Through green eyes 2023

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: The crucible that is Townsville



The 2023 NRL season is here. All the questions about what was in the mind of coach Ricky Stuart on the line up of the squad have been answered.

The experiment of Joe Tapine being played at lock turned out to be just that. An experiment. As if turned out, Joe didn't want to play at lock and had made that clear to the coach. That when he was selected at lock for New Zealand in the World Cup, he didn't make any attempt to change the way he plays. He still just goes about making metres down the middle, breaking tackles and throwing offloads.

Jordan Rapana, meanwhile, made it clear to the coach that his days of playing at fullback are over. That he doesn't have the legs for that palaver anymore. That he's a 33 year old winger. That there are plenty of young blokes in the squad who can jump in at fullback. And that is why Sebastian Kris was switched late to fullback for the start of the second trial match.

Finally, Stuart was serious when he started Danny Levi in both trials and didn't play Zac Woolford in the second trial.

So the team for Round 1 has two new members of the spine. Levi at hooker and, with Xavier Savage on the sidelines for the first six weeks of the year with a broken jaw, Kris at fullback. That's a lot of disruption to the line up of playmakers. Add in the fact that Kris has virtually never played at fullback, the attack is probably going to be clunky for some while. I still hold to the view that the team looked at its best when Woolford was on the field in the trials. But he'll be playing NSW Cup in the western suburbs of Sydney on Saturday.

The loss of Josh Papalii to a calf injury will also cause disruption. It's not clear how long he'll be out, but it looks like he won't return until Round 3 at the earliest. He might not be the No. 1 prop at the club anymore. But he is still a big loss.

It was good to see Pasami Saulo named as Papalii's replacement, a just reward for some good preseason performances. And to see Ata Mariota similarly rewarded with a spot on the bench. They were clearly the best two young forwards in the trials. Players like Emre Guler and Corey Horsburgh have "gotta lift".

The coach is aiming to fill the void at lock with Corey Harawira-Naera. Based on the trials, we can probably expect to see Elliott Whitehead spend some time there. But all my worries about the backrow are still there. It remains to be seen how both CHN and the veteran Whitehead are interchanged, and how many minutes they play. Both seemed to struggle with long minutes last year. Trey Mooney and Hohepa Puru are waiting in the wings in NSW Cup if it doesn't work out. Puru's arrival, however, means Mooney won't be getting the time he needs at lock.

We don't have long to wait to see how it comes together in the crucible that is Townsville. The heat is going to be applied in more ways than one. The Cowboys beat the Raiders twice last year and finished in the top four. In addition, it is going to be hot on Saturday afternoon, not far away from 30 degrees and 75 per cent humidity. Showers are possible, so at least there might be some cloud cover.

Ricky Stuart knows his team has a tough assignment. It has been hot in Canberra in February. But the lack of humidity in Canberra makes the heat easier to handle. The converse is true in far north Queensland. The heat is at a whole other level in Townsville. Stuart has told his team that they must relish the challenge.



It is an challenge, by the way, that is too often thrown at the Raiders by the NRL. The Raiders played the Cowboys in Townsville in Round 2 last year. In the past decade, the Raiders have been sent to play in the heat of Queensland in the opening month seven times - in a number of years, twice.

The record in the far north is poor. The Raiders have won only six games against the Cowboys in Townsville in the past 20 years, a win rate of 33 per cent.

So it is difficult to see a win for the Raiders, first up. Hopefully, the Raiders exceed all the expectations.

****

Do trial matches matter? The answer is, of course, "no". Isn't it?

For those who've missed it, there has been an interesting debate on this on The Greenhouse over the past week.

The following is the record of the Canberra Raiders' NRL trial results since the arrival of Ricky Stuart as head coach.

2014
Raiders 20-12 at Melbourne
Knights 34-10 at Tamworth

2015
Raiders 30 Storm 20 at Griffith
Knights 26 Raiders 4 at Queanbeyan

2016*
Canberra Raiders 34 Knights 28 at Orange

2017
Knights 44 Raiders 0 at Seiffert

2018
Bulldogs 16 Raiders 12 at Sunshine Coast

2019*
Raiders 22 Eels 20 at St Marys
Raiders 28 Bulldogs 22 at Bega

2020*
Raiders 12 Bulldogs 10 at Port Macquarie

2021
Roosters 26 Raiders 20 at Seiffert

2022*
Raiders 32 Roosters 18 at Leichhardt
Raiders 18 Sea Eagles 16 at Gosford

2023
Bulldogs 34 Raiders 18 at Moruya
Tigers 36 Raiders 4 at Belmore

* Years in which the Raiders finished in the top eight.

In some years, only one NRL standard trial was played, notably, years when the Auckland Nines was being played. The thing to remember, however, is that Ricky Stuart has generally only played his top squad in the second (or the only) trial.

And as one of our members has pointed out, the years in which the Raiders have won that second (or only) trial, the team has gone on to make the finals and have a strong season. And vice versa. Granted, we're observing a relatively small number of years. But over the past decade, there seems to be a correlation.

Is the trial result in itself important? Maybe not. But in the years that the Raiders have performed strongly in the trials, they have mostly gone on to start the season well - all except 2022. Taking advantage of the competition points on offer early in the season might not be a bad idea.

So perhaps trial results do count for something. Because they say something about how well the team has built combinations and fitness in the preseason. And perhaps that's a cause for concern in 2023. We can but wait and see if this year will be the outlier.

****

The Raiders Harold Matthews and SG Ball teams remain undefeated after the opening month of the competition, while the Tarsha Gale Cup team has now won two games in a row. Last weekend, it was a clean sweep in all three grades, for a second time. It bodes well for the future.

The Raiders are again at home on Saturday, hosting the Parramatta Eels at Kippax. For the second week in a row, the SG Ball team is in a top of the table clash. So if you're in Canberra this weekend, get out to the games! If you're not, you can watch them this week on the NSWRL Facebook page. The Raiders are also playing the Eels at Kellyville in Round 1 of the NSW and Jersey Flegg Cups. The NSW Cup game will be live streamed on the NSWRL Facebook page. If you miss any of the live streams, you can watch them on replay.



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

[RedRaider]

Imo winning is good for confidence, trial or not.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"I know they've got the heart in them and the grit. If we didn't have to use up so much juice in the first half we'd win that match. But the boys at half time still had that energy in their eyes and we were still very confident at half time that we'd finish off that next forty.

That defence tonight, being game one of the year... We've had some great great defensive moments and great defensive games over the years. I know how much work defensive coaches put in. Tonight equals it. That was an unbelievable defensive effort. There was a good try they scored on the left and they scored two with kicks.

In today's game with the way the fullback has to defend, it's a 50-50 and they got 50-50 tonight. A fullback can't be in two places at once. If you want him to defend that kick, he can't sit on the goal line and create another number and spacing on the edge. It depends what your strategy is. If you want your fullback sitting in behind the goal line when they're on goal line attack, you might save those. But our system isn't that way. They got the 50-50 their way twice. I'll continue with Sebastian Kris at fullback until Xavier Savage is back and ready to play again.

The way we fought back, the boys have got a very proud coach. We've got a lot to work off. You have a look at the statistics with 15 minutes to go in the first half. There's not many football teams would then be 18 all with three or four to go in the second half - especially up here in this humidity and the uncomfortable climate. I can't believe how well the boys prepared. They've done a wonderful job getting here. We didn't get the points and that's the disappointing part. But we've got something to work with here."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

2023 Round 1. North Queensland Cowboys 19 - Canberra Raiders 18. It was a game of two halves, as the oft used rugby league saying goes. (To be frank, Raiders fans probably use that phrase more often than most. But I digress..) The Cowboys almost played the completely perfect first half. They had an absolute mountain of possession and territory. It was remarkable, really, that the Raiders conceded just three tries in the opening 40 minutes. A testament to their defence.



The Canberra comeback was even more remarkable. The Cowboys conceded a try to Canberra prop Emre Guler in the 38th minute, on the first occasion the Raiders had entered the opposition red zone. That was courtesy of the Cowboys' very first error of the game. The Cowboys had barely made a tackle on their own goal line before the line was breached.

As is often the way, the possession and momentum swung to Canberra in the second half. Canberra's attack was undoubtedly clunky. But for a while, just about every bounce of the ball went the Raiders' way. Oval balls do strange things sometimes, and they certainly did in this game. The Raiders also had to be good enough to take advantage. And they were good enough to draw level, 18-18, with 20 minutes remaining.

Tom Starling's second half try summed up how clunky turned to gold at times. The Raiders delivered an awful set on the Cowboys' goal line, with Starling's service highly predictable. Crash ball after crash ball. There was absolutely no threat. Nothing happening at all. That is, until Starling kicked ahead and pin ball ensued. He then just picked the ball up and scored.

As is often the way, the Raiders found themselves trying to grind out a win in the final stages. I felt a sense of foreboding. It had been a courageous fightback, no doubt. But I also had the feeling that the Cowboys had more players with the class to break the deadlock. And that proved to be the case. A dropped pass from Harley Smith-Shields with six minutes left gave the Cowboys the territory they needed to have a shot at field goal. And Cowboys half Chad Townsend gobbled up that chance. Another dropped ball from Jack Wighton with three minutes left saw the Raiders' last chance foregone.

The loss is disappointing - but it could have been much worse in the difficult conditions. As Ricky Stuart said, the Raiders have something to work with. There were positives. The defence was promising, more promising than I expected. The young forwards like Emre Guler, Corey Horsburgh and Pasami Saulo stepped up. I wrote earlier in the week that Emre and Corey had to lift, and they did. Starling tried his heart out and made some good darting runs around the rucks. They were important in helping to turn the momentum.

Next up, the Raiders face the Dolphins at Redcliffe's Dolphin Oval. They'll have another week to get used to the heat of Queensland, as they now go into camp on the Sunshine Coast. Hopefully they come back from Queensland with a 1 and 1 start.



One other thing before I move on. Ricky Stuart spent part of his post match press conference addressing the decision of the independent NRL doctor to send Sebastian Kris for a head impact assessment in the second half. The independent doctors generally sit in the NRL bunker in Sydney, watching for evidence of head knocks as matches unfold. It was a surprising that Kris was sent for an assessment, as there was little evidence he had suffered any sort of serious head knock.

"When he’s down getting his leg attended to and I ask him and there was no fatigue and no pain in his eyes in regards to when he came off, he was very coherent," Stuart said.

"That didn’t help us in that game."

Stuart is not the only coach concerned about the process after incidents this weekend. Newcastle's Kayln Ponga felt he was sent for an HIA unnecessarily in the clash with the New Zealand Warriors. The NRL probably needs to have a think about whether the process is working. Perhaps the independent doctors need to be at the ground and on the sidelines to assess players.

Stats that mattered: The Cowboys had 70 per cent of possession and over 80 per cent of the territory in the first half. For a good part of the first half, those numbers were even worse for the Raiders. The Cowboys completed 21 of 22 sets, while the Raiders completed just nine of 12. The Cowboys had 28 tackles in the Raiders' red zone. The Raiders had four. The Cowboys produced three forced line drop outs, the Raiders none. It's hard to believe that the Raiders trailed by only 12 points at half time.

In the second half, the Raiders had almost 60 per cent of the ball and 47 per cent of the territory. But that meant that the Cowboys still had a 55 per cent possession share overall and two thirds of the territory.

The Cowboys made more runs (176-146), running metres (1840-1495), tackle breaks (39-29) and metres per set (45-42). The Raiders produced more line breaks (3-2) and offloads (8-4). The Raiders made more kicking metres (606-509) from a similar number of kicks. Both teams had an effective tackle rate of around 88 per cent. The Raiders made more tackles (338-301), but missed more (39-29).

All things considered, it's a good effort for the Raiders to go down by just one point.

Memorable moments: I've mentioned the tries for Emre Guler and Tom Starling already. Guler's try was very simple, with a Starling pass from dummy half allowing Guler to crash over. The footy gods were smiled on Tom Starling for his try, but that was also true for Jack Wighton's try in the 58th minute. The Cowboys, forced into a line drop out, went for a short restart. Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt knocked the ball on... and as if by magic, the ball was there for Jack Wighton and he had an absolutely clear passage to the try line. Not a Cowboys player within coo-ee. None were great team tries, however. One other moment to mention - the pin point kick from Jack Wighton to the corner - which allowed the Cowboys no other option but to catch the ball and go over the sideline. A classic.

Best performers:



Emre Guler. One try, 10 runs for 95 metres, 21 post contact metres, one line break, two tackle breaks, two offloads, 23 tackles, 92 per cent tackle efficiency.

Corey Horsburgh. 15 runs for 130 metres, 34 post contact metres, 25 tackles, 93 per cent tackle efficiency.

Joseph Tapine. 12 runs for 122 metres, 44 post contact metres, one tackle break, one offload, 39 tackles, 89 per cent tackle efficiency.

I think Tapine's contribution is being a bit overlooked in the post match discussions. Maybe we're just too used to Joe being Joe every week. Pasami Saulo and Tom Starling a big unlucky to miss out on my points, though Starling had strengths and weaknesses in his game.

Top tacklers: Joseph Tapine (39), Pasami Saulo (33), Elliott Whitehead (33), Hudson Young (30)
Most metres gained: Sebastian Kris (168), Harley Smith-Shields (163), Jordan Rapana (133), Corey Horsburgh (130), Joseph Tapine (122)

My player ratings:

Sebastian Kris 6
Nick Cotric 5
Matt Timoko 6
Harley Smith-Shields 6
Jordan Rapana 6
Jack Wighton 7
Jamal Fogarty 7
Pasami Saulo 7
Danny Levi 6
Joseph Tapine 7
Hudson Young 6
Elliott Whitehead 6
Corey Harawira-Naera 7

Tom Starling 7
Ata Mariota 5
Corey Horsburgh 7
Emre Guler 7

Do you agree with the ratings? Tell us 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!

[Billy Walker]

HSS is a high in my view - Fogs also a bit high and Starling too high also. Otherwise good assessment. I expected more from Cotric - maybe next week.

[BJ]

HSS is a high in my view - Fogs also a bit high and Starling too high also. Otherwise good assessment. I expected more from Cotric - maybe next week.

For the record I agree with Billy.

Yes I’m obviously concerned by this statement and will question myself continuously, but I think he’s correct.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Why a dollar off your chippies is not the answer



Today, with some fanfare, the ACT Government announced that there'll be "cheaper chippies!" at Canberra Stadium. They are taking a dollar off the price of pies, sausage rolls, hot dogs, soft drinks... and yes, your hot chips this football season.

The Government has also announced its solution to the sterile atmosphere in the Bruce precinct before and after matches.

"The Huddle", located in the western forecourt, will have "music and local entertainment, a screen to watch the game and... unique food sourced from local produce and a choice of craft or mainstream beer along with other beverages."

Families are undoubtedly facing cost of living pressures right now, and every little bit helps. At least it is something.

But local football fans are crying out: "We need a new stadium with a roof". The answer of "here, have some cheaper chippies" seems awfully inadequate.

The problems at Canberra Stadium are more much more fundamental. What are they?

The stadium is at the end of its economic life. The western grandstand was built in 1977, the eastern stand in 1985. The Meninga Stand is 45 years old. In the space of that time, Parramatta Stadium and the Sydney Football Stadium have both been built, demolished and rebuilt. If you get 50 years out of stadium infrastructure like this, you're doing very well. Sure, the stands were refurbished for the Sydney Olympics over 20 years ago, but core of the stands are still there.

The venue was designed as an oval, as an athletics stadium. The grandstands are so far from the sidelines right now, because that's where they needed to be when it was an oval. The grandstands were further removed from the playing field during the refurbishment for the Olympics. The builders "dug down" to create the current inner bowl. It is why the sight lines for spectators at the current stadium are so poor, by the standards of modern rectangular stadiums.

The bulk of seats are uncovered. Canberra Stadium is the only venue in Australia where an NRL match has been played in snow. The temperature extremes are severe. Freezing in winter, baking in in summer. The wind whips through the exposed site in the winter months. There is little to protect the spectators from the elements.

The capacity is short of the 30,000 seats that the big sports say that they need to bring major events to Canberra. Events like a Kangaroos Test match and an NRL Preliminary Final. The NRL staged a Preliminary Final at Canberra Stadium in 2019, but there's no guarantee of that in the future.

The location lacks a precinct and good public transport links. There are no cafes, bars, hotels or restaurants at Bruce. There is pretty good parking, but the closest bus interchange is not within walking distance. It is not on any major public transport route. There is no where for crowds to gather and socialise before and after games. Lang Park's Caxton Street, that's a precinct.

All that makes it very difficult for teams like the Canberra Raiders to grow their crowds. If we expect to have teams from the national capital in national competitions, teams that only survive, but thrive, something's got to happen.

During the off season, the debate over a new Stadium was revived. A consortium of business and sporting groups made a new proposal for a 30,000 seat stadium on the site of the Civic Pool. Meanwhile, the ACT Chief Minister abandoned the idea of a new stadium in Civic - and proposed that the existing Canberra Stadium be redeveloped, with capacity expanded to 30,000. It's been suggested a start would be made by replacing the Mal Meninga Stand.





Let's put the location aside for a moment.

Some people say that the current stadium is fine. It just needs a bit of a refurbishment, a lick of paint. That's ignoring the fundamental problems with the venue in my view. The configuration of the stadium is such that you just can't "put a roof on it", as some suggest. The stands are too limited, too far apart.

Would a redevelopment work? It could, if done right. But engineers tell us that it will be more difficult and expensive than building a new stadium from scratch. Even if the current site was used, it would be better to demolish and start again. "Fixing" the existing stadium in a piecemeal fashion is likely to produce an inferior result - just as the last refurbishment produced an inferior result.

What is really needed is an integrated design for a modern, rectangular stadium, with the capacity to meet the needs of a growing Canberra. One that is future proofed. One where the grandstands are close to the sidelines, which have modern sight lines, with all the seats covered. One that is enclosed on all sides. One which allows for the "insides" of the stadium to meet modern requirements. The things spectators mostly don't see. From a basement up, the communications backbones, the catering facilities, the warm up and change room facilities, facilities for sponsors, the lighting and more. These are things you cannot easily retro-fit into existing structures.

At the moment, there is no shared vision even on these basics. No shared vision of what we want.

The location? Ideally central, ideally in Civic. If it is Bruce, so be it, but at a minimum, that needs to come with plans to enhance the game day experience. Hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants on the doorstep.

How do we get there? It is complicated by the difficulty of finding a central location where the stadium fits and can be built in a cost effective fashion.

It is also complicated by the involvement of the federal government, for a start, as owner of the current stadium and the surrounding Australian Institute of Sport campus. And the owner of one possible site in Civic - Commonwealth Park. And, most likely, as a necessary source of funding. Because stadiums come with price tags in the hundreds of millions of dollars. For example, the just completed 45,000 seat Sydney Football Stadium cost over $800 million. The 30,000 seat Western Sydney Stadium, opened in 2019, cost $360 million.

But before the federal government can be asked to kick in funding, there needs to be some shared vision at local level, business, government, sporting groups, on what we need as a community.

Sadly, at the moment, the parties seem to be drifting further apart. The ACT government seems to be just kicking the issue further down the road, rather than finding a solution.

We can be sure of one thing. "Cheaper chippies" is not the solution.

****

The Raiders meet the newbies, the Redcliffe Dolphins, this weekend at a sold out Dolphin Oval. They were unexpected winners against the Roosters in their NRL debut at Lang Park, in front of over 30,000. The crowd will be much smaller on Saturday, but it'll still be a mostly hostile environment, with many Canberra Raiders fans locked out of the "boutique" venue. I really don't understand why the NRL thinks that playing games at a ground with a capacity of 10,000 is a good idea. The Raiders had a tough one point loss against the Cowboys in Round 1, but I think they can get the win on Saturday afternoon.

Don't forget, the Raiders are playing four matches on Sunday at Kippax - in Tarsha Gale, SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup. Get out there if you can and support the players coming through the ranks!





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

[Billy Walker]

A very good write up of the stadium situation - far more thorough than what is run in the local rags. If I am to be critical I would suggest you missed a golden opportunity for a catchy headline “A new stadium won’t be as cheap as chips, but cheap chips aren’t the solution”. That’s Wakely Award territory right there!

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



"It was tough. Both teams threw a lot of effort in there and there's always going to be one team that is disappointed, and that's us. But I can't deny the effort from both teams. It went down to the wire. There was a lot of effort that went into that performance, but unfortunately it just wasn't our way. The conditions were tough on both teams. It was always going to come down to a moment or two. It shouldn't have come down to Albert Hopoate's drop though. We should have nailed a few things in the 15 or 20 minutes before that. I feel sorry for Hoppa. It should never have got to that stage. The Dolphins did a good job. It was a good win for them. Wayne Bennett's done a good job with them to get two out of two and it's a great way start a foundation season.

The more times Jack Wighton's got the ball in his hands, the better we are. Playing both sides of the field the way he is, he's a threat. When he's playing that way... it was difficult tonight in those conditions... but the way we've been training we've been preparing very well for both games. Once we got to these conditions, it was always going to be an even contest and it was always going to get down to a moment or two."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart

2023 Round 2. Redcliffe Dolphins 20 - Canberra Raiders 14. It was a disappointing and a controversial loss for the Green Machine.

Controversial because the officiating had a significant influence on the way the game panned out. A try to Dolphins lock, Tom Gilbert, should have been disallowed by the bunker - in my view - as he blatantly obstructed Matt Timoko in order to get to the ball in the in goal. It was a critical time in the game, allowing the home team to draw level, at 12-12, with just under 20 minutes remaining. That wasn't the only controversy surrounding the officiating either.

Disappointing, because the Raiders failed to convert possession and territory into points in the second half - and they let the match spiral out of their control in the final 20 minutes. And for that, the Raiders must take responsibility.



The match was played in the wet from start to finish. At times it was a downpour. But there are no excuses for the Raiders there. As Canberra coach Ricky Stuart said, the conditions were the same for both teams. The Dolphins had the better of the opening stages of the game, with the strong kicking game of Sean O'Sullivan often trapping the Raiders at their own end. The Dolphins backed that up with some good running - consistently getting more metres per set. But the Dolphins' handling let them down. The Raiders took the opportunities offered, with Jack Wighton scoring in the 13th minute and Nick Cotric in the 30th.

Redcliffe hooker Jeremy Marshall-King was put on report and sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle six minutes before the break. It was clearly deserved in my view. He wrapped his leg around one of the legs of Corey Horsburgh - and tried to pull him down. It put Horsburgh in dangerous position, and he was fortunate not to have sustained a serious injury. There was nothing controversial in that call, at all.

But instead of keeping the pressure on, the Raiders took the penalty shot. And that came back to bite them. Danny Levi gave away a penalty for a strip - with the 12 man Dolphins outfit subsequently scoring a try right on half time. Redcliffe fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow pounced on a ball that Sebastian Kris could not clean up on the Canberra goal line. And at the break, the Raiders led by just six points. They should have led by more.

In the first 20 minutes of the second half, the Raiders were presented with more than a couple of opportunities in the Dolphins' red zone. But their attack was horribly blunt and disorganised, even allowing for the rain. And the momentum turned with the try that should not have been a try.

There were two more sin bins after that. Hudson Young sent for a professional foul on the goal line. He was off side at marker and it is difficult to argue with the decision. That allowed the Dolphins to take a two point lead from the ensuing penalty goal. Jamal Fogarty levelled with five minutes to go - after Sean O'Sullivan was binned for high contact on Corey Harawira-Naera. Personally, I thought that binning was a tough call on the home team. A penalty, sure.

Raiders fans have seen more than their share of last gasp losses in the past few years. Their worst fears eventuated when Albert Hopoate could not defuse a bomb. Game management sorely lacking. In the blink of an eye, "The Hammer" was over for his second, and winning try.

So it is two losses in a row to open the season for the Raiders. Yet another slow start to the year. The Raiders looked underprepared in the trials, and they have performed like that in the opening two games. The defence is fairly good, but the attack is stuttering. To be fair, it is not surprising, as the Raiders are missing their first choice fullback - and his replacement, Seb Kris, is not a fullback. But the errors from starting hooker Danny Levi were also critical to the loss. Tom Starling again looked good when he came on. Both hookers were on the field for a while, with Starling replacing lock Elliott Whitehead after 25 minutes. But the spine is not combining well.

There's no doubt. It is a dispiriting state of affairs.



One last thing before I move on. I've mentioned one critical poor call from the officials. But the inconsistency of the officiating was just as frustrating at times. High contact, offside on the goal line and ruck infringments were ruled upon very unevenly. The Raiders attack in the red zone was poor, but at times the Dolphins were allowed to get away with an awful lot when defending on their goal line.

Stats that mattered: The Dolphins had 54 per cent of the territory in the first half - but only 47 per cent of the ball. That was a testament to their kicking and running - but not their completions. At half time, the Raiders had completed at 85 per cent, the Dolphins at around 60 per cent. Things swung the other way in the second half. The Raiders had 70 per cent of the territory and, in the end, only 46 per cent of the ball. Canberra had 19 tackles in the Redcliffe red zone in that period, the Dolphins just nine.

But overall, the Raiders had enough possession and territory to win the game. Despite the officiating controversies, the buck has to stop with Ricky Stuart and the team. Canberra had a 52 per cent possession share and 59 per cent of the territory. The Raiders made slightly more running metres (1763-1751), more metres per set (43-39), line breaks (3-1), tackle breaks (26-13) and offloads (10-5). The Raiders had the better effective tackle rate (94 per cent, 89 per cent for the Dolphins), missing only 13 tackles (Dolphins 26) and making 11 ineffective tackles (Dolphins 15). Kick defusals were a problem area for Canberra (64 per cent, 80 per cent for the Dolphins).

But all in all, it was a game that was there to be won by the Raiders.

Memorable moments: The memorable moments were few and far between for those in green. The tries were workmanlike and professional in the conditions. There was a good try saver from Jack Wighton in the first half. But the memorable moments really belonged to the ultimate winners and the officials. The former included a huge hit from Felise Kaufusi on Hudson Young in the first forty. Hudson won't forget that anytime soon.

Best performers:

Joseph Tapine. 15 runs for 177 metres gained, 72 post contact metres, one tackle break, one offload, 36 tackles, 100 per cent tackle efficiency.

Corey Harawira-Naera. 6 runs for 44 metres gained, 13 post contact metres, one tackle break, one offload, 39 tackles, 95 per cent tackle efficiency. Unusually strong in defence, did some good things in attack and forced some critical errors.

Corey Horsburgh. 12 runs for 115 metres gained, 43 post contact metres, three tackle breaks, two offloads, 25 tackles, 93 per cent tackle efficiency.

Top tacklers: Corey Harawira-Naera (39), Joseph Tapine (36), Danny Levi (34), Pasami Saulo (34), Tom Starling (31)
Most metres gained: Sebastian Kris (191), Albert Hopoate (178), Joseph Tapine (177)

Tapine, Corey Horsburgh (115) and Starling (103) were the only forwards to break 100 running metres. Every one of the back five players made over 120 metres gained - and all but Timoko made three tackle breaks. Timoko produced two. Horsburgh (3) and Ata Mariota (2) were the only forwards to make more than one tackle break.

My player ratings:

Sebastian Kris 5
Nick Cotric 6
Matt Timoko 6
Harley Smith-Shields 6
Albert Hopoate 5
Jack Wighton 6
Jamal Fogarty 5
Pasami Saulo 6
Danny Levi 5
Joseph Tapine 8
Hudson Young 5
Elliott Whitehead 6
Corey Harawira-Naera 7

Tom Starling 7
Ata Mariota 6
Corey Horsburgh 7
Emre Guler 6

Do you agree with the ratings? Tell us 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]

Copying my post from game day thread on the final binning:

“Y’all are being a bunch of hypocrites on the Dolphins shoulder to the head on CHN.

Yes it looks a soft sin binning. But with under 10 to go and a hit to the head like that CHN is guaranteed to be taken from the field for an HIA and not return. There has to be a balancing penalty against the offending team to stop them doing that.

If it had taken a Fogarty or Wighton out, and before that they’d actually been controlling a game like a half should, people would be screaming that it turned the game and needs to be a bin.

So yeah it looks soft. But we’ve been asking for this, and it’s the right call for the game.”

[Billy Walker]

I’d have to disagree with a few things this week GE. Hoppa buggered up a bomb, and Cotric was on the end of a try but other than that Hoppa was far more influential than Cotric in the game. I’d probably score them both a 5 to be honest.

HSS didn’t do anything to deserve a 6. He’s going to be a great player for us and you’ve said he’s one of your favourites - he will start scoring 8’s off his own ability in time so let’s not compensate for him. He has been poor 2 weeks in a row.

The CHN sin bin incident - I’m with Mal, Cooper and every other good judge in the game. It wasn’t a penalty let alone a sin bin. If that became the standard we wouldn’t have a game. CHN would have got a yellow card for playing for the penalty if it were a soccer match.

[RedRaider]

The Raiders made critical errors at crucial times. We did not seem able to put a kick through which either hits Dophins players legs or went straight to a defender. Jack had one attempt at a grubber and had an air swing. Regardless of conditions that is poor for an International.

I thought Hoppa had a good game running the ball until that critical miss on the bomb catch. He will be targeted from now on. I thought Kris had a good running game and caught the ball well in trying conditions but he had one critical air swing at falling on a grubber kick on our line. There were a couple of bombs from Fog which did not have a chaser. Why is it so?

GE, I think you are being generous to Levi and Young with a 5 rating.

[Billy Walker]

Yeah agree with Red that Young didn’t have the happiest day. In fairness though imagine arriving at work and settling into your day and then being cut in half by a run away freight train. I’m happy to admit my output might be a little down after such an experience.

[-PJ-]

We are horrible, a one trick pony.

Plenty has to improve for us to look anything like a good side.

Our D is looking pretty solid early doors, our attack is crap.

[greeneyed]

The Raiders made critical errors at crucial times. We did not seem able to put a kick through which either hits Dophins players legs or went straight to a defender. Jack had one attempt at a grubber and had an air swing. Regardless of conditions that is poor for an International.

I thought Hoppa had a good game running the ball until that critical miss on the bomb catch. He will be targeted from now on. I thought Kris had a good running game and caught the ball well in trying conditions but he had one critical air swing at falling on a grubber kick on our line. There were a couple of bombs from Fog which did not have a chaser. Why is it so?

GE, I think you are being generous to Levi and Young with a 5 rating.

I considered a 4 rating for Levi. I don't think he should be selected for next week. That said, Zac Woolford didn't have a great game in NSW Cup either.

[RedRaider]

GE, I think Woolford makes the team function better and that's why I want him in the side. I have no doubt the fitness tests point in other directions but if we want a better result for Team Raiders I would have Woolford in there. According to the NSW Cup thread Woolford made 42 tackles in the match. It does not say how many he missed but to make that many he must have been putting in the effort. Woolford won't play 80 minutes but then neither do Levi or Starling. I hope Sticky is looking at what is best for the Team and imo that's Woolford in the 9 to start the match.

[The Nickman]

GE, I think Woolford makes the team function better and that's why I want him in the side. I have no doubt the fitness tests point in other directions but if we want a better result for Team Raiders I would have Woolford in there. According to the NSW Cup thread Woolford made 42 tackles in the match. It does not say how many he missed but to make that many he must have been putting in the effort. Woolford won't play 80 minutes but then neither do Levi or Starling. I hope Sticky is looking at what is best for the Team and imo that's Woolford in the 9 to start the match.

Yeah, spot on, Red. Couldn't agree more.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Slow starts… or why the Canberra Raiders cannot afford to begin the season 0 and 3



The Canberra Raiders are on an eight game winning streak against the Cronulla Sharks. Does it make me any more confident about the result on Sunday night?

Not really. I'm sorry.

The Raiders looked underprepared for the season in the trials, and that's been reflected in the opening two rounds.

Two losses to start the year.

The last time that happened was in 2018. That year, the Raiders started with a four game losing streak and finished 10th. They opened 2017 with back to back losses too. Finished 10th.

The Raiders have opened with back to back losses 12 times in Raiders' history. In four of those seasons, they recovered to make the finals.

The last time they managed that feat was in 2002. They scraped in - in eighth place - but that's only because in that year, the Bulldogs had 37 competition points deducted for salary cap cheating.

There is a bit of reason for hope, however. The Raiders began the 1989 season with losses to the Sharks at Cronulla (32-14) and the Rabbitohs at Queanbeyan (17-2). They went on to win the next seven straight - and the final nine straight, to take out the club's first premiership.

There are things that have contributed to the slow start in 2023. The Raiders were sent into the heat and humidity of Queensland for their first two games of the year. One game was played in the heat, the other in a sub tropical downpour. The Raiders lost their first choice fullback, Xavier Savage, to a broken jaw in the first trial. That's been a serious disruption to the spine. But we shouldn't put it all down to a bit of bad luck and harsh weather.

Even allowing for the loss of Savage, the attack has been less than impressive. Against the Cowboys, the Raiders made a comeback from 18 points down - and only lost by a point. A field goal to North Queensland half Chad Townsend in the dying minutes. But the comeback probably masked some of the problems. The tries were scored though one crash ball and some chaos caused by kicks.

The issues with the attack were revealed more clearly in last weekend's loss to the Dolphins. The Raiders had a heap of possession and territory in the second half but they could not break through to seal the game. There was an overreliance on crash plays in the red zone, a lack of variety and threat. The halves, particularly Jamal Fogarty, did not see enough ball. And the team is missing the service of Zac Woolford. Last year, the spine clicked when he started. And it's not clicked in 2023 to date. Like last year, the coaches seem to be slow to change course on some selections.

On the positive side, the defence, under the off season tutelage of Michael Maguire, seems to have improved. And that's just as well, given the challenge the Raiders face on Sunday night when they meet the Sharks. The Sharks are equal first for most points and tries scored after two rounds.

But the Sharks have some weaknesses that the Raiders can target - if they can get their attacking act together. While Cronulla have been scoring points, they have been playing a fast and loose style - and have leaked plenty of points too. More than any other team so far. The Sharks rank equal second for handling errors, behind the Wests Tigers. Cronulla ranks third for most missed tackles - and apart from the halves, Tieg Wilton, Toby Rudolf and Siosifa Talakai have been the biggest offenders. They're conceding most points on the right edge.

Let's hope the Raiders can get their act together - because we could be in for a very difficult year if the Green Machine does not win.

Only two teams have ever lost their first three matches and come back to win the premiership - the Cowboys in 2015 and the Rabbitohs in 1953. In the era of the NRL, the Warriors and Cowboys are the only teams to make a Grand Final after losing their first three.

Only one team has ever won the premiership after losing the first four games of the season - Newtown in 1933.

So please Raiders... let's not test the bounds of history.

****

It's a triple header on Sunday at Canberra Stadium, with the Raiders meeting the Newtown Jets in NSW Cup and the Sharks in Jersey Flegg. It's going to be hot for the lower grades, in particular, with the temperature forecast to hit 35C. The Raiders junior representatives teams play their final home games of the 2023 season - also against the Sharks - at Raiders Belconnen on Saturday from noon. All three grades are in the running for the finals, with SG Ball undefeated and Harold Matthews in equal first on the ladder. There's some very talented players coming through the ranks, so make sure you get out and support them!



****

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

Total points

Joseph Tapine 15
Corey Harawira-Naera 14
Cory Horsburgh 14
Tom Starling 14
Emre Guler 13
Jack Wighton 13
Pasami Saulo 13
Elliott Whitehead 12
Harley Smith-Shields 12
Jamal Fogarty 12
Matt Timoko 12
Ata Mariota 11
Danny Levi 11
Hudson Young 11
Nick Cotric 11
Sebastian Kris 11
Jordan Rapana 6
Albert Hopoate 5

Average points per match

Joseph Tapine 7.5
Corey Harawira-Naera 7
Cory Horsburgh 7
Tom Starling 7
Emre Guler 6.5
Jack Wighton 6.5
Pasami Saulo 6.5
Elliott Whitehead 6
Harley Smith-Shields 6
Jamal Fogarty 6
Jordan Rapana 6
Matt Timoko 6
Ata Mariota 5.5
Danny Levi 5.5
Hudson Young 5.5
Nick Cotric 5.5
Sebastian Kris 5.5
Albert Hopoate 5



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

[The Nickman]

That's a really good writeup, Ferg.

[-PJ-]

Yeah we’ll keep him around a bit longer.

He does nice work.

[RedRaider]

It would be interesting to one day hear from Hohepa Puru, coming from the successful Panthers Club, on the differences in pre-season and preparation between the Raiders and the Panthers.

Here's hoping that the Raiders FG can notch a first win this Sunday night.

[Billy Walker]

It would be interesting to one day hear from Hohepa Puru, coming from the successful Panthers Club, on the differences in pre-season and preparation between the Raiders and the Panthers.

Here's hoping that the Raiders FG can notch a first win this Sunday night.

“Yeah it’s different hey cuz. Like it’s much tougher at Pamfers, you train harder and stuff, but it’s more fun here with haircuts and stuff. Also it’s heaps longer here. Like the pre-season starts the same time, but the pamfers have already started playing this year and our boys haven’t really started playing yet”

[gangrenous]

Nah, the pre-season (or at least the off-season!) also starts a few weeks earlier here too

[greeneyed]

We have the answer...

Hohepa Puru was asked by The GH on an Instagram Q&A.

"How have the systems at the Raiders differed from the Panthers?"

A: "The quality of training is just as high. The only difference is the approach to fitness. Panthers used long distance maximal aerobic running whereas Raiders use short high intensity interval running to get the boys fit. Both are effective and feeling fitter than ever."

[Boomercm]

As a site user - I think this is just fantastic. Taking this question from the site and posing it to Puru, and then getting a pretty interesting answer and relaying it back. Great stuff.

Thank you GE

[greeneyed]

Not quite... it was an Instagram Q&A run by The Viking Clap fan account a few weeks back... they were asking for questions to pose to him. And we posted that one and one or two others for them.

[Billy Walker]

Still like my answer better

[Boomercm]

same same. You got the question answered and fed back the information. Thanks!

[The Nickman]

We have the answer...

Hohepa Puru was asked by The GH on an Instagram Q&A.

"How have the systems at the Raiders differed from the Panthers?"

A: "The quality of training is just as high. The only difference is the approach to fitness. Panthers used long distance maximal aerobic running whereas Raiders use short high intensity interval running to get the boys fit. Both are effective and feeling fitter than ever."

"Also, the Panthers run set drills and practice attack and attacking structures, whereas the Raiders just instruct us to go out there and do our best. Both are effective and I've never felt more attacking."

[BadnMean]

We have the answer...

Hohepa Puru was asked by The GH on an Instagram Q&A.

"How have the systems at the Raiders differed from the Panthers?"

A: "The quality of training is just as high. The only difference is the approach to fitness. Panthers used long distance maximal aerobic running whereas Raiders use short high intensity interval running to get the boys fit. Both are effective and feeling fitter than ever."

ge, in impeccable form!

[gangrenous]

"Also, the Panthers run set drills and practice attack and attacking structures, whereas the Raiders just instruct us to go out there and do our best. Both are effective and I've never felt more attacked."

FTFY

[Seiffert82]

Last season I was quite vocal in my view that Woolford was a key catalyst for our change in form.

However, if he didn't do the work over the offseason to be fit for round 1 I totally understand why the coach hasn't selected him. Short term pain for long term gain and all that.

If Woolford's non-selection is just because Stuart has a new project in Danny Levi, that's another thing entirely. Hopefully that's not the case. I'm sick of these FPN, Curtis Scott style experiments.

[gerg]

We have the answer...

Hohepa Puru was asked by The GH on an Instagram Q&A.

"How have the systems at the Raiders differed from the Panthers?"

A: "The quality of training is just as high. The only difference is the approach to fitness. Panthers used long distance maximal aerobic running whereas Raiders use short high intensity interval running to get the boys fit. Both are effective and feeling fitter than ever."

I'm no expert on this subject but personally I believe the Panthers strategy actually makes more sense, if you are placing more importance on stamina over power. And the eye test clearly shows the Panthers are a much fitter team than us. And they're winning more games than us. Sure, that can't entirely be as a result of different fitness routines, but it is definitely a factor. If you want to beat the best you copy the best.

[RedRaider]

We have the answer...

Hohepa Puru was asked by The GH on an Instagram Q&A.

"How have the systems at the Raiders differed from the Panthers?"

A: "The quality of training is just as high. The only difference is the approach to fitness. Panthers used long distance maximal aerobic running whereas Raiders use short high intensity interval running to get the boys fit. Both are effective and feeling fitter than ever."

Thanks GE. I'm not on Instagram. I wonder if the Raiders method is as a result of the new high performance team in place. I also wonder if the age of some of the players in the Raiders squad has an impact on the type of training delivered.

[greeneyed]

The bloke that turned up for a year last year and then scooted off to the Dolphins as soon as Wayne Bennett came calling had the same approach. It's interesting in that the Panthers prepared for Vlandysball at its peak with interval training... reportedly. But they seem to have switched back. Perhaps they just picked it better, for both shifts in the speed of the game.

[Boomercm]

The bloke that turned up for a year last year and then scooted off to the Dolphins as soon as Wayne Bennett came calling had the same approach. It's interesting in that the Panthers prepared for Vlandysball at its peak with interval training... reportedly. But they seem to have switched back. Perhaps they just picked it better, for both shifts in the speed of the game.

maximal aerobic distance running won't be just running lots of km. I'm not 100%, but I would guess it is something like running as fast as you can sustain for 5-7 minutes. Along with lots of base cardio, max efforts for about that duration are touted to be the most effective way to lift your VO2max