my view. I've written about the 2021 rule changes at length before. They should all be thrown out at the end of the season. Then next season, we can stop playing Vlandysball and start playing rugby league again. Thankfully, the NRL appears to have already seen some sense on their "Magic Round" clamp down. I hope they can also see some sense on the rule changes.

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here is the points tally after the clash with the Dragons. Tell us what you think of the ratings!

Total points

Jordan Rapana 123
Ryan Sutton 120
Josh Papalii 111
Jack Wighton 109
Elliott Whitehead 105
Tom Starling 101
Hudson Young 99
Josh Hodgson 99
Joe Tapine 94
Sebastian Kris 94
Emre Guler 90
Corey Harrawira-Naera 86
Bailey Simonsson 81
Sia Soliola 72
George Williams 65
Ryan James 62
Jarrod Croker 59
Sam Williams 59
Semi Valemei 59
Curtis Scott 58
Dunamis Lui 49
Siliva Havili 44
Caleb Aekins 42
Corey Horsburgh 35
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 31
Matt Timoko 26
Harley Smith-Shields 19
Xavier Savage 16
Matt Frawley 13
Brad Schneider 2
Elijah Anderson 1

Average points per match

Jordan Rapana 6.8
Ryan Sutton 6.7
Hudson Young 6.6
Josh Papalii 6.5
George Williams 6.5
Matt Frawley 6.5
Harley Smith-Shields 6.3
Joe Tapine 6.3
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 6.2
Josh Hodgson 6.2
Elliott Whitehead 6.2
Corey Harrawira-Naera 6.1
Jack Wighton 6.1
Caleb Aekins 6.0
Emre Guler 6.0
Sam Williams 5.9
Semi Valemei 5.9
Corey Horsburgh 5.8
Curtis Scott 5.8
Bailey Simonsson 5.8
Tom Starling 5.6
Jarrod Croker 5.4
Xavier Savage 5.3
Sebastian Kris 5.2
Matt Timoko 5.2
Ryan James 5.2
Dunamis Lui 4.9
Siliva Havili 4.9
Sia Soliola 4.8
Brad Schneider 2.0
Elijah Anderson 1.0



Plus follow us on Facebook: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders

[BadnMean]

I'm ok with 6 again for ruck niggles. It seems to have worked in general. But I wouldn't complain if they went back to penalties for offside.

When we aren't scrimping for pennies due to covid, we could go back to 2 refs. One does the ruck and 6 agains, one does offside and other infringements. Might be more consistent that way.

[Roger Kenworthy]

So GE you'd rather have Jarrod Croker at centre than Jason Croker in the backrow? Wow. For mine Jarrod doesn't even come close to the form of Jason from 1993 - 2000.
- Wiki to left centre and Jason to second row.
- Dean Lance on to the bench.
- Pure football Nadruku on to the wing for Rapa. If we're considering off field incidents then Rapa holds his spot.
- Chris O'Sullivan 18th man.

[Billy Walker]

Yep Peter Jackson is miles ahead of Croker for the 4 jumper. Ruben Wiki is next in line. You can leave out representative and premiership players for non-representative premiership players.

[Hong Kong Raider]

So GE you'd rather have Jarrod Croker at centre than Jason Croker in the backrow? Wow. For mine Jarrod doesn't even come close to the form of Jason from 1993 - 2000.
- Wiki to left centre and Jason to second row.
- Dean Lance on to the bench.
- Pure football Nadruku on to the wing for Rapa. If we're considering off field incidents then Rapa holds his spot.
- Chris O'Sullivan 18th man.

Or Peter Jackson 1987-88. Jackson centre, Daley 5/8. Rapa wing just over Noa.
Lance 2nd row, Croker (Jason, that is) bench over Kennedy or Gary Coyne. Wiki bench as Papa and Lazarus props.

[afgtnk]

These best in history sides should always, IMO, be done with the view of taking on the best ever sides of other clubs. That's how you know you're gonna pick the very best side. They're not for the guys that only stayed a long time and put in loads. It has to be from the cream of the cop you've had.

Jarrod Croker unfortunately sticks out like a sore thumb here and has no business being in that side. Going on ability, Croker doesn't make our third best team, let alone best ever. Modern days version of players like Reg Gasnier, Dally Messenger, Dave Brown, Jamie Lyon, Mick Cronin at their best would tear him to shreds. In fact, you could choose any numbers of players across all teams in the comp, both current or former, who Croker would be absolutely no match for.

That's Peter Jackon's position all day every day. Apart from the huge aforementioned blind spot, the side looks good.

[Hong Kong Raider]

(Jarrod) Croker is much loved on this forum and I can understand why - good bloke, captain, bleeds green, our highest point scorer and third highest of all time overall. But if picking a side purely on football ability and skill, he wouldn't make the first 13 of all time. Even our great players like Meninga left him out last year. And unfortunately, the memory of the last 2 years of him playing badly has diminished the fond memories I have of him in the earlier years.

[Roger Kenworthy]

There's a qualifier of 50 games for the Raiders that Jacko falls short on.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"There was a 15-minute period in the first half when they went through some really poor defence. Our first half defensive effort in that 15-minute period was really disappointing. Then there were some end of sets and there were some basic fundamentals in the second half that we didn't finish off. Poor finishes. You can't do that against good teams. But their effort's always there, and we were in that right to the back end. And the way they came back was wonderful. It was a very determined, committed football team that came back into the game. But when you crucify yourself with just some poor execution in the second half, and some really poor defence in a 15 minute period in the first half, it makes it too hard.

Jack Wighton started [to get back to form] last week, actually. He got got back into the Jack Wighton mould of playing. It started last week. He was he was probably two or touches away from being brilliant last week. This week, they came off. He's found a little bit of his trend last week and he's continued on this week.

Corey Harawira-Naera... if he's hit him in the head, yeah [the send off] is fair. But it's not in Corey's make-up to go out and try and hurt someone like that. It's a collision game and he's come in very fast. Obviously if he has hit him in the head – obviously the young bloke was taken off – it would have been a slip, an error of judgement in contact. It wouldn't have been something he would've gone out to try to do.

There was a period of play in that first half - 15 minutes - where we were very frantic in defence. We let in three, from our standards, very soft tries. And then in the second half, we didn't execute the back end of our sets of six correctly, to keep putting pressure on the opposition. At the end of the day you can't do that to good teams, because they get field position from it and they just make you pay."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

2021 Round 22. Melbourne Storm 26 - Canberra Raiders 16. It was three tries apiece in the end. A period of 15 minutes in the opening quarter of the game was, indeed, costly. The Storm had scored all their tries by the 20 minute mark, taking an 18-4 lead. At that point, it looked like the score could be anything. But the Raiders settled, and came back into the game in the second half. Incredibly, we saw a hat trick of tries for Raiders winger Bailey Simonsson, all of them set up by Jack Wighton. After 55 minutes, the Raiders had closed the gap to just four. However, that was as close as the Raiders would get. The Raiders' errors and ill discipline proved to be their downfall in the final quarter - and the Storm turned the screws, kicking three penalty goals to seal it.



The Raiders started well. Their defence was vigorous and determined. They hit the Storm in numbers, driving them back and putting Melbourne under pressure. It paid dividends, with Jack Wighton producing a great cut out pass to put Simonsson over in the corner inside the first five minutes. Somehow, it all then fell apart.

The Storm's first try was the result of poor goal line defence from Canberra. Brandon Smith made a short run from dummy half, virtually unchallenged. The next try saw the Storm shift the ball to the right, seizing the opportunity offered by a very compressed Raiders' left edge. Storm winger Dean Ieremia was unmarked and he made an easy 50 metre run to the try line. The third Storm try was the most embarrassing for the Raiders' defence. The previous play down the right edge had left the Raiders' line stretched. But Chris Lewis then took an offload from Cameron Munster, and made a simple 10 metre run back inside - while Josh Hodgson and Sia Soliola were left as spectators.

The Raiders were courageous to come back from that. There were some "might have beens". Just before half time Matt Timoko almost scored an incredible try. Jack Wighton put up a bomb and it was regathered by Jordan Rapana. He offloaded, a pass rebounded off a Storm player and it was in Timoko's hands. Then he was reaching out, over the line... but the ball was bounced. We could have seen the Raiders head to the break trailing by 10, perhaps eight.

I'm still not sure why, but Tom Starling was not injected into the game until the 45th minute. In recent weeks, he's come on at the 25th minute mark. Perhaps it was because the Raiders were rocking and reeling at around the 20 minute mark. When he came on, the Raiders looked more threatening in attack. He just adds spark. He was needed on the field, earlier.

The Storm managed to stop the Raiders' momentum mid way through the second half. Canberra had chances that were simply not taken. The Raiders conceded five penalties after the 55th minute, two for dangerous tackles from Josh Hodgson. The first produced two points, with around 20 minutes remaining. It just gave the Storm a bit of an extra buffer. Six points.

The Raiders were still in the fight when Corey Harawira-Naera was dismissed in the 75th minute for a high tackle on Storm half Jahrome Hughes. It was a warranted send off, though Hughes was stepping and falling. CHN's shoulder no doubt hit Hughes high, with force. He'll almost certainly spend some time on the sidelines. The ensuing penalty goal effectively sealed the game. The bonus for the Storm was another penalty goal right on full time, after Josh Papalii obstructed an opposition defender.

It was a flawed performance from Canberra, but much better than many predicted. One real positive was the performance of some of the Raiders' younger brigade, the likes of Harley Smith-Shields and Matt Timoko. Whatever happens from here in 2021, I think it is now clear the Raiders need some generational change next season. The other positive is that the Raiders do have a real chance in the final three games of the season - even though two of them are against top six teams. They probably need to win all three to be certain of a top eight place. The journey continues next Friday night, when the Raiders meet the sixth placed Sea Eagles.

Stats that mattered?

The Storm had over 60 per cent of the ball in the first half, and ended with a 54 per cent possession share. The Raiders had their fair share in the second half, and remarkably, finished the game with 56 per cent of the territory. The Storm had the better completion rate (82 per cent, compared with 78 per cent for the Raiders). Melbourne also had the better of all the attacking statistics. They made more runs (185-158), running metres (1620-1288), post contact metres (484-470), metres per set (42-36), kick return metres (183-123), line breaks (4-2), tackle breaks (38-35) and offloads (13-8).

The Raiders produced slightly more kick metres (645-596) from four more kicks (24-20). The Storm also produced two line drop outs (Raiders one). The Raiders had to make more tackles (327-289), missed a few more (38-35) and posted a few more ineffective tackles (20-17) than the Storm. But Canberra had a slightly better effective tackle rate (with both teams at around 85 per cent).

Errors were just about level (8-7) and penalties were level (7-7). Somehow, the Storm received more set restarts (4-2). Somehow, the Storm also made two captain's challenges, were not successful in either, and still retained their challenges. In the first case, they challenged a knock on call, but were judged to have infringed prior to that (an escort). It was still a knock on. In the second case, the challenge was judged inconclusive. The NRL ought to have a rethink - particularly in relation to the first situation.

Given all that, it was a very good effort from the Raiders to restrict the Storm to just three tries - and to not concede a try in the final 60 minutes of the game.

Memorable moments?

Jack Wighton was back to his best. Three try assists for three tries for Bailey Simonsson. That's incredible. The first couple of tries were almost carbon copies, with sensational cut out passes from Wighton. The third followed a good Sam Williams kick to the corner. Wighton got a good bounce, and Simonsson was outside him, unmarked. In addition, Wighton produced a great tackle, just before half time, on Dean Ieremia. He just smashed him.



Harley Smith-Shields produced some very good tackles on Josh Addo-Carr, taking him over the sideline at one point. And when the Storm kicked on the first tackle for Addo-Carr, late in the first half, Smith-Shields was brilliant, getting to the ball first, batting it back and regathering it himself. Very good work.



Best performers?

Jack Wighton. 12 runs for 83 metres, 19 post contact metres, three try assists, two line break assists, two tackle breaks, 11 tackles, 85 per cent tackle efficiency, 191 kicking metres from five kicks, one forced line drop out. The blot was failing to find touch from a penalty kick.

Hudson Young. 11 runs for 110 metres, 44 post contact metres, 10 tackle breaks, two offloads, 30 tackles, 83 per cent tackle efficiency.

Bailey Simonsson. Three tries, 18 runs for 131 running metres, 28 post contact metres, two line breaks, two tackle breaks, one offload, two kicks defused.

Harley Smith-Shields and Matt Timoko probably deserved points too.

Top tacklers: Josh Hodgson 45, Josh Papalii 34, Hudson Young 30
Most metres gained: Jordan Rapana 178, Matt Timoko 137, Bailey Simonsson 131

Only two forwards broke the 100 metres gained: Elliott Whitehead (114) and Hudson Young (110).

My player ratings:

Jordan Rapana 7
Bailey Simonsson 7
Jarrod Croker 2
Matt Timoko 7
Harley Smith-Shields 7
Jack Wighton 8
Sam Williams 5
Josh Papalii 6
Josh Hodgson 5
Jospeph Tapine 5
Hudson Young 7
Elliott Whitehead 6
Sia Soliola 3

Ryan Sutton 6
Tom Starling 6
Corey Harawira-Naera 2*
Emre Guler 6

* Two points deduction for send off.
Note: Jarrod Croker played 34 minutes after failing an HIA, while Sia Soliola played 22 minutes.

Do you agree with the ratings? Let us know what you think!



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!

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Department of youth



"We're the department of youth
We've got the power
'Who's got the power?'
'We have!'"



Today, the Canberra Raiders announced the re-signing of two more young guns, Harley Smith-Shields and Trey Mooney.

Smith-Shields made his NRL debut off the bench in the Round 11 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs last year - and his starting debut at centre in the Round 20 "Rookie Raiders" clash with the Cronulla Sharks. He joined the top squad this year and is now locked down to the end of 2023.

He's Canberra born, and has come through the Gungahlin Bulls and Raiders juniors. He's a graduate of the Raiders Jersey Flegg team of 2019 which made the Grand Final. He's still just 21, stands at 183cms and weighs in at 94 kgs. Basically, he's a solid block of muscle, who runs fast.

Smith-Shields spent a lot of 2021 on the sideline with a biceps injury. Centre is his best position, but as he's shown over the past month, he can also play on the wing. He came into the team in the Round 19 win over the Eels - and has looked right at home since then.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart says he's shown a lot of growth and development this year.

"He's never really played winger and he's come into play wing for us over the last two, three weeks," Stuart said today.

"He's done a really good job because he really is a centre, realistically. He'll get his opportunity there. He's been playing out of position but doing a great job."



Trey Mooney joined the Raiders in 2020, after coming through the junior ranks of the Parramatta Eels and the rugby league program of Westfields Sports High.

He represented New South Wales at Under 16 and Under 18 level and, in 2019, the Australian Schoolboys. He was the captain of the Eels' SG Ball team in 2019 - and he started out in that grade for the Raiders last year. The junior representative season was never completed because of the pandemic, but he subsequently joined the Raiders' "bubble" to train with the top squad. In August he started playing with the Raiders Under 20s in the local CRRL Cup - a team that went on to win the premiership.

This year, Mooney played a starring role at lock in the Raiders' SG Ball premiership. He won the game ball on Grand Final day. He is still only 19 years old and the sky is the limit for this determined young man. I can still hardly believe that the Eels somehow let him slip through their fingers. His new deal keeps him at the Raiders until the end of 2024.

These signings are the latest in the department of youth that the Raiders have tied up this year. The list includes Xavier Savage (signed to end 2023), Matt Timoko (2024), Sebastian Kris (2024), Semi Valemei (2024), Brad Scheider (2023) and Elijah Anderson (2022). Albert Hopoate has also reportedly agreed to terms for a contract extension to the end of 2023.

The Raiders have re-signed 31 year old co-captain Elliott Whitehead (2024) this year. But the other more senior players who have been extended - Hudson Young (2024) and Emre Guler (2023) - are both only 23 years old.

Raiders recruitment guru Peter Mulholland has done an amazing job in identifying so many talented young players, and bringing them to the nation's capital. There are others in this year's SG Ball premiership team who are future first graders.

In the era of Vlandysball our game is now the province of young men, fast young men. The pace of the game is now so fast, some veteran players have been left behind this season. The teams at the top of the ladder in 2021 read the tea leaves earlier than most. They skewed their squads to younger players. They adapted their training programs to emphasise the endurance and speed required in a quicker game.

In Vlandysball, players like Xavier Savage are the future. Xavier Savage is just out of high school and still 19. He's a junior sprint champion, having won the under 17s 100 metre sprint title in 10.95 seconds at the Queensland junior athletics championships a couple of years back. He made an immediate impact in his three appearances this year, before a shoulder injury intervened.



The Raiders are catching up. We're now seeing the process of generational change at the club. Sia Soliola is expected to hang up the boots at the end of this year, while there are reports suggesting that players like Dunamis Lui and Ryan James might move on. In the past couple of days, we've seen reports that the future of co-captain Jarrod Croker is up in the air, due to a chronic knee injury.

Whatever happens, we should be grateful for the contribution of those players to the club. They deserve respect. Sia Soliola and Jarrod Croker deserve special mention, because they are special players. Soliola came to Canberra late in his career, but he quickly became the spiritual leader of the team. Jarrod Croker is much loved by the club and the fans. I've been watching him play since the days of junior representatives out at Seiffert Oval. He is one of my all time favourite Raiders players. He is one of only three players to lead the Raiders out onto the field in a Grand Final. His career is already littered with records. He's only nine games away from playing 300 NRL games for the club. I hope he can continue into next season - and beyond - and break some more records.

But whatever happens, we also can be assured that with a crop of great young talent coming through the ranks, the future of the club is bright.

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here is the points tally after the clash with the Storm. Tell us what you think of the ratings!

Total points

Jordan Rapana 130
Ryan Sutton 126
Jack Wighton 117
Josh Papalii 117
Elliott Whitehead 111
Tom Starling 107
Hudson Young 106
Josh Hodgson 104
Joe Tapine 99
Emre Guler 96
Sebastian Kris 94
Bailey Simonsson 88
Corey Harrawira-Naera 88
Sia Soliola 75
George Williams 65
Sam Williams 64
Ryan James 62
Jarrod Croker 61
Semi Valemei 59
Curtis Scott 58
Dunamis Lui 49
Siliva Havili 44
Caleb Aekins 42
Corey Horsburgh 35
Matt Timoko 33
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 31
Harley Smith-Shields 26
Xavier Savage 16
Matt Frawley 13
Brad Schneider 2
Elijah Anderson 1

Average points per match

Jordan Rapana 6.8
Ryan Sutton 6.6
Hudson Young 6.6
George Williams 6.5
Harley Smith-Shields 6.5
Josh Papalii 6.5
Matt Frawley 6.5
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 6.2
Joe Tapine 6.2
Elliott Whitehead 6.2
Jack Wighton 6.2
Josh Hodgson 6.1
Caleb Aekins 6.0
Emre Guler 6.0
Semi Valemei 5.9
Bailey Simonsson 5.9
Corey Harrawira-Naera 5.9
Corey Horsburgh 5.8
Sam Williams 5.8
Curtis Scott 5.8
Tom Starling 5.6
Matt Timoko 5.5
Xavier Savage 5.3
Sebastian Kris 5.2
Ryan James 5.2
Jarrod Croker 5.1
Dunamis Lui 4.9
Siliva Havili 4.9
Sia Soliola 4.7
Brad Schneider 2.0
Elijah Anderson 1.0



Plus follow us on Facebook: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed for the players because we'd be in the grand final if it was down to courage and effort. Unfortunately, it's not only that. We need a little bit more than that and at certain periods of play we just didn't have it. Getting to that position at half-time was a wonderful effort and then a couple of little things just went against us. I win with them and lose with them. They're all disappointed and I'm with them at the moment. It's hard losing that way when you put so much courage and effort into 80 minutes of footy.

Manly are a good footy team, they'll be there in the top four and that's why they're going to be fighting for the big one. They've got some wonderful talent in that team. Cherry-Evans is a handful. He's a great football player. He makes that whole team a threat. Jordan Rapana was unbelievable tonight. I was obviously sitting high tonight and the work he was doing off the football was just extraordinary. Why was he doing it? That's what Cherry-Evans makes you do. If you want to defend with a full line, the fullback's got a lot more pressure on him because he's got to cover both sides of the footy field. You want to drop back on tackle four and protect your backfield, they're going to threaten you on the edges and create opportunities for the way they have been over the last four, five, six weeks. We defended with the full line tonight and it put extra pressure on Jordie and he did a marvelous job there while he was at fullback.

We've got a number of players out. I couldn't be more proud of the squad. I don't say it lightly, I don't say it trying to be a suck or anything. But I'm really proud of the blokes who just throw the jumper on and then all of a sudden see themselves as a Raider and play with that courage and bravery. That's why I love coaching them. But there were times tonight where we needed a bit more. But I'm proud of their efforts in regards to that loss. I can't say much more.

It was good to see Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad back out there. I grabbed him at the end of it and said, 'Don't beat yourself up over that [a dropped ball which led to a Manly try]. These things happen, it happens to everyone. We showed we bounced back from it and just weren't there at the end."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

2021 Round 23. Manly Sea Eagles 19 - Canberra Raiders 18. As the old cliche goes, it was a game of two halves. The Raiders led 12-0 at half time, but the second forty belonged to the Sea Eagles. They scored 19 unanswered points in the 39 minutes after the break. In the end it was three tries apiece, with the Raiders scoring a try in the final minute to close the gap to just a point. But by then, the game had already been effectively sealed by a Daly Cherry-Evans field goal. It was far too much to expect that Jordan Rapana could score a two point field goal with two seconds remaining. It is the seventh time the Raiders have led by 10 points or more this season, and failed to win.



The Sea Eagles were without Tom Trbojevic, and that gave the Raiders a chance. Manly have struggled to win without him this season. The Raiders have struggled all season with injury to key players and key players being simply out of form. Hooker Tom Starling, who fractured his jaw last week, was sorely missed last night. The Raiders pack laid a strong platform. Joe Tapine (181), Josh Papalii (135), Ryan Sutton ((132) and Hudson Young (130) all produced big metres. But the Raiders weren't able to fully capitalise. They just lacked the spark in attack that Starling brings.

With no Starling, the selected bench was also unbalanced. Josh Hodgson doesn't seem to be an 80 minute hooker any longer, but Matt Frawley could not realistically take on the role of a back up dummy half. There were just two forwards on the bench. Coach Ricky Stuart was understandably eager to ease fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad back after a long period on the sidelines, due to neck surgery. Options were limited by injury - and the lack of football being played by the fringe players. But the bench proved to be the fatal flaw in the game plan. In the second half, the Raiders were gassed. Yet two of the substitutes in the second forty were at halfback and fullback. Dunamis Lui only played 19 minutes, while Matt Frawley only played 15 minutes. Bringing on a cold Nicoll-Klokstad with 25 minutes remaining put him in tough spot. He dropped the ball in a tackle on his first touch, and it led to a Manly try. He's a classy player and he bounced back quickly - and scored the final try.



The Raiders certainly tried their hearts out. However, the grinding game plan being employed doesn't work well in the era of Vlandysball. Some of the problems that have been evident all season were also present. The kicking game from Canberra was poor, both early in the game and at key points in the second half. It handed territorial advantage and seven tackle sets to the Sea Eagles. The repeated early kicks, from a team short on possession, is puzzling. The attack looked blunt at times, particularly in the second half. The options taken in the red zone were again frustrating. The defence was very good for much of the match. But the Sea Eagles made some hay with Moses Suli and Josh Schuster running at Sam Williams. And on the goal line some little efforts were missing, which proved crucial. For example, Josh Hodgson needed to more aggressively attack the Cherry-Evans kick which produced the Curtis Sironen try.

There were some bright spots, some pointers to the future. Veteran Jordan Rapana was very good at fullback, as were young outside backs Matt Timoko and Harley Smith-Shields. We are getting a preview of the future centre pairing right there. The Raiders, however, are now no longer masters of their own destiny. They must win the final two matches of the regular season if they're to make the eight - and hope that results fall their way. If they do make it, it is hard to see them seriously challenging the top teams.

Stats that mattered?

The Sea Eagles had just under 55 per cent of the possession and 60 per cent of the territory in the first half, but Manly were their own worst enemies due to their error count. They had opportunity, but failed to score - while the Raiders grabbed their chances. In the circumstances, it was a great effort from Canberra to lead 12-0. Unusually, the territory was evenly shared in the second half, but it was the Sea Eagles doing most of the scoring.

Manly ended the game with 52 per cent of possession. They completed at less than 70 per cent in the first half, but they turned that around in the second - with both teams finishing with a completion rate at around 80 per cent. The Sea Eagles made more runs (205-195), running metres (1747-1713), kick return metres (236-222), offloads (6-3), tackle breaks (51-38) and line breaks (5-3). Average metres per set were almost dead even (at around 41 metres per set). There's not an awful lot of difference in some of those categories. Manly forced three line drop outs (Raiders none) and defused kicks more effectively (Sea Eagles 71 per cent kick defusal rate, Raiders 55 per cent). The Eagles made slightly more kicking metres (886-869) from more kicks (29-25).

The Raiders made more tackles (381-351), but missed a lot (51-38) and posted more ineffective tackles (9-5). As a result Manly had the better effective tackle rate (89 per cent, Raiders 87 per cent). Errors were close to level (Sea Eagles 10, Raiders nine). Set restarts were exactly level (3-3), but the Raiders received a couple of more penalties (3-1). One of those penalties came with a couple of seconds left, with Manly's Josh Schuster sin binned.

In the end, the Sea Eagles were just a bit too good, probably by more than than the one point difference in the scoreline.

Memorable moments?

It was a stolid game really, which didn't reach great heights. The second try was set up by Jack Wighton for Bailey Simonsson - with Wighton effectively playing at centre. The other two tries were the result of the combination between Matt Timoko and Harley Smith-Shields. The first saw Smith-Shields go over in the corner after a nice flick from Timoko. The last minute try was probably the best, with Timoko sending Smith-Shields on a break down the sideline, with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad backing up.

Best performers?

Matt Timoko. 14 runs for 139 metres, 42 post contact metres, one try assist, two line break assists, 11 tackle breaks, one offload, 25 tackles, 89 per cent tackle efficiency.

Harley Smith-Shields. One try, 13 runs for 147 metres, 26 post contact metres, 32 kick return metres, two line breaks, one try assist, eight tackle breaks, seven tackles, 100 per cent tackle efficiency.

Joe Tapine. 17 runs for 181 metres, 67 post contact metres, one tackle break, one one on one steal, 31 tackles, 91 per cent tackle efficiency.

Top tacklers: Josh Hodgson 55, Elliott Whitehead 47, Ryan Sutton 39, Hudson Young 38
Most metres gained: Joe Tapine 181, Jordan Rapana 150, Bailey Simonsson 149

My player ratings:

Jordan Rapana 7
Bailey Simonsson 7
Sebastian Kris 5
Matt Timoko 8
Harley Smith-Shields 8
Jack Wighton 6
Sam Williams 5
Josh Papalii 7
Josh Hodgson 5
Jospeph Tapine 7
Hudson Young 7
Elliott Whitehead 6
Ryan Sutton 7

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 4
Emre Guler 5
Matt Frawley 3
Dunamis Lui 3

Do you agree with the ratings? Let us know what you think!



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

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[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Distractions, disruptions, adversity and uppercuts



It's been another week of drama at the Canberra Raiders, more distractions for the club to deal with in a season that promised so much - but has so far delivered so little.

The Raiders sacked Curtis Scott on Monday, after his latest off field indiscretion - a fight at Kokomo's nightclub. In all the circumstances, the Raiders have taken the right decision. There really wasn't any other choice left to the board. Hopefully, Curtis will receive the help he needs to get his life back in order.

It is not the best preparation for the clash with the Warriors on Friday night in Mackay - the first of two must win games for the Raiders if they're to have any chance of making the finals.



Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said today that his team has become accustomed to the off field distractions, but that the on field disruptions have been more difficult to deal with.

"It's been a year of distractions and they've become pretty used to it the boys," Stuart said.

"I was impressed with their training today, but also if you take the scoreboard away from the last two games which we're very disappointed in because they were losses, I couldn't ask for a greater effort and energy than has been produced in these last two games."

The off field issues have had consequences for performances on field. The Raiders released their first choice halfback, homesick Englishman George Williams, in June. Injury and poor form of key players have also seen lots of disruption to the line up.

Hooker Josh Hodgson was dropped to the bench - and he stood down as captain early in the season. He worked his way back into a starting role, becoming part of an effective duo with Tom Starling at dummy half. That was until Starling broke his jaw in the loss to the Storm in Round 22.

Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad played only five games before suffering a neck injury - which required surgery.

"We all have injuries. Last year we had a lot of injuries to our middles. This year we've had a lot disruption in the spine," Stuart said today.

"I think Jordan's the fourth fullback I've used, he might be the fifth fullback I've used this season. It does not let you just get that little bit of flow of mojo."

"George Williams not being there in the second half of the year, it creates a disturbance."

"With hookers in and out, it's been difficult. Not an excuse, just difficult for the team."

"We've had a strong success rate with Charnze at fullback and losing him so early in the season has been just another piece of adversity that the boys have had to deal with on field this year."

"I don't think we've got everything out of the season that we could have."

"We still want to play semi final football and then it's another competition. I say that every year. We've got a lot out of the season in regards to handling adversity and handling uppercuts."

****

Two rounds left. The Raiders can finish as high as seventh... and as low as 13th on the ladder. They currently sit in 10th, equal on competition points with the eighth placed Sharks and ninth placed Titans. Canberra's poor points differential is the reason for the difference.

The Raiders have to win their final two games against the Warriors and the Roosters to keep themselves in contention. But they must hope for the Sharks and Titans to drop a game. If the Raiders lose this week, it is pretty much game over. Both the Sharks and Titans would have to lose twice, while the Raiders would still have to beat the fourth placed Roosters.

The Sharks face the Broncos (14th) and then the ladder leading Storm in their final games, while the Titans face the Knights (seventh) and Warriors (11th). The Sharks are in the box seat - as it looks likely that the Storm will rest players in the final round.

Perhaps the least likely route for the Raiders would be for the Knights to lose both their final two games - against the Titans and Broncos - while the Raiders win both of their games. The Knights have an even worse negative points differential than the Raiders. That would still require other results to favour Canberra.

It is a pretty grim outlook. But all the Raiders can now do is win. And hopefully win by some big margins.

****

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad returned on the bench last week against the Warriors. He replaced Jordan Rapana with around 25 minutes remaining and it had mixed results. It was tough coming on cold in those sorts of cirumstances.

Nicoll-Klokstad lost the ball on his first touch and it led to a Sea Eagles try. The classy back made up for it with a try in the final minute, but by that stage, the game was effectively just out of reach. The Raiders lost by a point.



Coach Ricky Stuart has again selected Nicoll-Klokstad on the bench this week - with the aim of building his match fitness for the physically demanding job of fullback.

"Charnze is there to cover me in the outside backs," Stuart said today.

"He can play a few positions, such as Rapa. Last week when I took Rapana off I know there were a lot of questions about it. I was going to keep Rapa on but he wanted to have a spell. If you watch the game closely he did an enormous amount of work, Jordan, and he was stuffed."

"I thought bringing Charnze on was going to provide some more energy and then I was going to get Rapa back on. But didn't go that way and that's the breaks."

"[Defence,] it's probably the strongest part of his game. At today's session, [Nicoll-Klokstad] is really starting to move well again. Again, he's in a very important position of the football team, such high energy."

"Once Charnze gets some minutes under his belt he's going to be back to normal. I'm hoping he can get some of those minutes this week."

****

The results from the 2021 NRL Fans' Poll have been declared. We should remember that the results from these sorts of polls can't really be considered as "scientific" - as the sample is self selected. But it does represent the views of 20-30,000 passionate rugby league fans. Passionate enough to respond to the poll.

There was not a single Canberra Raiders player in the Fans' Team of the Year. The only Raiders players to finish in the top five players in their positions were Jack Wighton and Josh Papalii. Both ranked fifth. Sadly, it reflects the sort of season that the Raiders have had.

Perhaps some of the more interesting results relate to the state of the game. The NRL's offical website is touting some of them as vote of approval for a number of rule changes introduced in recent years. The speed of the game was said to be "just right" by 65 per cent of respondents. NRL.com brags that the "six again" rule produced a faster game, leading to the likes of the Storm and Rabbitohs smashing point scoring records.

I think the results ought to be interpreted a bit more carefully. For a start, a third of respondents think that the game is "too fast". That's a substantial number. There was no question posed about the signficant increase in margins in games this year. Do fans like the blowouts in scorelines and the "no contests" - which are the result of the current speed of the game? I strongly suspect the answer would be "no". There was no question posed about whether the fans are concerned that the pace of the game might be leading to increased injuries.

The fans were more divided on whether the introduction of the six again rule was a positive addition to the sport - with 54 per cent agreeing and 42 per cent disagreeing. But that question also masks the complexity of the changes. The six again rule was originally introduced for ruck infringements. In 2021 they were extended to 10 metre infringements. Do the fans support one or the other? We're not quite sure, as the questions were not posed.

Two thirds of the respondents said that they supported the increased use of the sin bin for foul play, while one third said that they did not. I suspect that if the poll had been taken a couple of months ago, at the height of the "Magic Round" crackdown, we might have seen a very different result. The officials have effectively ended the crackdown - and we're now seeing much sensible decision making on field and by the match review committee.

It seems 70 per cent of the fans like the idea of a two point field goal. As far as I can see, there are only a couple of players actually capable of kicking a field goal from more than 40 metres out. It provides an advantage for their teams. We've only seen a few of them. They've produced less than a handful of wins for the Rabbitohs and Panthers. But that's a very rugby union way of winning a game. I don't think that's a code to emulate.

Dissatisfaction with the performance of the referees and the use of the bunker continue. But the NRL overall continues to get a tick of approval from the fans. Over 50 per cent of the fans think the NRL administrators are doing a good or very good job.

The NRL has no doubt done remarkably well to handle the challenges of the pandemic in the past two years. Last year, the code was on the brink of collapse, before the NRL found a way to get the games back underway and onto television screens. The game has proceeded this year with barely a hiccup, despite the reemergence of significant COVID outbreaks in eastern Australia.

However, the level of dissatisfaction with the administration has doubled in 2021. Twenty per cent of fans think they're doing a poor or very poor job. I think that reflects disquiet over the lack of consultation over significant changes to the game - both in relation to the rules and the way they're interpreted. In my view, the "Magic Round" crackdown on foul play was seriously mishandled.

For mine, the 2021 rule changes were a "step too far". I'd personally like to see them all unwound. But at the least, they need to be looked at very carefully at the end of the season. Is the increased pace of the game producing the sort of rugby league we want to see? Is there a good balance between attack and defence? Have injuries increased with the pace of the game? Have the blow outs in scorelines impacted the popularity of the game - as measured by broadcast audiences?

We deserve some much deeper analysis of what the participants and stakeholders think about the state of the game.

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here is the points tally after the clash with the Sea Eagles. Tell us what you think of the ratings!

Total points

Jordan Rapana 137
Ryan Sutton 133
Josh Papalii 124
Jack Wighton 123
Elliott Whitehead 117
Hudson Young 113
Josh Hodgson 109
Tom Starling 107
Joe Tapine 106
Emre Guler 101
Sebastian Kris 99
Bailey Simonsson 95
Corey Harrawira-Naera 88
Sia Soliola 75
Sam Williams 69
George Williams 65
Ryan James 62
Jarrod Croker 61
Semi Valemei 59
Curtis Scott 58
Dunamis Lui 52
Siliva Havili 44
Caleb Aekins 42
Matt Timoko 41
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 35
Corey Horsburgh 35
Harley Smith-Shields 34
Matt Frawley 16
Xavier Savage 16
Brad Schneider 2
Elijah Anderson 1

Average points per match

Jordan Rapana 6.9
Harley Smith-Shields 6.8
Ryan Sutton 6.7
Hudson Young 6.6
Josh Papalii 6.5
George Williams 6.5
Joe Tapine 6.2
Elliott Whitehead 6.2
Jack Wighton 6.2
Josh Hodgson 6.1
Caleb Aekins 6.0
Emre Guler 5.9
Bailey Simonsson 5.9
Semi Valemei 5.9
Corey Harrawira-Naera 5.9
Matt Timoko 5.9
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 5.8
Corey Horsburgh 5.8
Curtis Scott 5.8
Sam Williams 5.8
Tom Starling 5.6
Matt Frawley 5.3
Xavier Savage 5.3
Sebastian Kris 5.2
Ryan James 5.2
Jarrod Croker 5.1
Siliva Havili 4.9
Dunamis Lui 4.7
Sia Soliola 4.7
Brad Schneider 2.0
Elijah Anderson 1.0



Plus follow us on Facebook: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"I'm feeling a lot better than what I was at half-time. I think we played with too much of an eye on the scoreboard and what the result was about. So that's what we spoke about at half-time. I said, 'I don't care what happens in regards to the overall result, I just want to win the second half. We've played too tight, we're making errors and we just kept feeding possession and field position to the Warriors'. Just kept making a real hurdle for ourselves. And yet defensively I thought we were really, really good tonight. The first try was really very uncommon in regards to the mix-up we had at marker and two kicks two tries - they're two catches we should've caught. Nathan's got a very good football team there and to defend them the way we did I thought we did well.

Jordan Rapana tells me every week what he can do. And he's actually doing it, so I can't criticise him for it. He’ll love hearing this. I don't know if he looks at these press conferences. I just said to Matty Ford, our team manager on the bench tonight, I said: 'He amazes me, Rapa'. He breaks a lot of tackles, he makes a lot of metres, but it’s all through effort and energy. He's a little bit like Elliott, real team people."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

2021 Round 24. Canberra Raiders 28 - New Zealand Warriors 16. The first 40 minutes was one of the worst of the season for the Green Machine. They conceded a try, through poor marker defence, inside the first 45 seconds. Good kicking put Bailey Simonsson and Sebastian Kris under pressure - and all of a sudden it was 16-0 in favour of the "home team" at Stadium Mackay. But after the 25th minute, the Warriors were unable to add another point.



Just before the half time break, the Raiders produced a horror red zone set. But the final crash ball pass from Josh Hodgson turned to gold for Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. It was the kick start the Green Machine needed. Canberra dominated for much of the second half - but they did not take the lead until the 79th minute. With the scores deadlocked at 16 all, a field goal attempt from young Warriors fullback Reece Walsh sprayed well wide of the posts. The Raiders then marched up field - and a sensational try from Jordan Rapana saw the dam wall break. Matt Frawley set it in motion with a long pass, and it was followed up with another from Corey Horsburgh. Young, Kris, then Rapana was in the clear! What a moment. A further try to Hudson Young followed, right on full time - with Reece Walsh unable to handle a bomb, and the Raiders second rower taking advantage.



So the Raiders are still alive. They're in eighth spot on the ladder, at least for now. They still have to hope that results fall their way. They still have to beat the Roosters next week as well, a team precariously sitting in fourth place. They have a big casualty ward, with Joseph Manu joining the Roosters' injury list after suffering a serious cheekbone injury in last night's heavy loss to the Rabbitohs. The Roosters could well be vulnerable next Thursday. And who knows? If the Raiders can somehow grab eighth place on the ladder, they may well have to face the Roosters again in Week 1 of the finals.



Stats that mattered?

The Raiders were their own worst enemies in the first half. The Raiders made nine errors (Warriors four) and they completed at just 67 per cent (Warriors 86 per cent). Canberra had a meagre 44 per cent share of possession. Strangely, the Warriors had had only 44 per cent of the territory, but scored three tries. The New Zealand outfit missed a couple of more chances. If they'd converted them, the Raiders could have been in real trouble. The Green Machine turned it around in the second half - and by the end of the game, they'd posted a 51 per cent share of possession and a 75 per cent completion rate.

The Raiders made more runs (204-182), running metres (2104-1599), kick return metres (227-136), post contact metres (769-505), metres per set (48-43), line breaks (4-2), tackle breaks (44-27) and offloads (8-4). The Raiders forwards were terrific, making over 300 more metres with the ball than the Warriors pack. The Warriors were forced into kicking long, and they did that effectively (686 metres from 21 kicks, Raiders 474 from 20 kicks). The Raiders however, were able to put up more bombs (9-3) and put in more grubbers (5-3). Both teams produced one forced drop out.

The Warriors had to make more tackles (381-328), and missed a lot more (44-27). They also posted more ineffective tackles (11-8). That translates into an effective tackle rate for the Raiders of more than 90 per cent, compared with 87 per cent for the Warriors.

Extraordinarily, the Raiders did not concede a single ruck infringement or offside infringement. The Warriors conceded four set restarts and seven penalties. Canberra was penalised four times. The Raiders, however, did produce more errors (14-10).

What do those numbers show? That the Raiders should have won well. And they did. The fact that it took until the 79th minute for Canberra to take the lead for the first time, however, shows that the Warriors performed admirably - in staying in the game for as long as they did.

Memorable moments?

As mentioned, the Rapana try was magic. The most memorable moment by far. It had coach Ricky Stuart jumping like a jack in the box. Sebastian Kris scored a couple of very good tries as well. Just after half time, the Raiders spread the ball from one sideline to the other in one movement, with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad getting the try assist. With 15 minutes remaining the Raiders were still trailing by six, but a very flat pass from Jack Wighton to Jordan Rapana out on the wing set up the equaliser - with Kris backing up on the inside.

Best performers?

Jordan Rapana. One try, four goals, 24 runs for 286 metres, 91 post contact metres, 51 kick return metres, two line breaks, one try assist, 12 tackle breaks, one offload, two tackles, 100 per cent tackle efficiency. Rapana started at fullback, moved to the wing when Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad entered the fray in the 25th minute. Rapa was just outstanding in both positions.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. One try, 18 runs for 183 metres, 58 post contact metres, one line break, one line break assist, one try assist, eight tackle breaks, one tackle, 100 per cent tackle efficiency, one error, one penalty conceded. All that in 54 minutes, his second game back from a long layoff after neck surgery. The Warriors really tested him out - particularly Marcello Montoya - and the tactics smelled, frankly, given the illegal hits involved.

Hudson Young. One try, 22 runs for 206 metres, 62 post contact metres, six tackle breaks, one offload, 30 tackles, 91 per cent tackle efficiency. There was an error or two, he was very strong.

Josh Papalii. 14 runs for 179 metres, 81 post contact metres, four tackle breaks, one offload, 32 tackles, 97 per cent tackle efficiency, and as usual, not a single error.



Top tacklers: Elliott Whitehead 40, Josh Hodgson 34, Josh Papalii 32, Hudson Young 30, Ryan Sutton 30
Most metres gained: Jordan Rapana 286, Hudson Young 206, Joseph Tapine 188, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 183

In addition to those top metre eaters, forwards Corey Horsburgh (116) and Emre Guler (103) passed the 100 metres gained mark. Horsburgh played his first game for the Raiders since Round 12. He's still building his fitness - and he produced a couple of errors late in the second half that he'd prefer to forget. Fortunately, the Raiders did not pay. Outside backs Matt Timoko (153) and Harley Smith-Shields (144) also broke the 100 metres gained barrier. Both were again very good.

My player ratings:

Jordan Rapana 9
Bailey Simonsson 2*
Sebastian Kris 7
Matt Timoko 7
Harley Smith-Shields 7
Jack Wighton 6
Matt Frawley 6
Josh Papalii 7
Josh Hodgson 6
Jospeph Tapine 7
Hudson Young 8
Elliott Whitehead 6
Ryan Sutton 6

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 8
Emre Guler 5
Corey Horsburgh 6
Siliva Havili 1*

Very limited minutes.

Do you agree with the ratings? Let us know what you think!



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!

[gangrenous]

“I said, 'I don't care what happens in regards to the overall result, I just want to win the second half.”

Given the season context this is some next level Jedi psychology, or another baffling addition to the strategy of Stuart this year…