Canberra Raiders 2018 season review

Post by **greeneyed** » September 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

Canberra Raiders 2018 season review

Season 2018 will go down as the ultimate year of 'what if' for the Canberra Raiders after a number of close losses throughout the season left them in 10th position for the third time in the past four years.

The absence of international hooker Josh Hodgson for 14 weeks with an ACL tear was a significant blow and his importance to the side was rammed home when he spearheaded a 48-12 thumping of the Wests Tigers in his return game.

The Raiders' wretched season also included Jack Wighton's suspension after he pleaded guilty to assault and the loss of captain Jarrod Croker with a dislocated knee in round 18.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/09/07/can ... on-review/

1992 · Post by **1992** » September 7, 2018, 5:01 pm

I'll give my review for 2018; let me just stand up and turn around....

Green eyed Mick · Post by **Green eyed Mick** » September 7, 2018, 5:41 pm

Same **** different season.

gangrenous · Post by **gangrenous** » September 7, 2018, 5:50 pm

What are you saying GEM? 1992 put it back after last year?

Post by **greeneyed** » September 7, 2018, 8:33 pm

Season review: Questions remain over Canberra Raiders with finals the pass mark

The same questions remain about the Canberra Raiders after a frustrating NRL season where they've missed the finals for the fifth time in six years. Croker, St George Illawarra premiership halfback Jamie Soward and Raiders fan Sean Ferrari, who hosts fan website The Greenhouse's post-match Facebook Live, run their eyes over the Green Machine.

"We need to look at how we won those games [against the Roosters and Rabbitohs] - completions were very high, defensively we were very good. Then take a lot of confidence out of them ... and work on that throughout the off-season," Jarrod Croker said.

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/ ... 5028d.html

Post by **greeneyed** » December 13, 2018, 2:52 pm

Canberra Raiders: Best photos of 2018: https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/12/13/can ... s-of-2018/

Post by **greeneyed** » December 15, 2018, 7:15 pm

Second phase: Which teams benefit most from offloads?

Just how good is your club at throwing offloads – and does it matter?

Canberra led the league for most metres gained per offload, a stat which largely came down to their potent right-side attacking duo of Joey Leilua and Jordan Rapana. The pair led the Raiders for both metres made after providing an offload and metres made when receiving an offload, with both players finishing with more than 90% of their offloads being effective (the competition average is 84%). Leilua was easily the most proficient offloader at the Green Machine with 42 for the season, with Rapana making just shy of 18 metres each time he received an offload.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/12/15/sec ... -offloads/

Botman · Post by **Botman** » December 15, 2018, 7:28 pm

This might be the least surprising stat of all time.
Even in games we got belted in, it felt like 2-3 times a game Raps and Beej would march down the field on a few plays where they got out of hooker, engaged defenders and offloaded to each other for huge gains.

Post by **Matt** » December 15, 2018, 7:43 pm

Pigman wrote: ↑December 15, 2018, 7:28 pm This might be the least surprising stat of all time.
Even in games we got belted in, it felt like 2-3 times a game Raps and Beej would march down the field on a few plays where they got out of hooker, engaged defenders and offloaded to each other for huge gains.

I dont know about least surprising, but its certainly unsurprising.

BJ · Post by BJ » December 15, 2018, 9:04 pm

Least surprising Stat would be Cameron Smith gets accidentally caught up with the attacker and accidentally slows down the play the ball without conceding a penalty stat.

-PJ- · Post by **-PJ-** » December 16, 2018, 5:06 am

Wow..

Seiffert82 · Post by **Seiffert82** » December 16, 2018, 7:13 am

Most average metres gained per offload, but only 11th in the comp in offloads per match.

With Boyd and especially Paulo in the team you would have thought we'd be higher up the list in offloads per game. Just goes to show how we didn't use those blokes to their full effect.

Post by **greeneyed** » December 16, 2018, 7:22 am

The team deliberately reduced the offloads after 2016. Reducing errors the priority, because the team couldn't defend the errors.

Seiffert82 · Post by **Seiffert82** » December 16, 2018, 7:34 am

There's a time and place for these things. Boyd and Paulo should have been used way more effectively in our attacking 20-30 than they were last season.

I agree in 2017 we were horrible at attempting poor offloads, under enormous pressure, in that middle third of the field. Leilua was the worst offender. Those were the errors that were hard to defend, as it put the opposition immediately back on the front foot. It was good to see those mistakes cleaned up.

I think it's a major weapon of ours - probs not so much with Rapa out - but there is a time and place. Less likely to see it with a more mobile forward pack next season. I suspect we'll be gunning for quicker play the balls and more runs out of dummy half.

Post by **greeneyed** » December 20, 2018, 3:54 pm

Canberra Raiders winger Nick Cotric comes out on top in tackle break battle

Kalyn Ponga and James Tedesco may have earned raving assessments for their 2018 efforts but Nick Cotric's work for the Canberra Raiders saw him top that duo in a key attacking statistic.

The 20-year-old floated between fullback and wing in his second year of the NRL to finish with a total of 149 tackle breaks, pipping Tedesco by two in the regular season according to NRL.com Stats.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/12/20/nic ... ak-battle/

The Nickman · Post by **The Nickman** » December 20, 2018, 3:56 pm

greeneyed wrote: ↑December 16, 2018, 7:22 am The team deliberately reduced the offloads after 2016. Reducing errors the priority, because the team couldn't defend the errors.

Worked out an absolute treat for them too. Such a solid defensive and error-free unit nowadays.

Post by **greeneyed** » December 24, 2018, 1:58 pm

Defending penalties the key to success in 2018

There were 3177 penalties blown in the 2018 Telstra Premiership regular season with 15.5% (492) resulting in tries being scored in the following set of six. Which teams were most likely to concede tries after a tap penalty or kick for touch? The Raiders ranked fourth worst in the NRL, concedin 37 tries from penalties, behind the Titans (42), Eels (42) and Sea Eagles (39). The Dragons (21), Storm (21) and the Roosters (23) conceded the least.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/12/24/def ... s-in-2018/

LP Raider · Post by **LP Raider** » December 24, 2018, 5:28 pm

The Nickman wrote: ↑December 20, 2018, 3:56 pm
greeneyed wrote: ↑December 16, 2018, 7:22 am The team deliberately reduced the offloads after 2016. Reducing errors the priority, because the team couldn't defend the errors.
Worked out an absolute treat for them too. Such a solid defensive and error-free unit nowadays.

The Raiders were dominate in the 90's due to offloads.

Post by **greeneyed** » December 25, 2018, 6:29 am

GALLERY: The Canberra Raiders 2018 in pictures: https://www.pinterest.com.au/theghraide ... a-raiders/

Post by **greeneyed** » December 28, 2018, 6:50 pm

Canberra Raiders year in review: Wighton's redemption and the X-factor

2019. It's a massively important year for the Canberra Raiders as they look to return to the NRL finals after a two-year absence. After his suspension in 2018, Jack Wighton needs to get his career back on track, starting with round one against the Titans on the Gold Coast. Meanwhile Josh Hodgson has picked Corey Horsburgh as a player to watch next year.

"I think he's got something about him that it doesn't matter who you are he doesn't want to get beaten by you and you need that as a footy player," Hodgson said. "I'm excited to see how he goes this year. He's had a little bit of a niggle in this pre-season, but he's one for me who's going to be my one to watch.

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/ ... 50ns8.html

Post by **greeneyed** » January 4, 2019, 3:11 pm

Stat Attack: Ranking each team's desperation defence

Even though they finished ninth on the ladder in 2018, when it came to scrambling in defence, the Wests Tigers were second to none. It took an average of 12.7 missed tackles for the Wests Tigers let the opposition over their goal line, the most of any club in the league. The Canberra Raiders ranked ninth (9.3) consistent with their bottom eight position.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/04/sta ... n-defence/

RedRaider · Post by **RedRaider** » January 4, 2019, 3:58 pm

The stat was typical of our lack of defensive effort, lack of fitness and lack of penalty for poor defensive effort by players. Defensive coaching was poor. No surprise we finished 10th.

Post by **greeneyed** » January 8, 2019, 12:17 pm

Stat attack: Your team's back three

The Eels were a distant last for total metres from the back three in 2018. A rotating cast including Josh Hoffman, Bevan French, George Jennings, Will Smith, Clint Gutherson, Jarryd Hayne, Kirisome Auva'a and occasionally Corey Norman combined for 7746 metres from the back three (which only includes games the above players played at fullback and wing). By contrast, premiers the Roosters dominated this stat with 12,655 in the same number of games – a tick under 5km of extra yardage from the backfield. The Warriors and Dragons ranked in the top three. The Raiders ranked 11th, with 8699 metres gained.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/08/sta ... o-improve/

Post by **greeneyed** » January 9, 2019, 4:43 pm

Stat attack: The post-contact kings of 2018

There was plenty of focus on post-contact metres in 2018, but which clubs were the best at gaining metres after meeting the defence and how much of an advantage did it provide?

Premiers the Roosters sat top of the tree but the top eight teams for earning PCM features just five sides that made the finals, with the 12th-placed Bulldogs second-best and grand final runners-up Melbourne down in 15th. The Raiders ranked 10th for post contact metres gained, and 8th for post contact metres conceded.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/09/sta ... s-of-2018/

Surprisingly, the Raiders ranked third for total metres gained from the bench players - but then again, the Eels and Tigers ranked above them: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/09/sta ... ch-impact/

Post by **greeneyed** » January 16, 2019, 5:24 pm

Home and away: points scored and conceded

The Canberra Raiders ranked second for points scored at the end of the regular season, but still missed the top eight. They ranked sixth in the NRL for points scored at home (278 or 23 points per match), and remarkably ranked first for points scored away (285 or 24 points per match).

However defence is where it all came undone.

The Raiders had a 3-9 away record, ranking first for points conceded on the road (335). That's an average 28 points conceded per match... with an overall negative points differential of 50.

Things were better at Canberra Stadium. The Raiders had a 7-5 record in the national capital, ranking sixth for points conceded at home (205 or 17 points per game). That produced a positive points differential of 73 at home... more than enough to win more than seven matches. However, there were too many narrow defeats.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/16/sta ... s-at-home/