2023 Canberra Raiders NSW Cup

[gangrenous]

Trevilyan is still early days back from an ACL

[T_R]

Not much to take from that performance - the forwards were smashed, and it was never going to happen after that.

Lots of positives in this team.

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

[Dr Zaius]

The ball from Strange for the try was superb. His progress this year has been outstanding.

[greeneyed]

Not much to take from that performance - the forwards were smashed, and it was never going to happen after that.

Lots of positives in this team.

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

Exactly.

[greeneyed]

MATCH REPORT: Season over for NSW Cup Raiders



The 2023 season is over for the Canberra Raiders' NSW Cup side, defeated by the New Zealand Warriors at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday, 49-6, in Week 2 of the finals.

It was the end of a six game winning streak for the Green Machine, which saw them make a late charge to the finals, finishing in fourth place on the ladder.

However, the Raiders struggled on Saturday, with injuries and suspensions at NRL level having a knock on effect for the NSW Cup team. Forwards Hohepa Puru and Trey Mooney - both playing in first grade on Sunday - were seriously missed.

The Raiders were dominated in the middle - and the Warriors' outside backs capitalised on the platform laid by their forwards. Half Ronald Volkman put in a superb performance for the Warriors, with his team relentlessly chasing his kicks. Warriors centre Ali Leiataua rampaged on the edge.

The match started in frantic fashion, with both sides making plenty of metres with the ball in hand. Both teams had try scoring opportunities in the opening five minutes. But it was the Warriors that scored first, with second rower Jacob Laban taking advantage of the bomb to the try line by half Ronald Volkman in the fifth minute. Former Raiders junior and Warriors captain Kalani Going was over just four minutes later, scoring a simple try from dummy half. Suddenly, the alarm bells were ringing for Canberra.

The Warriors had most of the ball and territory in the opening 20 minutes. But in the 22nd minute, a great pass from Raiders five eighth Ethan Strange sent Brad Morkos on his way to the try line. At that stage, 10-6 looked like a decent score line for Canberra. And there were hopes that try might help halt the Warriors' momentum in the match. But it was not to be. It was all the Warriors from that point.

The Auckland based team led by 20 points at half time, and went on to score a total of nine tries. Maia Sands got a double. And Volkman unleashed the indignity of a field goal in the 73rd minute, to boot.



Not much went right for the Raiders. There were far too many errors and penalties, and the score line just piled more and more pressure on Canberra as the game progressed. The Warriors ended with 59 per cent of the ball, with the Raiders completing at just 62 per cent (Warriors 78 per cent). The Warriors produced 700 more metres gained than the Raiders (11 more metres per set) - and made 10 line breaks to the Raiders' two. The Warriors posted 14 offloads, the Raiders four. Canberra made 60 missed tackles and 20 ineffective tackles.

Utuloa Asomua (119) and Harley Smith-Shields (105) were the only Raiders to break 100 metres gained. Chevy Stewart and Ethan Strange six tackle breaks apiece. Jed Stuart (30), Jake Clydsdale (29) and Danny Levi (29) topped the tackle count.

It was a disappointing end to the season, but there are reasons to be positive about the team's achievements in 2023. A fourth placed finish, playing finals for a start.

Then there was the progress of players like fullback Chevy Stewart, five eighth Ethan Strange and prop Jake Clydsdale. All started the year in lower grades, all represented the Blues in Under 19s Origin.

Backs like Harley Smith-Shields, Brad Morkos and Utuloa Asomua had strong seasons. It was great to see Xavier Savage and Adrian Trevilyan finishing the year well, after coming back from injury. Trey Mooney and Hohepa Puru were standouts in the forwards.

There are plenty of players of the future coming through the Raiders' lower grades - and there is good cause for Raiders fans to be excited.

AT A GLANCE: NSW Cup Finals Week 2 - New Zealand Warriors 49 (Maia Sands 2, Jacob Laban, Kalani Going, Ben Farr, Setu Tu, Isaiah Vagana, Tom Ale, Eiden Ackland tries, Ronald Volkman 5, Ben Farr 1 goals, Ronald Volkman 1 field goal) defeated Canberra Raiders 6 (Brad Morkos try, Chevy Stewart goal) at Leichhardt Oval.

[greeneyed]

Warriors defeat Raiders in minor semi-final

Five tries in the first half set up the win for the Warriors and another four in the second finished the Raiders off for season 2023.

Canberra had come back from 10 points down against Blacktown Workers in last week’s Elimination final, but there was no resurrection today.

The Raiders did press the Warriors line early, but it was the New Zealand team which opened proceedings on the scoreboard. Two tries in four minutes to back-rowers Jacob Laban and Kalani Going had the Warriors up 10-0 with the match barely 10 minutes old.

Read more: https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2023/09/0 ... p-nsw-cup/

[greeneyed]

Seems Josh James is not being re-signed... according to someone who would know in Facebook #GHRaidersChat tonight.

[NoMan]

Not a huge surprise, I guess Henderson and maybe Sanders will be there next year. I hope he gets another opportunity somewhere, he had some solid games.

[greeneyed]

They have to be very confident they have Sanders signed and he’ll be coming next year. Frawley, Schneider, James all gone.

[bonehead]

can't have middling talent blocking pathways

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

[zim]

If he was only a bigger body he'd be a first grader.
He can be quite creative and there's a lack of creative playmakers in grade.

[Colk]

We might go in with no halves on the books next year (outside of Fogarty)

Interesting tactic

[bonehead]

We might go in with no halves on the books next year (outside of Fogarty)

Interesting tactic

except Strange, Sanders, Henderson of course

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

[Colk]

We might go in with no halves on the books next year (outside of Fogarty)

Interesting tactic

except Strange, Sanders, Henderson of course

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

Sanders hasn’t come yet from memory.

I’ll rephrase then: one half with NRL experience. It is an interesting tactic I would have thought.

[bonehead]

We might go in with no halves on the books next year (outside of Fogarty)

Interesting tactic

except Strange, Sanders, Henderson of course

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

Sanders hasn’t come yet from memory.

I’ll rephrase then: one half with NRL experience. It is an interesting tactic I would have thought.

as I mentioned above on josh james, clear the pathway for the talent no point having middling players you've got to allow talent to bubble through.
Sasagi is a 6/13 probably starts in nsw cup.
Chevy and Strange will be very close to starting the season in nrl.
We'll add new players clearly, I'm still pretty bummed on Levi extending as that's an unnecessary squad spot filled, Fogarty could play 9 better than Levi.


Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

[RedRaider]

We might go in with no halves on the books next year (outside of Fogarty)

Interesting tactic

except Strange, Sanders, Henderson of course

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

Sanders hasn’t come yet from memory.

I’ll rephrase then: one half with NRL experience. It is an interesting tactic I would have thought.

I agree, to start a season with only one half with FG experience (and he only has one year left on his contract) is not tenable. I wonder if there is another half on the way. I hope it's Welsby.

[Dr Zaius]

We might go in with no halves on the books next year (outside of Fogarty)

Interesting tactic

except Strange, Sanders, Henderson of course

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

Sanders hasn’t come yet from memory.

I’ll rephrase then: one half with NRL experience. It is an interesting tactic I would have thought.

I agree, to start a season with only one half with FG experience (and he only has one year left on his contract) is not tenable. I wonder if there is another half on the way. I hope it's Welsby.

Narrator: there wasn't. It wasn't.

[RedRaider]

Kaeo Weekes has only had 12 NRL games for Manly but if he does come to Canberra then he has at least some FG and plays both fullback and 5/8. Pace is his big weapon. He played well at fullback for the Blacktown Sea Eagles in the NSW Cup finals match against the Raiders. At Manly he would consider himself blocked by Tommy Turbo if the 1 Jersey is his aim.

[The Nickman]

He’d only be blocked by Tommy for 8 rounds of the season.

[BadnMean]

He’d only be blocked by Tommy for 8 rounds of the season.

Lol.

In all seriousness though the bigger worry for a young FB option would be the $1.1m in the salary cap allotted to FB until the 2027 season, along with Manly's other million plus deals means there'd by pretty skinny scraps left for a backup FB who didn't want to wait 3-4 years for the chance of a payday.

Raiders are wide open at #6 and there's an opening at #1 anyone looking for a chance would back themselves against (untried junior with potential a year of clear water for yourself before he's even ready to be in the frame...).

[greeneyed]

Mooney and Webb named in 2023 NSW Cup Team of the Year



The NSWRL is pleased to announce The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Team of the Year (TOTY) for 2023, featuring five players in tomorrow’s Grand Final between the North Sydney Bears and South Sydney Rabbitohs at CommBank Stadium.

The TOTY is determined by nswrl.com.au staff and recognises the best 13 players from the regular season.

NSW Cup Team of the Year

1. Isaiah Iongi (Penrith Panthers)
2. Clayton Faulalo (Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles)
3. Kayal Iro (Newtown Jets)
4. Ali Leiataua (Warriors)*
5. Fetalaiga Pauga (North Sydney Bears)
6. Jesse Marschke (North Sydney Bears)
7. Dean Hawkins (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
8. Liam Henry (Penrith Panthers)
9. Peter Mamouzelos (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
10. Trey Mooney (Canberra Raiders)
11. Clay Webb (Canberra Raiders)
12. Kalani Going (Warriors)*
13. Zach Dockar-Clay (North Sydney Bears)

*Denotes NRL debut in 2023

Read more: https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2023/09/2 ... -the-year/

[greeneyed]

NSW Cup Grand Final coming up on the NSWRL Facebook page. Rabbitohs v Bears. The Raiders beat both of these teams during the year... you wonder what might have been but for injury and suspension disrupting the finals campaign. Also available on Nine Now from 2:55pm.

Quite sad really that neither of the game’s broadcasters can manage to cover this game. All Nine Now is doing is carrying the NSWRL TV live stream.

LIVE STREAM: https://www.facebook.com/NSWRL/videos/988324615702962/

[The Greenhouse]

NSW Cup Grand Final

HALF TIME

South Sydney Rabbitohs 12
North Sydney Bears 12

[The Greenhouse]

NSW Cup Grand Final

FULL TIME

South Sydney Rabbitohs 22
North Sydney Bears 18

Crowd: 10,173

Blake Taaffe man of the match.

South Sydney Rabbitohs progress to the State Cup Championship clash with the Brisbane Tigers on NRL Grand Final day.