Through green eyes 2022

[Billy Walker]

I like it GE. Jack couldn’t have been far off a 9. A 5 for Woolford possibly a tad tough and not sure Adam Elliot or CHN were 6’s but comfortable with where you landed on them.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Tales of Leichhardt



Leichhardt Oval. An historic suburban ground, a ground from a bygone era. Parts of it are crumbling, the rest horribly outdated. The surrounding narrow roads clog on a game day, making it incredibly difficult to get to or to leave the ground. The facilities for spectators are not what they should expect when attending an NRL game in 2022.

The New South Wales Government had agreed with the NRL to fund refurbishments of the venue to the tune of $50 million. But despite a wall collapsing during a recent a schoolboys rugby union match, that funding has now been pulled off the table.

Many Sydneysiders have an emotional attachment to the ground. Some call it the eighth wonder of the world, seemingly without irony. In one way I can understand. It is quaint. It has an old-fashioned hill and is edged by fig trees and a hodge-podge of old houses that peer onto the field. It is a sight on a sunny, blue sky day, with a "big" crowd. It isn't really an NRL standard venue, and probably won't be again. But the Wests Tigers still stage a few games each year at Balmain's traditional home - and they will on Sunday, when they host the Raiders.

The Canberra Raiders first played at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney in April 1982. It wasn't a game against Balmain. It was a mid week Cup clash, played against a representative team from New Zealand, South Island. The Raiders won the game, 27-15, the first the fledgling club ever recorded. Craig Bellamy got himself a double.

In all, the Raiders have played 22 games at the suburban ground, winning 10. It took until 1988 for Canberra to win it's first premiership match at Leichhardt, but it was a big one. Bellamy was again on the try scorers list in the 39-15 victory against Balmain - along with the likes of Gary Belcher, Peter Jackson, John Ferguson and Kevin Walters.

Since the arrival of the Wests Tigers in 2000, the Green Machine has played just five matches against the joint venture at Leichhardt - winning three. They include two of the Raiders' most memorable matches of all time.

In Round 7 of 2015, the Raiders found themselves down, 22-0, after 25 minutes - with a gale blowing behind the home team. Tim Simona, Keith Galloway, Luke Brooks and Pat Richards all crossed for tries in front of 13,000 baying Tigers fans.

But tries to Shannon Boyd and Jarrod Croker before the break brought Canberra back into contention - and Canberra trailed by 10 at half time. The scores were levelled after four pointers to Frank-Paul Nu'uausala and Jack Wighton - but Canberra only went ahead 24-22 in the 68th minute through a Croker penalty goal. The Tigers had a try disallowed in the 76th minute, before Jordan Rapana scored in the last minute for a stunning eight point victory. It broke the record for the Raiders' biggest comeback of all time.



The following year, the Raiders were having their best season in a long, long time. In the final round of 2016, the Green Machine headed to Leichhardt on a nine game winning streak. The Tigers needed to win to make the top eight. The Raiders wanted to cement their position in the top four. And the Raiders unleashed in front of 18,000 strong crowd.

It ended up as a nine try, 52-10 romp for Canberra. The Raiders had produced 10 wins a row, something that had never been done by the club in the space of a single season. They also secured second place and a home final. A top two finish had been achieved only twice before in Raiders' history: 1990 and 1995.



There was one moment that summed up the audaciousness of the Raiders' attack in that game - and in that season. It came in the 18th minute, from the lethal right edge combination known as "Leipana". Joey Leilua ran backwards towards the try line... and then threw the most magical pass you'll ever see... around his back to set up Jordan Rapana for a try. Rapana went on to score a club record 23 tries in a season, while Leilua was named Dally M Centre of the Year. The Raiders finished as the No. 1 attacking team in the competition, having scored more points in a season than ever before.



The Raiders and Tigers have not played at Leichhart since 2016. On Sunday, the task for the Raiders is to win and maintain their hold on a top eight place. Having already "won" the wooden spoon, the Tigers are playing only for pride. And for revenge for 2016, it seems - six years later.

"It would be nice for us to try and spoil the party," Tigers winger Starford To'a said yesterday. "I've heard about that 2016 game on Monday. I think it was for the Tigers to get to the finals and they lost."

"I think that'll be on the back of the boys' minds. I think we're talking about that, repaying the favour."

I'm tipping that the Raiders should be too strong on Sunday. They just have too much at stake.

But, Raiders, beware of the vengeful, crouching tiger.

2015 Round 7 - Canberra Raiders 30 (Shannon Boyd, Jarrod Croker, Frank-Paul Nu'uausala, Jordan Rapana, Jack Wighton tries; J. Croker 5 goals) defeated Wests Tigers 22 (Luke Brooks, Keith Galloway, Pat Richards, Tim Simona tries; Pat Richards 3 goals) at Leichhardt Oval

Canberra Raiders: 1. Jack Wighton 2. Edrick Lee 3. Jarrod Croker (C) 4. Sisa Waqa 5. Jorda Rapana 6. Blake Austin 7. Sam Williams 15. Frank-Paul Nu'uausala 9. Josh Hodgson 10. Dane Tilse 8. Josh Papalii 12. Sia Soliola 16. Paul Vaughan

11. Jarrad Kennedy 19. Shannon Boyd 20. Kurt Baptiste 21. Luke Bateman

Crowd: 13,198

2016 Round 26 - Canberra Raiders 52 (Josh Papalii 2, Jordan Rapana 2, Jarrod Croker, Josh Hodgson, Joey Leilua, Joseph Tapine, Sam Williams tries; Jarrod Croker 6, Aidan Sezer 2 goals) defeated Wests Tigers 10 (Josh Aloiai, Tim Grant tries; Jordan Rankin goal) at Leichhardt Oval

Canberra Raiders: 1. Jack Wighton 2. Edrick Lee 3. Jarrod Croker (C) 4. Joey Leilua 5. Jorda Rapana 6. Sam Williams 7. Aidan Sezer 8. Paul Vaughan 9. Josh Hodgson 10. Shannon Boyd 11. Josh Papalii 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Sia Soliola

14. Kurt Baptiste 15. Luke Bateman 16. Clay Priest 17. Joe Tapine

Crowd: 18,634

****

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

Total points

Joe Tapine 161
Josh Papalii 150
Hudson Young 144
Matt Timoko 133
Jack Wighton 132
Tom Starling 130
Adam Elliott 128
Corey Horsburgh 116
Jordan Rapana 106
Elliott Whitehead 104
Corey Harawira-Naera 103
Sebastian Kris 98
Nick Cotric 95
Xavier Savage 89
Ryan Sutton 84
Zac Woolford 73
Jamal Fogarty 72
Emre Guler 67
Brad Schneider 59
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 51
Semi Valemei 38
Matt Frawley 35
Albert Hopoate 33
James Schiller 25
Harry Rushton 14
Jarrod Croker 6
Ata Mariota 5
Adrian Trevilyan 4
Trey Mooney 3
Josh Hodgson 1

Average points per match

Joe Tapine 7.3
Hudson Young 6.9
Jack Wighton 6.6
Josh Papalii 6.5
Corey Horsburgh 6.1
Jamal Fogarty 6.0
Jarrod Croker 6.0
Brad Schneider 5.9
Jordan Rapana 5.9
Adam Elliott 5.8
Matt Timoko 5.8
Sebastian Kris 5.8
Corey Harawira-Naera 5.7
Tom Starling 5.7
Ryan Sutton 5.6
Xavier Savage 5.6
Albert Hopoate 5.5
Nick Cotric 5.3
Zac Woolford 5.2
Elliott Whitehead 5.2
Emre Guler 5.2
Ata Mariota 5.0
Matt Frawley 5.0
Semi Valemei 4.8
Harry Rushton 4.7
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 4.6
James Schiller 4.2
Adrian Trevilyan 4.0
Trey Mooney 3.0
Josh Hodgson 1.0



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

[dubby]

I was at that 2015 game. An experience I'll never forget. I was directly in where Sia layed out Brooks. The sound of that hit took your breath away.

[Rick]

I was at the 2016 game. Absolutely awesome.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"Any hit out without any problems with injury or what not is a good hit out. We're in good form, the players are full of belief and confidence and for them to do what they've done over the last three months has been an extraordinary feat. And it's not over yet. We're not just in there to make up the numbers, like a lot of other people think. I can understand a lot of people not thinking we were going to make the semis halfway through the competition. Honestly, the toughness of these blokes that I'm coaching makes me very proud as their coach.

They're difficult games to play when you know what's coming next week, but the professionalism, our senior players, the way they've been handling the situations in front of us have been a massive help to me as a coach. Some of the things they're doing behind the scenes, off the field and off the training field, being leaders, is a massive help.

I thought we'd play on Sunday [in week one of the finals] and now that we've got 24 hours less I thought to myself, 'I'm going to make a couple of changes'. I said the other day that I wasn't going to make any changes [to the team to face the Tigers] but then I thought we'd be playing on the Sunday. Because we're on the Saturday, it gave me the line of thought that I'd rest a couple of players. Elliott Whitehead is banged up a bit and then there was a good opportunity at half time to get Jamal Fogarty off. I'm just happy to be in the semis. We'll take what it is [the short turnaround]. We're a club that's very used to getting the short straw.

We've got a lot of belief. We had belief three months ago. We spoke about the situation we were in three months ago. We were getting our halfback back, Xavier Savage was getting a little bit more football under his belt and we were building a bit more cohesion. We've timed this perfectly."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

2022 Round 25. Canberra Raiders 56 - Wests Tigers 10. It was all over at half time. The Raiders led 42-0 at the break, having scored seven tries. The Raiders chose to rest Jack Wighton and Elliott Whitehead on the day of the game, given it was almost certain the Green Machine had already secured a finals spot. Jamal Fogarty was then rested during the second half. While the Raiders took the foot off the accelerator, they still ran out comfortable winners over the wooden spooners.



The first half was almost a training run for the Raiders' attack. Canberra made easy metres up the middle of the field, and they had plenty of opportunity to spread the ball to the edges. For a while, it looked like the Raiders would break the NRL's first half point scoring record - but they fell short of the 48-0 mark set by the Knights in 2003. They also just missed breaking the club's own first half points record of 44-0, recorded in 1999 against the Western Suburbs Magpies.

The Tigers' defence was, frankly, horribly frail. It was already clear that they could not avoid a last placed finish, after the Titans had beaten the Warriors. They looked like a team with nothing to play for. The Tigers were jeered off the field by their own supporters at half time - and the team did respond after the break. They scored two tries in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. But the Raiders' settled and produced a couple more themselves - with both Hudson Young and Josh Papalii producing some good stepping on the way to the line.



Things now get much more serious for the Raiders. Their draw has been relatively easy in the final run to the finals. They now face Melbourne in Melbourne in week one of the playoffs, and it doesn't get much tougher than that. But there are positives. Canberra has some good momentum, while the Storm is showing signs of wear and tear. And the Raiders have an unusually good recent record in Melbourne - having won the past four clashes.

Coach Ricky Stuart and the team have done remarkably well to make the finals - given injuries to key players. Their first choice hooker, Josh Hodgson, played for just 10 minutes before suffering a season ending injury. Their first choice halfback, Jamal Fogarty, missed the opening 11 rounds. There have been a fair few lows along the way. But now the team has made the finals, who knows what can happen from here?

It is the highest quality finals field for a long time. The Raiders finished in the top four in 2019 with just one more win to their name. The Broncos have missed the finals this year, despite having a better than 50 per cent win rate. That doesn't often happen. So it is going to be very tough for the Raiders to progress deep into the finals series. But all they can do is take it one week at a time. And keep on winning. It starts on Saturday.

Stats that mattered? In the first half, the Raiders had 65 per cent of possession and 75 per cent of the territory. They ran for almost 500 metres more than the Tigers with the ball in hand. They posted roughly three times the number of tackle busts and post contact metres. They produced 10 offloads, the Tigers none. They completed 18 of 19 sets. The Tigers missed 25 tackles, the Raiders nine. That's complete domination.

Things swung around in the second forty. Possession was 50-50 and the Tigers had over 70 per cent of the territory. But the Raiders still ended the game with a 57 per cent share of possession overall. The Raiders completed at 85 per cent, the Tigers just 76 per cent. The Raiders finished with more runs (182-134), running metres (1754-1264), post contact metres (614-423), offloads (17-3), line breaks (8-2) and tackle breaks (46-21). The Raiders also produced more kicking metres (522-305) - and effectively used the strong wind behind them in the first half.

The Tigers had to make a lot more tackles (334-263) - and missed a lot more (46-21). They also posted more ineffective tackles (27-6). That's reflected in an effective tackle rate of 82 per cent for the Tigers, compared with 91 per cent for the Raiders. Not to mention the nine tries the Tigers conceded (the Raiders just two).

Memorable moments? The tries ranged from very good to spectacular. Good kicking from Jamal Fogarty set up the first try for Matt Timoko, while another good kick from Matt Frawley to the try line saw Xavier Savage cross.

The left edge was again very good. Jordan Rapana has declared that the left wing is his preferred position - and given most of the traffic heads that way, who can blame him? Hudson Young and Rapana were brilliant in setting up the try for Sebastian Kris in the 10th minute. There was more great work from the left edge in the 20th minute when Kris put Rapana over. Hudson Young scored two tries himself. Pretty much because he just decided to crash through.

The try for Jamal Fogarty in the 30th minute highlighted how much space there was up the middle in the first half. Zac Woolford just took off from dummy half, before passing to Fogarty for the easiest of tries.

But the best try of the game was started and finished by Nick Cotric in the 13th minute. He made a big break down the middle from the kick off. And then he was on the end of some wonderful passing along the backline, with seven players touching the ball. Matt Timoko got the try assist, but Corey Harawira-Naera and Xavier Savage also contributed strongly.

Best performers?

Hudson Young. Two tries, nine runs for 81 metres, two line breaks, nine tackle breaks, one offload, 24 tackles, 89 per cent tackle efficiency. He really does deserve to make the Kangaroos squad for the World Cup. He's just in red hot form.

Josh Papalii. One try, 11 runs for 139 metres, 56 post contact metres, one line break, nine tackle breaks, one offload, 18 tackles, 95 per cent tackle efficiency.

Jordan Rapana. One try, 12 runs for 158 metres, 39 post contact metres, one line break, one try assist, three tackle breaks.

Zac Woolford. Five runs for 47 metres, one line break, two try assists, one line break assist, 31 tackles, 100 per cent tackle efficiency.

Top tacklers: Zac Woolford (31), Adam Elliott (31), Joseph Tapine 24, Hudson Young 24
Most metres gained: Joseph Tapine 190, Jordan Rapana 158, Corey Harawira-Naera 151

My player ratings:

Xavier Savage 6
Nick Cotric 7
Matt Timoko 7
Sebastian Kris 7
Jordan Rapana 7
Matt Frawley 6
Jamal Fogarty 7
Josh Papalii 8
Zac Woolford 7
Joseph Tapine 7
Hudson Young 8
Corey Harawira-Naera 6
Adam Elliott 6

Tom Starling 4
Emre Guler 5
Corey Horsburgh 7
Albert Hopoate 5

Do you agree with the ratings? Let us know!



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: Don't be afraid of the bogeyman



The Melbourne Storm is the Canberra Raiders' No. 1 bogey team. The Green Machine has only won 15 of 51 games played against Melbourne, for a very meagre win rate of 29 per cent. And the Raiders have won just one of the past five contests.

But there is a reason that the Raiders should not be afraid of the bogeyman, when they meet the Storm in week one of the finals on Saturday.

It is not just because the Storm has suffered more and more wear and tear as the season has progressed. Or because the Raiders seem to be peaking at the right time of the season. It might have been a relatively easy draw, but Canberra has won eight of their past 10 matches - and they finally seem to have developed momentum.

But it it not just because of those things.

It is because the Raiders have a good record at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. At Melbourne's old Olympic Park, Canberra won just once. But since the Storm moved to their new home ground in 2010, the Raiders have won seven of the 12 matches held at the venue. And they've won the last four straight. Those games have provided Raiders fans some of their fondest memories.

Stunning comeback

In 2019, the Raiders shocked the Storm twice. The Raiders sat in third when they travelled to Bleak City in Round 22, for a clash with a team they had not beaten since 2016.

Things certainly did not go to plan for the Green Machine. They played 20 minutes of the first half with 12 men, after Jack Wighton and Joe Tapine were both sent to the sin bin. The Storm scored twice when Wighton and Tapine were off the field, and led 18-0 after 30 minutes. The Storm had never lost after leading by that margin. Their worst collapse ever was in Sydney in 2004, when they surrendered a 16 point lead against the Rabbitohs. But the Raiders went on to score 22 unanswered points, producing an incredible comeback in one of the most hostile environments in the NRL.



The Raiders' start was the worst possible. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad uncharacteristically lost the ball on the Raiders' first possession. Canberra then conceded four straight penalties, a sin binning, and a try in the first five minutes. Wighton's sin binning was the result of making an instinctive, reflex tackle, but he was obviously off side after the Storm had taken a quick tap. There was no doubt, he had to go for a spell.

Joe Tapine was sin binned 15 minutes into the game - for throwing a punch of sorts. The Storm's Nelson Asofa Solomona had been the instigator of the blow up in a scrum - which the Raiders were about to feed. But it was ill discipline from Tapine that the Raiders could not afford. Almost instantly the Raiders conceded another four pointer. Then in the 28th minute a long, misdirected pass from Josh Hodgson fell at the feet of Nick Cotric - and he was stripped of the ball by Suliasi Vunivalu, who scored under the posts. Everything possible had gone wrong.

But then the long process of the comeback began, first with a try to Jarrod Croker with seven minutes to the break. It finished with a barn-storming run from Josh Papalii to score under the posts with just four minutes remaining in the match. The Raiders have mounted only two bigger comebacks - from 22 points down.

"There is no worries about belief. We know we are good enough," coach Ricky Stuart said after the game.

"They showed everything out there that a lot of our non-believers think we haven't got. We are a very good attacking team and very instinctive. We are unpredictable and sometimes that has got us in trouble. We shoot ourselves in the foot through our unpredictability, because we push the pass too much. It has probably helped us this year because we have tried to find a little bit more composure with our play, more so than always trying to score. Outside our defence that is probably one of our biggest improvements."

Reversal of fortune

In Week 1 of the 2019 finals, the Raiders again had to meet the Storm in the southern capital. The Storm were the minor premiers. The Raiders had never beaten Melbourne in a finals match. They had not won back-to-back against the Storm since 2012-13. They had only beaten the Storm twice in a season, once - back in 2000.

There was high drama before the game even kicked off. A fireworks display resulted in an eye problem for Canberra centre Joey Leilua. A piece of ash had lodged in his eye and he could not take the field. Bailey Simonsson had an unexpected start - and he produced an unexpectedly early try for Canberra. Simonsson suffered an injury in scoring the try, but somehow managed to play on. That was not the end of the injury hurdles for the Green Machine. Nick Cotric copped a stray boot to the face only 20 minutes into the game. The blood flowed and he was ruled out of the game after a head injury assessment. The Raiders had to battle on, a man short.



The Raiders led, 6-2, at half time. Of course, the Storm wrestled their way back into the match in the second half - a try and penalty goals giving them a 10-6 lead. But with just a few minutes left on the clock, a Joe Tapine tackle forced a Storm error on their own line - and then Joey Leilua and John Bateman silenced the Melbourne crowd and their cow bell. The conversion for Jarrod Croker from in front sealed it. A 12-10 victory.

Canberra's defence in the first half was absolutely brutal. They battered the Storm, putting them off their rhythm. In the second half, the defence from the Raiders was simply desperate. The Storm had many opportunities in the second half, but Canberra did whatever it took to stop Melbourne from scoring. They held the Storm to just one try, and that was the result of a kick. The Raiders just out-Stormed the Storm.

The two point victory reversed the heartbreaking two point loss suffered by the Raiders in the Preliminary Final in Melbourne in 2016. It also delivered a Preliminary Final for the Green Machine in the nation's capital - something that had never happened before.

Return with a bang

The pandemic plunged the world into chaos at the beginning of 2022, and the world of rugby league was not immune. After playing two rounds, the NRL was forced to suspend the competition. But the Chairman of the ARLC, Peter V'landys, was determined the game would return as soon as possible. And after a 10 week break, with the draw reshaped, the Raiders found themselves heading to Melbourne on a charter flight for a clash with the premiership favourites.



The match was not the expected grind, it was a whirlwind. The Raiders started fast, with late inclusion on the left wing, Jordan Rapana, crossing inside the first five minutes. And despite the fact that the Storm had almost 60 per cent of the territory in the first half, the Raiders went to the break with an 18-6 advantage. The Storm had even more opportunity in the second half, with almost 60 per cent of the possession. But Canberra's defence was resolute - and not another point was scored by either side until the final minute of the match, with Joe Tapine touching down in the in goal after a spectacular attacking raid. Raiders 22 - Melbourne Storm 6.

Thriller Schiller

Just six weeks ago, the Raiders visited Melbourne for a clash with the Storm for the first time in over two years. The Storm were on back to back losses - and had not lost three games in a row since 2015. Canberra lost Elliott Whitehead, Nick Cotric and Corey Horsburgh to injury and illness on the eve of the match. So it was a tough assignment for the Green Machine. Yet it was the Raiders that walked off the field, with their fourth win in a row in Melbourne.



The match didn't start well for Canberra. Storm five eighth, Cameron Munster, having missed Origin III due to COVID, was a bundle of energy. The Raiders' defence seemed be lacking in intensity, and Munster and Ryan Papenhuyzen made big inroads. It soon produced dividends, with winger Nick Meaney scoring after just five minutes.

An intercept try to Sebastian Kris in the 10th minute helped to steady the ship. And the Raiders began to find some rhythm, to get into the grind. When they got some possession, they found that Melbourne had their own vulnerabilities, some brittleness in defence. When James Schiller crossed in the 23rd minute, the Raiders took an improbable 12-6 lead. Melbourne had seemed to have all the opportunities, but their mistakes had cost them. The early departure of fullback Papenhuyzen with a fractured knee cap didn't help them.

As they do, the Storm continued to challenge right until the end. After Jordan Rapana was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Marion Seve, the Storm took back the lead - thanks to a Harry Grant try. But the Raiders were not finished. James Schiller produced an incredible four pointer, one that will be in contention for the try of the year. He kicked ahead for himself, down the touch line, left the field of play, ran around the corner post and somehow grounded the ball, just inside the touch line and the dead ball line. It sealed a 20-16 victory.

So, this Raiders team knows they can defeat Melbourne in Melbourne. That knowledge strengthens the mind set, it builds confidence. It will be a very tough match and it will be close. The Storm has a formidable record in finals. But I think the Raiders can do it. I'm tipping them by six.

****

If you're going to be in Melbourne for the match, make sure you head to The Richmond Club Hotel for out pre game fan meet up. The hotel is located at 100 Swan Street, Richmond, and is just a 5-10 minute walk to the ground. Come for lunch or pre games drinks. Head to our Facebook event for more details and tell us you're coming!



****

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

Total points

Joe Tapine 168
Josh Papalii 158
Hudson Young 152
Matt Timoko 140
Adam Elliott 134
Tom Starling 134
Jack Wighton 132
Corey Horsburgh 123
Jordan Rapana 113
Corey Harawira-Naera 109
Sebastian Kris 105
Elliott Whitehead 104
Nick Cotric 102
Xavier Savage 95
Ryan Sutton 84
Zac Woolford 80
Jamal Fogarty 79
Emre Guler 72
Brad Schneider 59
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 51
Matt Frawley 41
Albert Hopoate 38
Semi Valemei 38
James Schiller 25
Harry Rushton 14
Jarrod Croker 6
Ata Mariota 5
Adrian Trevilyan 4
Trey Mooney 3
Josh Hodgson 1

Average points per match

Joe Tapine 7.3
Hudson Young 6.9
Jack Wighton 6.6
Josh Papalii 6.6
Corey Horsburgh 6.2
Jamal Fogarty 6.1
Jarrod Croker 6.0
Jordan Rapana 5.9
Brad Schneider 5.9
Matt Timoko 5.8
Sebastian Kris 5.8
Adam Elliott 5.8
Corey Harawira-Naera 5.7
Ryan Sutton 5.6
Xavier Savage 5.6
Tom Starling 5.6
Albert Hopoate 5.4
Nick Cotric 5.4
Zac Woolford 5.3
Elliott Whitehead 5.2
Emre Guler 5.1
Matt Frawley 5.1
Ata Mariota 5.0
Semi Valemei 4.8
Harry Rushton 4.7
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 4.6
James Schiller 4.2
Adrian Trevilyan 4.0
Trey Mooney 3.0
Josh Hodgson 1.0



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

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



2022 Finals Week 1. Canberra Raiders 28 - Melbourne Storm 20. The Canberra Raiders are still alive in the 2022 premiership. They produced a wonderful win over the Storm in Melbourne - against the odds. It is the toughest assignment in rugby league - to take on the Storm in Melbourne. The Raiders have now beaten them at the ground five times in a row. They have knocked the Storm out of the finals in week one - and it is eight years since the Storm last suffered that fate. In the history of the NRL, the eighth placed team has won in week one only three times before. The Canberra Raiders are the fourth team to achieve that feat.



The Storm had big territorial advantage in the first half, with a strong wind at their backs. And they had plenty of opportunity with the ball, particularly in the opening 10 minutes. But the Raiders went to the break with an unlikely 16-8 lead. And while the Storm went ahead in the second half, Canberra would not be denied.

The Canberra forwards were outstanding, but prop Joe Tapine produced an epic performance. It is not like the Storm were below par. Nelson Asofa-Solomona clearly had something to prove, while Cameron Munster was Cameron Munster. Harry Grant was constantly dangerous at dummy half. Melbourne kept throwing punch after punch. But the Raiders absorbed the punishment and came back at them. It was wonderful to see how Canberra just refused to wilt. They just refused to concede.

The Storm scored the first two tries of the second half. Xavier Coates finished off a hat trick, before Asofa-Solomona charged over just before the 60 minute mark. That saw Melbourne take a 20-16 lead. But then Hudson Young was again "Johnny on the spot", chasing a kick from Jack Wighton. Cameron Munster was unable to defuse it and Young pounced. With seven minutes remaining, a pass from Xavier Savage hit the head of Sebastian Kris. The ball rebounded into the in goal, perfectly for Jordan Rapana and the match sealer. A bit of luck, perhaps, but good teams create their own luck. Good teams put themselves in position to take advantage.



The Raiders now head to Parramatta for a clash with the Eels in week two of the finals. Parramatta were battered in their week one loss to the Panthers on Friday night. Eels half Mitch Moses left the field early, after a serious head knock in that game. It will be tough for Parramatta to back up. The Raiders, however, have momentum. It is time to bring out the old slogan: BELIEVE.

Stats that mattered? The Storm had 62 per cent of the territory - and, surprisingly, 49 per cent of the ball. Surprising, as they seemed to monopolise possession for long stretches. Melbourne had 15 tackles in the Raiders' red zone, while the Raiders had nine tackles at the other end. The territory swung for the Raiders in the second half (66 per cent), though possession was again fairly even.

The Green Machine finished the game with an even share of the ball, and a 53 per cent territorial advantage. Canberra posted the better completion rate (80 per cent, 70 per cent for the Storm), with the Storm making 14 errors (Raiders nine). Taken together, penalties and set restarts finished even.

The attacking numbers were mixed. The Storm made more running metres (1556-1449), post contact metres (352-336), kick return metres (194-136) and metres per set (38-36). The Raiders made four line breaks, the Storm three, while Canberra produced a few more tackle breaks (41-38). Offloads were even (12-12). The key attacking statistic, however, was five tries to four - in favour of the Raiders. Both teams forced two line drop outs, while the Raiders posted more kicking metres (649-440).

The effective tackles rates were virtually the same for both teams (Raiders 86 per cent, Storm 85 per cent). The Storm missed a few more tackles (41-38), while both teams conceded 18 ineffective tackles.

Put those numbers together and what have you got? You've got a Raiders team that did very well to finish the stronger and take the game.

Memorable moments? The first try was an absolute gem, for a few reasons. One was Joe Tapine's offload to Jack Wighton. Another was Wighton's run. And the third was the run from Matt Timoko - and the fend on Cameron Munster - on the way to the try line. The second Canberra try was scored off a scrum win, and Fogarty made an impressive charge at the line for four points - despite the attentions of three or four defenders. Tapine was at it again five minutes before the break, a great offload sending Elliott Whitehead over. I've stolen my own thunder on the two decisive tries. But for mine, the best of the game for Canberra was the first. No doubt.

One other thing to mention. During the second half, Joe Tapine was put on report for a perfectly legal tackle on Jahrome Hughes. Hughes came off second best, and how on earth the bunker came up with that is beyond me. Cameron Munster had a fairly easy shot at penalty goal. He missed. It was an appropriate outcome. In contrast, Matt Timoko copped a genuine high tackle, has to leave the field for an HIA, and didn't even receive a penalty.

Best performers?

Joe Tapine. 21 runs for 216 metres, 70 post contact metres, three line break assists, one try assist, six tackle breaks, three offloads. 29 tackles for 97 per cent tackle efficiency. He missed one tackle. The penalty he conceded shouldn't have been a penalty. He played the first 50 minutes straight and came back for a second stint of 16 minutes. It was so close to perfect, I'm giving him a rating of 10. I don't think I've ever done it before.

Josh Papalii. 16 runs for 168 metres, 43 post contract metres, nine tackle breaks, one offload, 29 tackles,

Jack Wighton. 16 runs for 104 metres, one line break, one try assist, three tackle breaks, two offloads, 22 tackles, 283 kicking metres, one forced line drop out. The blot was seven missed tackles.

Top tacklers: Elliott Whitehead (41), Hudson Young (32), Joe Tapine (29), Josh Papalii (29)
Most metres gained: Joe Tapine (206), Josh Papalii (168), Jordan Rapana (109), Jack Wighton (104)

My player ratings:

Xavier Savage 6
Nick Cotric 5
Matt Timoko 7
Sebastian Kris 5
Jordan Rapana 6
Jack Wighton 8
Jamal Fogarty 7
Josh Papalii 8
Zac Woolford 7
Joseph Tapine 10
Hudson Young 7
Elliott Whitehead 7
Adam Elliott 5

Tom Starling 5
Emre Guler 6
Corey Horsburgh 7
Corey Harawira-Naera 6

Do you agree with the ratings? Let us know!



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

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[Begbie]

Tapine deserved 10 - no doubt.

[Sid]

Tapine deserved 10 - no doubt.

Nah, he didn’t play 80 minutes or kick any goals

[gangrenous]

Can’t agree with Wighton an 8 and Fogarty a 7. I can only assume that the statistics are in favour of Wighton. But to my eye Fogarty had the far better game.

I thought the right looked far more dangerous due to the way Fogarty ran and distributed. His kicking was better. His running got a try, while Wighton ran his side out of room more often. Wighton also contributed to a couple of ruck infringements I think at poor times. Fogarty’s goal kick was clutch.

Fogarty 8 Wighton 6 for me.

[Billy Walker]

Kris a 5? He was really good. Timoko’s try was brilliant and his 7 is fine but Kris was on par. 5 for Adam Elliot also maybe harsh - he was good before his injury.

[T_R]

Can’t agree with Wighton an 8 and Fogarty a 7. I can only assume that the statistics are in favour of Wighton. But to my eye Fogarty had the far better game.

I thought the right looked far more dangerous due to the way Fogarty ran and distributed. His kicking was better. His running got a try, while Wighton ran his side out of room more often. Wighton also contributed to a couple of ruck infringements I think at poor times. Fogarty’s goal kick was clutch.

Fogarty 8 Wighton 6 for me.

Fogarty was definitely the more influential half

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[Botman]

Yeah it’s a minor quibble and I thought Wighton had a good game but Fog was better
I’d have swapped those rankings

[The Nickman]

Yeah, the Fog is a big reason we won that game… you can see why Stick benched him at halftime in the tigers game

[RedRaider]

Agree with Taps score. He led from the front with sheer skill. He got the side into the match and kept us there.

I reckon both Fog and Kris have been underdone with the scores. Kris a 7 and Fog an easy 8.

[BJ]

Yep I’m with Fog an easy 8 based on scores given over the season.

[BadnMean]

Can’t agree with Wighton an 8 and Fogarty a 7. I can only assume that the statistics are in favour of Wighton. But to my eye Fogarty had the far better game.

I thought the right looked far more dangerous due to the way Fogarty ran and distributed. His kicking was better. His running got a try, while Wighton ran his side out of room more often. Wighton also contributed to a couple of ruck infringements I think at poor times. Fogarty’s goal kick was clutch.

Fogarty 8 Wighton 6 for me.

Fogarty was definitely the more influential half

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I think they both played their respective games well.

Fog steered, steadied and kicked intelligently. The run was a career highlight and he's more willing and able to straighten and keep a defence honest now with running with a month of footy under his belt. He kicked well. That was maximum level Fog I think.

Jack had some huge kicks, a scything, decisive run, short kicked for a try and was involved in the sealing try and made some huge hits which helped win field position on some big sets. Things only Jack can do. He had a good game. Everyone did. Maybe his ceiling is even higher when he has a real blinder but if Fog does Fog and Jack has impact on big plays that's how we want it working.

[pickles]

I thought it was a good example of the halves doing what they do best. Fog was playing more of an organising role where Wighton’s best touches were when he was running rather than ball playing. Wighton was also popping up everywhere and bashing people in defence.

Fogarty taking more control will mean less touches for Wighton but like last night, possibly more influential touches.

In fact, in terms of a team performance what worked well was very one doing their jobs well.

Tapine deserved a 10. Without him it’s hard to see us even getting close in the game. His offload to Wighton that lead to the first try and his pass for whitehead for his try oozed class and the first one changed the momentum of the game completely after defending for an extended period.

[gerg]

Is that your first 10 GE?

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[gangrenous]

I think GE is a bit short of a 10 this week. A couple to tweak.

[-PJ-]

Taps is in beast mode.

[Azza]

What crapulence

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[greeneyed]

I thought the 10 would be the controversial rating!

[greeneyed]

Is that your first 10 GE?

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I don’t think I have ever given a 10 before.

[gerg]

Is that your first 10 GE?

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I don’t think I have ever given a 10 before.

If ever a player deserved it it was Tapine last night.

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[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: The spirit of Seiffert



It is difficult to believe. In the 40 seasons of the Canberra Raiders, they have never met the Parramatta Eels in a finals match. That changes this Friday night at Western Sydney Stadium.

It is a meeting between the two teams that have the longest premiership droughts in the competition. The Eels have not won a decider since 1986. They have made the Grand Final only twice since then. They lost to the Knights in 2001 - and then the Storm in 2009. Canberra has been waiting for premiership glory since 1994. The Raiders, too, have only one Grand Final appearance since their glory days - the 2019 loss to the Roosters.

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart spent one season at the helm of the Eels - back in 2013, a year in which the Eels won their second wooden spoon in a row. Stuart famously, perhaps infamously, implemented a player clean out at the Eels - delivering the news via overhead projector.

It laid the groundwork for a rebuild at Parramatta, but Stuart wasn't the coach to oversee it. He took advantage of a clause in his contract which essentially allowed him to depart at any time. And when the opportunity arose for him to return to return home to Canberra and coach the Raiders, he took it. The Eels fans have never forgiven or forgotten.

Brad Arthur was appointed the Eels' interim coach after Stephen Kearney was sacked in 2012. But when Stuart arrived, Arthur was unwanted as an assistant. He headed to the Sea Eagles. When Arthur returned to Parramatta one year later as the new head coach, he promised there would be no more wooden spoons. But his nine year reign at Parramatta has seen a fair few ups and downs. The club was stripped of 12 competition points in 2016 for salary cap cheating. And they did pick up a spoon in 2018, after winning just six matches all season.

Arthur has led the club into six finals campaigns as well. But he has never been able to take the Eels past the semi final stage. He's never coached them to a Preliminary Final. On Friday night, he'll be hoping to alter that - not least because the distant drums are beating. There are rumours that his job is on the line if the Eels can't convert their rapidly closing premiership window into some success.

Meanwhile, Ricky Stuart is also in his ninth season in charge in Canberra. He's had some ups and downs too. The Raiders have missed the finals five times in that time. But they have also made three Preliminary Finals and one Grand Final under Stuart.

For quite a while this year, it looked like Canberra might again miss the finals. But they won eight of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Brisbane Broncos choked, opening up eighth spot for the Green Machine. And now, the Raiders are on the brink of their fourth Preliminary Final in the space of seven years.

Can the Green Machine do it? I think they can. They have finally shown they can open up in attack. They are playing with confidence. They have peaked at the right time and have momentum. They are on a five game winning streak.

Meanwhile, the Eels are coming off a tough loss to the Panthers. They can be brilliant - and when they are "on" they can inflict a lot of pain on their opponents. But they can also be inconsistent. And their recent finals record is probably sitting in the back of their minds. A little seed of doubt.

I'm tipping the Raiders by 1-12 in front of a packed Western Sydney Stadium. It'll be a crowd dominated by those in blue and gold. But there'll be plenty in green there too. Can't wait.

****

When the Raiders entered the NSWRL competition in 1982, the Parramatta Eels were premiers. They won three titles in a row, from 1981 to 1983. Their team was littered with names like Sterling, Kenny, Price and Cronin.

In the Raiders' first premiership clash with the Eels, they were humbled, 54-3. For over 30 years, it ranked as the worst loss in Raiders history. It is still the second worst, to this day.

But in the club's infancy, the Raiders produced two of their most memorable victories of all time - against Parramatta.

The first came in 1983, at Seiffert Oval, when the Raiders held Parramatta scoreless and toughed out an 8-0 victory in front of 15,578 fans. Ron Giteau scored all the points for the Raiders that day – a try and two penalty goals. The Raiders led 4-0 at half time through two penalty goals. During the break, coach Don Furner challenged his team to continue to stifle the Eels in the second half.

"Every man we put on the field played magnificently," Furner said after the game. "At halftime I asked them if we could keep the pressure up for a full game and they all shouted, 'Yes!' At the break I asked Terry Fahey to involve himself in the play more and his response was devastating. There is no stronger wing in the game and I'm surprised the representative selectors don't give him another go."



The only points in the second period came from the Giteau try, scored at the 47 minute mark. The Raiders just smothered Parramatta for the rest of the match. The Eels were without Peter Sterling and Eric Grothe on Test duty and Ray Price, through injury. But they still had Michael Cronin, Brett Kenny and Steve Ella. The Raiders too were missing captain Allan McMahon, Jon Hardy and regular fullback Steve O'Callaghan. The next day, the headlines in Sydney read "Eels humbled by discards" and "Eels stunned".

Second rower John McLeod later recalled: "I remember we beat Parramatta 8-0 around the time that Irishman Bobbie Sands died [in jail from a hunger strike]. In the sheds after the game one of us yelled out, 'What's Parramatta and Bobbie Sands got in common? Ate nothing, ate nothing!"

Hooker Jay Hoffman said later of the match: "I don't think there would have been too many better wins from a club point of view. It wasn't luck, it wasn't because they were missing their stars, we just played better footy."

Halfback that day, Chris O'Sullivan said: "That would be the pick of them in the early years. We just went out and got stuck straight into them. We knocked them around severely, we really gave them a bashing. We were in their faces. They didn't cross our try line and never looked like it either."

By 1984, instead of being referred to as the "Faders", the media started to refer to Canberra as the "Green Machine". The defending premiers visited Seiffert Oval that year in Round 19. It was the match of the round on a Sunday afternoon and the Eels were at full strength. A record crowd of 17,407 turned up to see if this new Green Machine could repeat the defeat of the previous season.



They could. It was a battle in the first half. A clash between David Grant and Parramatta forward Chris Phelan resulted in 15 stiches between them. Canberra then played Parramatta at their own game in the second half, and came out on top.

The Raiders trailed 10-8 with less than 15 minutes remaining. But a repeat set on Parramatta's line gave David Grant his chance. He crashed over for a try and Giteau's conversion delivered a 14-10 lead. The Eels challenged strongly in the final minutes, but could not score.

Don Furner's reaction after the match would be often repeated during the rest of the season. "Not bad for a bush team, are they?" he said. "It was a team effort but the forwards played a big part in our win today. The big men took it up and the rest worked hard on defence without stopping. We knew if we let them run they'd do it all day. We tackled, tackled and then attacked. Most importantly we kept possession and it was a good win."

Parramatta would again go on to make the Grand Final in 1984, but their coach John Monie admitted: "The Raiders broke us up the middle – that has not happened to us before and it must not happen again. Canberra's defence was excellent and their big men hit us hard with a result we dropped a lot of ball that they were able to make good use of."

When the going gets tough on this Friday night, the Raiders would do well to draw on a bit of that spirit of Seiffert.

****

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

Total points

Joe Tapine 178
Josh Papalii 166
Hudson Young 159
Matt Timoko 147
Jack Wighton 140
Adam Elliott 139
Tom Starling 139
Corey Horsburgh 130
Jordan Rapana 119
Corey Harawira-Naera 115
Elliott Whitehead 111
Sebastian Kris 110
Nick Cotric 107
Xavier Savage 101
Zac Woolford 87
Jamal Fogarty 86
Ryan Sutton 84
Emre Guler 78
Brad Schneider 59
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 51
Matt Frawley 41
Albert Hopoate 38
Semi Valemei 38
James Schiller 25
Harry Rushton 14
Jarrod Croker 6
Ata Mariota 5
Adrian Trevilyan 4
Trey Mooney 3
Josh Hodgson 1

Average points per match

Joe Tapine 7.4
Hudson Young 6.9
Jack Wighton 6.7
Josh Papalii 6.6
Corey Horsburgh 6.2
Jamal Fogarty 6.1
Jarrod Croker 6.0
Jordan Rapana 6.0
Brad Schneider 5.9
Matt Timoko 5.9
Adam Elliott 5.8
Sebastian Kris 5.8
Corey Harawira-Naera 5.8
Xavier Savage 5.6
Ryan Sutton 5.6
Tom Starling 5.6
Zac Woolford 5.4
Albert Hopoate 5.4
Nick Cotric 5.4
Elliott Whitehead 5.3
Emre Guler 5.2
Matt Frawley 5.1
Ata Mariota 5.0
Semi Valemei 4.8
Harry Rushton 4.7
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 4.6
James Schiller 4.2
Adrian Trevilyan 4.0
Trey Mooney 3.0
Josh Hodgson 1.0



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

[gerg]

GE, the Eels lost a grand final to the cheating storm, didn't they? Was it 2010?

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[gangrenous]

2009 on the Hayne Plane no?

[gerg]

Yeah, I was at the game and there were a lot of sooking Eels fans. Billy Slater cheating or something?

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[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"We weren't good enough, they were far superior. Well coached by Brad. They were on tonight. They got us early and when you've got 35-40 per cent of the football playing against a team like that who were on - and they were on tonight.

They were too good for us tonight, they got us. If after Round 12 this year, if one of you had have come and said to me that I'll do a deal with you and you can get to the second semifinal and get flogged, what do you reckon I was going to say? We were coming 11th or 12th or 15th at one stage. What these blokes have done... that game there, that does not define these blokes, the team, the club. I'm very proud of them. I could not be prouder in regards to the journey they've been on, the difficulties that we were confronted with. For us to get where we are today I'm very proud of them. Disappointed with the result? Absolutely. We didn't beat ourselves, we got beaten by a better team."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

2022 Finals Week 2. Parramatta Eels 40 - Canberra Raiders 4. It was the Canberra Raiders' biggest ever finals defeat. There were promising signs to start for the Green Machine. They made big metres up the middle of the field and were probably winning the territory. But that didn't last long.

The first incomplete set soon produced points for the Eels. An error from Jordan Rapana, and a penalty against Matt Timoko, produced a try for Parramatta centre Will Penisini in the 7th minute. Xavier Savage failed to defuse a kick in the 15th minute, the ball bouncing between his legs. Try for the Eels' other centre, Tom Opacic. An error from Sebastian Kris led to the Eels third try.



The Eels went out to a 22-0 lead in the first half before the Raiders could score. The Raiders have never staged a comeback after trailing by more than 22 points. That's how dire the situation was. A great attacking raid down Canberra's left edge saw Jordan Rapana go very close to scoring - but he knocked on. Xavier Savage scored, with a blistering show of speed at the 30 minute mark, to make it 22-4. He made a great break and evaded Eels fullback Clint Gutherson with apparent ease. But that was as close as the Raiders would get.

When Mitchell Moses pinned his ears back and tore off to score in the corner early in the second half, it was basically game over. There was a bit of a battle for a while, but two tries in the final 10 minutes saw the score line blow out.

The Raiders had been on a five game winning streak and had momentum going into the game. But that counted for little when the Eels flicked the switch. The did everything at speed. The Raiders looked pedestrian in comparison. The Raiders' pack did what they could with what little ball the men in green had, but often had to back peddle in defence. Parramatta threw a whole pile of incredible offloads, right at the last second, or a centimetre off the ground. The Eels' playmakers were just about perfect, their passing creating overlaps against the compressed Canberra defence with ease. In comparison, cut out passes from Jack Wighton to the edges were easily covered. The Eels almost always knew what was coming.



So it is, sadly, season over. The game showed that the Eels are a clear step ahead of the Raiders. A big one. Canberra finished the regular season two games short of a top four finish. They were languishing in the bottom four teams after a third of the season had passed. They lost their No.1 hooker, Josh Hodgson to a season ending injury in Round 1. Their No. 1 half, Jamal Fogarty spent the first half of the season injured on the sidelines. So Canberra did well to come back in the second half of the competition and make the finals. But more change is required if the Raiders are to compete with the top teams in 2023. There are promising young players who are developing, but some key positions need strengthening. Some more generational change is required.

I will say one other thing. Last night showed exactly why the national capital needs a new Canberra Stadium. The atmosphere at a packed Western Sydney Stadium was incredible. The lights, the fireworks, everything was first class. I've been there before, but not at a sell out. The crowd was another weapon in the Eels' arsenal. They bayed for penalties at every ruck. They bayed with dismay at any decision that didn't go the Eels' way. We need a stadium like that in Canberra.

Stats that mattered? The Eels had 60 per cent of the ball in the first half, and over 65 per cent of the territory. The Raiders got some good field position at times in the second half, but the Eels still finished the game with 54 per cent of the territory - as well as 59 per cent of the possession. The Eels held the ball for almost 10 minutes more than the Raiders. And you can't win games without the ball.

The Raiders made more errors (13-10) and were less disciplined. They infringed eight times (six penalties), the Eels four (three penalties). Canberra completed at just less than 70 per cent (Eels 77 per cent).

The Eels dominated all the attacking statistics. They made almost 800 more running metres than Canberra. They made more line breaks (8-5), tackle breaks (47-25) and offloads (19-9). Kicking metres were slightly in favour of the Eels - and they were the ones with all the running. The Eels forced three line drop outs, the Raiders none. The Raiders also posted a kick defusal rate of just 50 per cent (Eels 75 per cent). Canberra promised to bomb and they did (8-0). But that produced no rewards.

The Raiders had to do a lot more tackling (368-258). They also missed a lot more tackles (47-25) and conceded a whopping 39 ineffective tackles (Eels just 15). That translated into an effective tackle rate of 87 per cent for the Eels, and just 81 for the Raiders.

A recipe for decimation on the scoreboard - and that is what happened.

Memorable moments? The Savage try. That's all we've got.

Best performers?

Joe Tapine. 11 runs for 134 metres, 54 post contact metres, two tackle breaks, two offloads 38 tackles, 98 per cent tackle efficiency.

Corey Horsburgh. Six runs for 61 metres, 24 post contact metres, one offload, 54 tackles, 90 per cent tackle efficiency.

Top tacklers: Corey Horsburgh (54), Joe Tapine (38), Elliott Whitehead (36),
Most metres gained: Xavier Savage (205), Jordan Rapana (201), Joe Tapine (134)

Only Joe Tapine and Hudson Young broke 100 metres gained in the forwards.

My player ratings:

Xavier Savage 6
Nick Cotric 5
Matt Timoko 6
Sebastian Kris 5
Jordan Rapana 5
Jack Wighton 6
Jamal Fogarty 5
Josh Papalii 6
Zac Woolford 4
Joseph Tapine 7
Hudson Young 6
Elliott Whitehead 5
Corey Horsburgh 7

Corey Harawira-Naera 1*
Tom Starling 5
Emre Guler 5
Ryan Sutton 5

* Played only six minutes due to injury.

Do you agree with the ratings? Let us know!



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!

[Billy Walker]

Savage 5, Raps 4 and Cotric 3.

[Rick]

It’s hard to make an argument that anyone out there from the Raiders was a 7


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[Neeeegz]

Raps and Fogarty no higher than 3, Cotric 4, starling also a 3
Man of the match for us Big Red

[gerg]

I know you will do a season wrap thread/post but I'll jump in early. From where we were tracking it was an above average season.

Looking back we have ended the season with new players in three out of four positions in the spine. Moving away from CNZ, Williams and Hodgson we've done okay. A few of us have questioned how many rebuilds does Ricky get, but even the toughest markers could hopefully see he has done a reasonable job of refreshing those positions.

The talent of Savage is there for all to see (except Seif) and he has the potential to be our fullback for a decade. It's pleasing to see him improve different areas of his game each week. He had a howler last night but is steadily reducing his errors and is just one of only a few players in the comp where you genuinely hold your breathe or expect something to happen when he gets the ball in his hands.

Fogarty will never be a superstar. What he can do is guide us around the park and manage a game. Hoping for an injury free period for him to build some good combinations. I think he needs some improvement in his short kicking game. I think he has a good kicking game and just needs a bit more to become an excellent kicker. I thought some of his kicks just needed to be a little better last night, we really needed some repeat sets to build some pressure and to give our defence a bit of a break.

The hooker position is the tough one. I don't think either Woolford or Starling is our long term option and hoping we don't lose Trevilyan... whatever those rumours are? But we have moved on from Hodgson/Havili, for better or worse? I think Woodford can improve his game but not sure on Starling. If you could merge them into one player we'd have something there but I dunno.

Hudson Young is starting to fulfil his promise and our centres are okay for a few years. Whitehead.... hmmm. What do we do here? He has been a wonderful servant to the club and deserves to go out on his own terms... but we cannot afford to carry him for the next few years.

Really wanted to see more of Mooney or Rushton this year but last night highlighted us missing Adam Elliott and his leg drive and speed around the ruck. Hopefully between Horsburgh and Mooney we can cover the 13. I've liked Horsburgh from his debut and I think his a career NRL player and I'm excited to see him develop at our club. I thought he was good in a well beaten team last night. He played a lot of minutes because we needed him to step up.

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[Seiffert82]

Yep, Cotric was pretty ineffective, but wasn't alone.

It all came down to our edge defence. We actually created quite a few scoring opportunities given our lack of possession and field position.

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