Through green eyes 2024

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Viva Las Vegas



The 2024 NRL season opened in the most extraordinary fashion on Sunday. A double header in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA in one of the best stadiums in the world. The venue for the NFL's Super Bowl match just weeks earlier. Over 40,000 fans attended, with 14,000 travelling from Australia. Thousands more attended from the United Kingdom and Europe. Presumably, there was a good turn out of Americans too - but we've not seen those numbers.





Even though the matches were not a sell out - the new Las Vegas Stadium holds 65,000 fans - it was still a stunning sight. The atmosphere was thick on the night, but also in the streets in the days leading to the event. Thousands gathered at a Fan Fest organised by the NRL.

There was huge interest created in Australia. The double header produced record television ratings for Fox League. Close to 800,000 watched the Broncos play the Roosters on Nine, but even more watched on Fox and Kayo. An audience in excess of 1.5 million for a Sunday afternoon slot is huge. It wasn't huge on television in the USA. Less than 100,000 watched on Fox Sports 1. As the games were played in America's Pacific time zone, it was late night viewing on the east coast and in the mid west. The numbers were still disappointing. But you've got to start somewhere. And this is just the beginning of a five year commitment to take the season openers to the United States.



The thing that surprised me is that some rugby league fans in Australia were vehemently opposed to the venture. Waste of money we were told. Some said that the money spent would have been better used for equipment at bush footy clubs. Better spent on the grassroots.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to see the NRL direct a bigger share of the pie to development. The RLPA and the NRL clubs, however, are powerful forces which have been demanding growing shares of the game's revenues.

That is what it is. But if the NRL can make a success of their foray into the USA - and gain just a small share of the American sports broadcasting and wagering markets - it could help grow the pie significantly.

It is also worth remembering something else. The game of rugby league exists in Australia because some entrepreneurs took some big financial risks back in 1908. The likes of James J Giltinan and Victor Trumper led the way. Players were to be paid. They recruited Dally Messenger and all the biggest names in football of the day. Giltinan underwrote a tour to England.

The founders of our code did something that was audacious. Not everything they did was a roaring financial success. But it laid the groundwork for the game we have today.

What Peter V'landys is doing today is also audacious. It is in the spirit of the game.

I'm certainly no fan of everything Mr V'landys does, but he's on the right track here. What's been done is the envy of other Australian sports. Anything that makes the AFL envious has to be a good thing.

The Canberra Raiders had hoped that they would be one of the teams travelling to Vegas this year. They just missed out, when the Rabbitohs put their hand up, late. The involvement of South Sydney owner, Russell Crowe in promoting the game was too tempting to pass up.

It is reported that the Raiders are keen to be one of the teams selected to play in Las Vegas in 2025. The NRL expects to make a decision soon on the teams that will go next year.

The Sea Eagles and Roosters were willing to give up a home game in order to be selected this year. The Raiders were not - and it probably was a factor in the Green Machine missing out. If they really want to go in 2025, they might have to sacrifice a home game - just as they are this year, to ensure they can take part in Magic Round.

I've heard some Raiders fans say they would rather the Raiders didn't go to Vegas at all. That doesn't just surprise me. It astounds me.

I don't like giving up home games myself. The ACT government doesn't either. The latest five year deal to play at Canberra Stadium only allows two home games to be taken away in that period. But if the Raiders are to give up a home game, it makes sense if the club can be part of a much bigger event. At a world class stadium in front of much a much bigger crowd. Viewed by many more people on television.

Personally, I think it'd be crazy to turn down the opportunity to head to Nevada next year, or in any of three years after that. Canberra fans are forever bemoaning the inadequate exposure of the Raiders on free to air television. The cost that that entails in bringing in sponsorship revenues for the club. And we suddenly want to turn Vegas down?

If the NRL selects the Raiders for the trip, we should be so lucky. Because the exposure for the Green Machine will be priceless - and the opportunity to attend could be a once in a lifetime experience for the fans.

****

The Raiders head to the Hunter on Thursday for their opening match of the season - against the Newcastle Knights. It's a re-match of last year's epic Week 1 finals game, which the Raiders lost in extra time.

There has been a huge amount of speculation on the make up of the Raiders team. My own predicted line up didn't prove to be too wide of the mark. Elliott Whitehead suffered a calf injury in last Sunday's intra club scrimmage and he is out for three to four weeks. No predicting that. It makes sense, however, that new recruit Zac Hosking goes straight into the second row.

Desirably, there was space for Ata Mariota on the bench. Indeed he might have even jumped some players in the pecking order of middle forwards.

The selection of 19 year old Ethan Strange at five eighth was something I didn't predict. But only because I did not expect the coaches to take the risk. He definitely earned the spot, after producing a blinder in the second trial. I wouldn't have predicted Albert Hopoate's selection at centre either. I had Strange there, with James Schiller as next in line. But Hopoate was clearly well regarded by the coaching team last year - and I don't think there's much between Hopoate and Schiller.

Hopefully, Thursday night's game is just as good as last year's finals match. But hopefully, it has a different result.



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[Billy Walker]

That was a great read thanks GE.

[RedRaider]

The fact that there is a Vegas Raiders and a Canberra Raiders should allow some good promotion possibilities.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



2024 Round 1. Canberra Raiders 28 defeated Newcastle Knights 12. Ricky Stuart told us all week that the epic Week 1 finals loss to the Knights formed the basis of his team's pre-season preparations. Not because of the things he saw in the extra time loss that needed to be improved. But because it gave him something to build upon. The Raiders surprised everyone in that game. They were intense, they were gritty, they were "brawlers". It was classic Ricky Stuart "grindball". Exactly the game plan that Ricky Stuart brought to the Round 1 re-match tonight.

Jamal Fogarty kicked the life out of the ball all night. He kicked long, he kicked high. The Raiders had clearly spent a lot of time practicing the kick chase under the new "downtown" interpretation - which stops the chasers from taking off early. The Raiders seemed to struggle to get out of their own half for long stretches, but Fogarty's kicking got them out of trouble. And some stoic defence strangled the Newcastle attack. When chances appeared for the Raiders at the other end, they took advantage.



There is one moment that summed up the game. A Fogarty kick downfield finally found some grass. The Knights let the ball bounce and had to retreat to the in goal. And just when it looked like winger Greg Marzhew would make the in goal escape, Josh Papalii and Tom Starling had other ideas. They drove him back, forcing a line drop out. While it didn't produce immediate points, they followed soon after.

For those of you who liked the look of the Raiders' attack in the trials... well that was nowhere to be seen tonight. No throwing the ball around. The Raiders played it tight. They were conservative in attack and aimed for high completions. Assistant coach Mick Crawley told us in advance to expect that, especially in the early rounds - and that's exactly what they did.



The new recruits, Morgan Smithies and Zac Hosking were impressive. Hosking scored a try, leaping high to recover a Fogarty bomb. It came at a critical time, as Hudson Young had just been sent to the sin bin for late, high contact on Kayln Ponga. Usually, the Raiders don't handle sin bin situations well. But while Young was off the field, both teams scored a converted try. That's about as good as it gets for the Green Machine after being reduced to 12 men. Young did make up for it later, scoring his own four pointer - and setting up Xavier Savage for another with a great offload. All the forwards were very good, really. That's where the Raiders are strongest, and they played to their strong suit.

After the game, Ricky Stuart was unhappy with the decision to bin Young. It was barely late, if at all. Stuart described the incident as a push. And while there was a bit more in it than that, it was probably a tough call. Having been binned, it'll be a very tough call if he ends up with a match suspension.



Stats that mattered: The Raiders ended the game with a 55 per cent share of possession. Almost six minutes more with the ball. That was driven by the Raiders' 90 per cent completion rate (Knights 68 per cent). The errors from the Knights (15-7) killed them.

You know how I said the Raiders were struggling to get out of their own half at times? It certainly felt like it. That's not what the numbers show. They had 53 per cent of the territory over the whole game - a bit more than that in the first half, a bit less than that in the second half. They had 37 tackles in the Knights' red zone, while Newcastle had 20 tackles at the other end. The last 15-20 minutes of the game, when the Raiders scored three tries, would have helped to produce those numbers.

The Raiders made more runs (213-184), running metres (1668-1611), post contact metres (574-505) and metres per set (42-39). The Knights made more kick return metres (221-109), but Canberra's defence largely kept Kalyn Ponga and Co. fairly well contained. Both teams made four line breaks, while Newcastle produced more tackle breaks (27-23).

There was a big disparity in the kicking numbers for the two teams. The Raiders produced 842 kick metres from 26 kicks - and just under 800 of those kick metres came from Jamal Fogarty. The Knights made 494 metres from 17 kicks.

Newcastle had to make more tackles (399-326) - and posted more ineffective tackles (20-13). The Raiders, however, missed more tackles (27-23). All that translated into a tackle efficiency rate of about 90 per cent for both teams. Five tries to two was the more telling defensive statistic.

Overall, it was a strong performance from Canberra. To go to Newcastle and win, with Sebastian Kris and Corey Horsburgh on the sidelines, showed guts and determination. The Knights were not allowed to play their best football. But, as Ricky Stuart said, it is still Round 1. There is still a lot of work for the Raiders to do. They'll need to be more than "brawlers" if they're to be serious top eight contenders. Improvement will be needed, especially in the attack. However there is no doubt. It was a good start to the season.

Memorable moments: I've mentioned the Hosking and Savage tries, but I think the best of them was the last. Emre Guler ducked out of a tackle and got an offload away. The quick interchange of passing from Hudson Young, to Zac Hosking and then back to Young for the try was wonderful to watch. "That" tackle from Papalii and Starling which produced a forced line drop out was the most memorable of moments, however. It encapsulated the effort and character of the Canberra side.

Best performers:

Jamal Fogarty. Seven runs for 46 metres, one try assist, one tackle break, 16 tackles, 23 kicks for 799 metres.

Zac Hosking. One try, 12 runs for 83 metres, 26 post contact, one try assist, one line break assist, two tackle breaks, one offload, 38 tackles, 88 per cent tackle efficiency,

Morgan Smithies. 14 runs for 108 metres, 37 post contact, 46 tackles, 94 per cent tackle efficiency

Top tacklers: Morgan Smithies (46), Zac Hosking (38), Joseph Tapine (36), Hudson Young (25), Ethan Strange (25)
Most metres gained: Jordan Rapana (186), Matt Timoko (179), Albert Hopoate (166), Joseph Tapine (141), Xavier Savage (122), Josh Papalii (115), Morgan Smithies (108)

Ethan Strange did well in his first NRL game in the halves. He certainly didn't look out of place and he did a lot of work in defence. He played on the left, and we know he is more effective on the right. My rating is probably a bit tough, but there was a lot to like too. Joe Tapine, Josh Papalii and Jordan Rapana were unlucky to miss out in my 3-2-1 points.

My player ratings:

Jordan Rapana 7
Nick Cotric 5
Matt Timoko 7
Albert Hopoate 7
Xavier Savage 6
Ethan Strange 5
Jamal Fogarty 8
Josh Papalii 7
Danny Levi 6
Joseph Tapine 7
Hudson Young 6
Zac Hosking 7
Morgan Smithies 7

Tom Starling 5
Emre Guler 5
Ata Mariota 5
Pasami Saulo 5



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[Billy Walker]

Surely we could have found a way to squeeze Hoppa down to a 5.5 and Levi a 4.

[Green Machine 2011]

Good write up GE.

I didn’t see that much difference between Cotric, Savage and Hoppa. Sure the stats say Hoppa got the metres, but only the speed of Savage got that try. Cotric made some very smart defensive reads that shut down the play. Having them separated by a 7, 6 and 5 seems off.

With a 3 prop rotation, hard to give the much much more than a 5 given their limited minutes. Guler with the missed tackle on the try and hip drop penalty is an issue, but Saulo needs to make more of his limited minutes (he has a much more aggressive running style but not that many runs/involvement for his stint). That’s experience that Guler has over the other 2. Which one goes for Horse? Will be extremely disappointed if it’s Ata. I’d go Guler. And who else goes if Whitehead comes in and shares minutes with Hosking? I’d go Saulo. Horse and Taps to start, Papa and Ata to come and keep the punch.

Anyways, rambling lol

[RedRaider]

Good stuff GE. I sympathize with the difficulty of player ratings.

Saulo only played 22 minutes, but I thought his attack was effective in that time and his quick play the ball in the Knights goal mouth set up the Levy opportunity which he took by scoring a try. Speaking of the 9, the try was the highlight, but the 'no one knows what I'm doing' kick ahead seconds before half time which gave possession back to the Knights and the opportunity to score, together with the penalty for stealing the ball with 3 in the tackle just after half time were head shaker plays.

[Billy Walker]

Good stuff GE. I sympathize with the difficulty of player ratings.

Saulo only played 22 minutes, but I thought his attack was effective in that time and his quick play the ball in the Knights goal mouth set up the Levy opportunity which he took by scoring a try. Speaking of the 9, the try was the highlight, but the 'no one knows what I'm doing' kick ahead seconds before half time which gave possession back to the Knights and the opportunity to score, together with the penalty for stealing the ball with 3 in the tackle just after half time were head shaker plays.

You mentioned his try Red, what about the other 6 points with his heads up play to stop the Newcastle try be ensuring he was impeded and forcing the no try decision. I thought that was very smart play at a crucial time. Did you think that was a smart play?

[bonehead]

not chasing the kick shouldn't be a highlight

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

[gangrenous]

Great write up as usual GE. Nailed the key moments.

I’d have given an extra point to Cotric, Savage and Levi. Good first round

[RedRaider]

Good stuff GE. I sympathize with the difficulty of player ratings.

Saulo only played 22 minutes, but I thought his attack was effective in that time and his quick play the ball in the Knights goal mouth set up the Levy opportunity which he took by scoring a try. Speaking of the 9, the try was the highlight, but the 'no one knows what I'm doing' kick ahead seconds before half time which gave possession back to the Knights and the opportunity to score, together with the penalty for stealing the ball with 3 in the tackle just after half time were head shaker plays.

You mentioned his try Red, what about the other 6 points with his heads up play to stop the Newcastle try be ensuring he was impeded and forcing the no try decision. I thought that was very smart play at a crucial time. Did you think that was a smart play?

When a player deliberately tries to milk a penalty in the hope it prevents a try says a few things about that player.
1. He has the crystal ball out because at that point there was no guarantee a try was going to be scored.
2. It says the player has little faith in his team mates defensive capability.
3. It places great faith that the bunker will see it the way the player wants them to see it and we know that is a perilous path.

[Billy Walker]

Good stuff GE. I sympathize with the difficulty of player ratings.

Saulo only played 22 minutes, but I thought his attack was effective in that time and his quick play the ball in the Knights goal mouth set up the Levy opportunity which he took by scoring a try. Speaking of the 9, the try was the highlight, but the 'no one knows what I'm doing' kick ahead seconds before half time which gave possession back to the Knights and the opportunity to score, together with the penalty for stealing the ball with 3 in the tackle just after half time were head shaker plays.

You mentioned his try Red, what about the other 6 points with his heads up play to stop the Newcastle try be ensuring he was impeded and forcing the no try decision. I thought that was very smart play at a crucial time. Did you think that was a smart play?

When a player deliberately tries to milk a penalty in the hope it prevents a try says a few things about that player.
1. He has the crystal ball out because at that point there was no guarantee a try was going to be scored.
2. It says the player has little faith in his team mates defensive capability.
3. It places great faith that the bunker will see it the way the player wants them to see it and we know that is a perilous path.

It appears to me like crystal ball worked well and his judgement on his teammates and the bunker was well justified. International players with well over 100 first grade games do have a real knack of getting these smart plays right.

[RedRaider]

Billy, I know you are a fan of his but the dumb Danny plays keep happening. His team mates don't know what he is doing. It is a team game. Occasionally luck will play a part and even a broken clock is right twice a day. I did go back in to look at the play you've mentioned again at about the 23rd minute of the first half. Levy moves across to tackle Ponga who has broken through the Smithies/Strange tackle. Frizell was yet to get back onside from the Fog clearing kick. Lucky for the Raiders, Frizell was slow to get back onside. There is little chance that Levy will get to Ponga. Imo we were fortunate to get the call from the ref to have a look at it.

[Finchy]

The funny thing is, deep down I don’t think Billy really is a fan of Danny Levi. He just fanboi’s over certain players to counteract negative sentiment amongst the rest of the fan base.

People whinge about Semi Valemei? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Adam Elliott? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Danny Levi? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Albert Hopoate? Billy loves him.
People love Jarrod Croker and Jordan Rapana? Billy hates them.

He’s just a contrarian troll who’s opinion can’t be taken seriously.

[Postman Pat]

The funny thing is, deep down I don’t think Billy really is a fan of Danny Levi. He just fanboi’s over certain players to counteract negative sentiment amongst the rest of the fan base.

People whinge about Semi Valemei? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Adam Elliott? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Danny Levi? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Albert Hopoate? Billy loves him.
People love Jarrod Croker and Jordan Rapana? Billy hates them.

He’s just a contrarian troll who’s opinion can’t be taken seriously.

I didn’t realize this needed to be pointed out?

[The Nickman]

The funny thing is, deep down I don’t think Billy really is a fan of Danny Levi. He just fanboi’s over certain players to counteract negative sentiment amongst the rest of the fan base.

People whinge about Semi Valemei? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Adam Elliott? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Danny Levi? Billy loves him.
People whinge about Albert Hopoate? Billy loves him.
People love Jarrod Croker and Jordan Rapana? Billy hates them.

He’s just a contrarian troll who’s opinion can’t be taken seriously.

I didn’t realize this needed to be pointed out?

Blows my mind that people even try to engage the guy in actual discussion

But it warms my cockles to see us have a win first up and the broncos languishing down amongst the filth and punching on with each other in pre season

[Cranky Old Man]

I'll be the other contrarian then. I like Billys posts. In a sea of conformity he is our lighthouse.

[Billy Walker]

I'll be the other contrarian then. I like Billys posts. In a sea of conformity he is our lighthouse.

Good on you Cranky. The sea of conformity is an interesting dynamic. It’s almost like some posters on here actually believe there is relevance in their opinion. They forget that even the most strongly held unified opinions have zero bearing on what the club and coach choose to do. I suspect is likely a dynamic around insecurity and a need to feel conformity to populist opinion. The embrace of an anonymous forum is not something I’ve ever longed for. I’m comfortable to put my views out there for people to like, dislike, laugh at, dismiss or adopt. It truly doesn’t bother me. But I have to admit I do find it interesting to see how confronted some people are by a difference of opinion. Questioning my motives and even my support for the raiders. Again, no skin off my nose, but aren’t humans an interesting lot.

[Finchy]

Having a difference of opinion is fine - this place is no echo chamber, plenty of people disagree about plenty of things on here every day.

The difference is voicing an intentionally contrarian opinion for the sake of trolling and causing drama.

We could sign Anthony Mundine as our five eighth tomorrow, and as everyone’s heads explode you’d be telling us what a wonderful signing it is.

[Billy Walker]

Having a difference of opinion is fine - this place is no echo chamber, plenty of people disagree about plenty of things on here every day.

The difference is voicing an intentionally contrarian opinion for the sake of trolling and causing drama.

We could sign Anthony Mundine as our five eighth tomorrow, and as everyone’s heads explode you’d be telling us what a wonderful signing it is.

Once again I’m forced to disagree with you. I really don’t think Anthony Mundine would be a wonderful signing at this time. I really do wonder about your judgment Finchy.

[BJ]

I'll be the other contrarian then. I like Billys posts. In a sea of conformity he is our lighthouse.

I think this is an accurate description Cranky. When people are guided towards the Lighthouse their boats get wrecked on the rocks.

[Billy Walker]

I'll be the other contrarian then. I like Billys posts. In a sea of conformity he is our lighthouse.

I think this is an accurate description Cranky. When people are guided towards the Lighthouse their boats get wrecked on the rocks.

I’m going to suggest you might want to give up on any dreams of pursuing a career on the high seas BJ. You don’t seem to understand how lighthouses work.

[The Nickman]

Having a difference of opinion is fine - this place is no echo chamber, plenty of people disagree about plenty of things on here every day.

The difference is voicing an intentionally contrarian opinion for the sake of trolling and causing drama.

We could sign Anthony Mundine as our five eighth tomorrow, and as everyone’s heads explode you’d be telling us what a wonderful signing it is.

Agreed, it's honestly tiring and ridiculous, and quite pathetic really. Even with him blocked enough people quote him trying to engage seriously for whatever reason so you still have to read so... much... garbage.

[BJ]

I'll be the other contrarian then. I like Billys posts. In a sea of conformity he is our lighthouse.

I think this is an accurate description Cranky. When people are guided towards the Lighthouse their boats get wrecked on the rocks.

I’m going to suggest you might want to give up on any dreams of pursuing a career on the high seas BJ. You don’t seem to understand how lighthouses work.

Check out Jervis Bay lighthouse. When it’s an innefective lighthouse it draws sailors onto the rocks.

[greeneyed]

How about them Raiders on Thursday night?

[The Nickman]

How about them Raiders on Thursday night?

Raiders Top 4, Broncos Bottom 6, baby!

And it doesn't get any sweeter than that.

[dubby]

How about them Raiders on Thursday night?

Back on topic please, GE

[Billy Walker]

Having a difference of opinion is fine - this place is no echo chamber, plenty of people disagree about plenty of things on here every day.

The difference is voicing an intentionally contrarian opinion for the sake of trolling and causing drama.

We could sign Anthony Mundine as our five eighth tomorrow, and as everyone’s heads explode you’d be telling us what a wonderful signing it is.

Agreed, it's honestly tiring and ridiculous, and quite pathetic really. Even with him blocked enough people quote him trying to engage seriously for whatever reason so you still have to read so... much... garbage.

I can honestly say there isn’t another poster on the Green House that shows more interest in what I post than the guy that is supposedly trying to ignore me.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: Has it really been 35 years?



This week, Canberra Raiders back, Xavier Savage opened up about the physical and mental challenges he's faced over the past couple of years.

His interview with Kelsey Hogan was raw, open and honest.

Savage broke his jaw in the first trial match of 2023, putting him on the sidelines until a Round 7 return in NSW Cup. A hamstring injury in the Round 19 NSW Cup game against the Dragons put him out for another six weeks. He ended up playing just one NRL game last year.

"I think that was the best pre-season I'd ever had last year, so it was very tough when I got that injury before the season had really started," Savage said this week.

"Then I definitely went into a deep, dark place last year when I did two hammy injuries as well."

"I reached out to people who I knew had been in a similar place where they're not sure if they even want to do this anymore. I definitely found that place."

"Seb [Kris] is my best mate here and I talk to him about everything. He has his own story and told me about how he had that year off footy and explained to me what that did for him and that helped me push through it. I’ve been lucky to have him and all the boys in my corner through it all."

Savage also admitted that he returned from the Christmas break this year with a few too many extra kilos. That coach Ricky Stuart had some things to say about that. And while he's worked hard to get back in shape, he wasn't quite making the marks needed to handle playing fullback.

Savage's remarks explain some things to Raiders fans, who've been wondering why he did not get more opportunity in first grade and at fullback last year. Why he wasn't in contention for the No. 1 jersey this year.

But was great to see Savage back in the top 17 in Round 1, and to play so well on the wing. To see him again selected this week for the Raiders' clash with the Tigers. He has so much potential. He has what the Raiders need a whole lot more of in the backline: speed.

And it was even better to hear him say this...

"I'm ready physically and mentally and I’ve worked so hard to get here."

Because his well being is the most important thing. And more important than football.

****

2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the Canberra Raiders' 1994 Grand Final victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs. And the Magic Round clash between the two clubs in Brisbane will be the focus of the Green Machine's celebrations.

However, as the Raiders prepare for Saturday's clash with the Tigers, we shouldn't forget that this year also marks the 35th anniversary of the greatest Grand Final of all time. Canberra's stunning extra time victory over Balmain. The club's first premiership. 35 years. Can it really be that long ago?

So, mark the occasion, I'm bringing an old story out of the vault. A personal memoir of the year that was 1989. With apologies to those who've read it before.

****

I was sitting in my lounge room in the depths of southern Canberra. It was a Friday night and I was watching the game. Which game I can’t remember. It was an ordinary Friday night but I always watched the game. It was cold, as you’d expect.

The previous week, my father had been visiting me and we had watched the Friday night game together. It was the days before Channel 10 went to the wall and left the rugby league rights as an orphan.

But before that, they were running a competition. It involved choosing the best try of the season and matching your choices to the choices of the Channel 10 commentators – Rex Mossop, Graeme Hughes and Peter Sterling. There were five to choose from. What you needed to do was to rank the tries, from first to fifth.

I drove my father crazy. I taped the tries under contention and I replayed them over and over on the VCR. I was going to enter this competition and I wanted to get it right. I asked my father what he thought, but he got sick of it quickly. I ended up choosing two entries. One with my favourite Raiders try running first, the other with the try I expected the commentators would choose. I duly posted them in. Honestly, I posted them in. These were the days before the internet and internet polls were even thought of.

That next week, I was sitting by myself watching the game. As half time finished, the commentators announced that they would be drawing the winner of the competition during the half time break. They announced the order of merit that the commentators had agreed upon. I had picked it! Of course, the Raiders try was not ranked first.

I rang home. I wanted to tell my Dad that all the pain had been worth it, and that I had at least chosen the right order. He was out, but I was talking to my brother. I was happy just to have got it right.

Then while I’m on the phone, Peter Sterling says that of the 80,000 entries, there are only five correct entries. He rolls a barrel on the field and announces… I am the winner! I am yelling down the phone and jumping up and down. I had won a car!

In those days I drove a Holden Sunbird. It was the definition of a “lemon”. The heating leaked water, jets of water. As you turned the corner, a jet of water sprayed either the driver's or passenger's feet. I got used to just pulling my feet back on the corners and filling up the radiator before every trip. I had pretty much bought it just because it was metallic blue.

But now I had won a Nissan Pulsar Q. It was red. It went very fast, faster because it was red. I thought it was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

I decided that Peter Sterling was the best footballer ever. He drew out my name.

Everyone told me how lucky I was. Strangers rang me that night to wish me luck. Some even rang me and abused me for winning. I told them that it was not luck, but a matter of skill. I hadn’t watched years of football for nothing.

I had my Pulsar delivered two weeks before the Grand Final.

It was an exciting time, as the Canberra Raiders were storming through the semi finals, after finishing in equal fifth. And so it was that I drove myself and my friends to the 1989 Grand Final in my new car. My parents were visiting, but there was nothing stopping me from heading up to Sydney for the match.





The game is well known. The course of it has gone down in the annals of rugby league history. At the end of the game, I had to keep telling my friends that we have just witnessed the best Grand Final ever, they could hardly comprehend it. Eventually we left the Sydney Football Stadium, and I could barely remember what the new car looked like, and we could hardly find it.

We drove home to Canberra, straight to the Mawson Leagues Club, where the Raiders would be returning. I was so glad I was a member, as there were thousands and thousands in the car park waiting for the team. You could not get in unless you were already a member. We got back well before the team, even though they flew. What a night. “We are the Champions” was blaring out in the club over and over. And then the team arrived. It was bedlam. After midnight we followed the team over to the Queanbeyan Leagues Club… it was the more of the same ecstasy. It was all the better because it was the first.

I got home at about 5.30am. My parents had decorated the whole apartment in green, blue, gold and white for me… I got the tape out and watched it with them as dawn broke. I could hardly believe how good 1989 could be.



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[BadnMean]

Love the Pulsar story! And it's well earned. I have a mate from a tough background who set himself up for life (well, he works but it gave him a start he never would have had) with a huge national sports tipping comp result in a major newspaper at a young age. He earned it too.

And I'd love a definitive documentary of '89 to be made. maybe from the late rounds or mid season in. I've read Mal and Laurie's versions. Picked up snippets from other docos and specials etc. I think he's too shy but I'd love one that featured Chicka or Todd or Belcher (or Sheens) extensively.

[greeneyed]

Through green eyes: As I saw it



2024 Round 2. Canberra Raiders 32 defeated Wests Tigers 12. Two wins from two games. Two wins by more than 13 points. It has been a good start to the season. As good as any Raiders fan could have hoped. The Tigers are a niggly, erratic, at times audacious team. They offload, throw the ball around without a care in the world. So they can be difficult to handle when they have the ball in hand. But apart from a two try flurry from the Tigers in the first half, the Raiders largely had the game under control.

The Raiders started the match on fire, scoring two tries inside the first 10 minutes. They did not play like they did last week against the Knights. Last week, it was very tight, very controlled and all about kicking to the corners constantly. Against the Tigers, the Raiders were more prepared to chance their arm in attack. Maybe that Tigers style is a bit infectious. Maybe the apparent ease of the first two tries encouraged more of the same. By the sounds of the coach's comments in the aftermath, the game plan was forgotten a little. But it was no doubt more entertaining. And apart from the short first half lapse, the defence was resolute.



The Raiders had quite a bit of disruption to deal with. Sebastian Kris left the field eight minutes into the second half, after a head knock. He did not return - and will probably be unavailable for next week's clash against the Warriors. That saw Zac Hosking shift to centre. Morgan Smithies had to stay on the field to play in the second row. Jordan Rapana also had to depart the field in the 65th minute, after he was caught high in a tackle by Aidan Sezer. That forced Albert Hopoate to drop back to fullback until Rapana was cleared to return, three minutes from the end of the match. Despite all of that, it seemed seamless from the Raiders. Ricky Stuart has had the team training in multiple positions all off season. Clearly that paid off today.

The forwards were again wonderful. Joe Tapine and Josh Papalii were immense. Hudson Young was pretty darn good too. It is perhaps a bit unfair to them, but the new shiny toys are the ones that are getting all of our attention. Zac Hosking and Morgan Smithies have added another dimension to the Raiders in 2024. Their defence is the basis of it. They just tackle everything in sight. Anyone they can. But they have skill with the ball too. Hosking set up a try for Jordan Rapana in the first half, with a great pass. He also scored one, chasing and regathering a Fogarty kick. Smithies is no slouch in ball distribution either. 17 passes from 27 receipts.



Stats that mattered: The Raiders finished the contest with a 55 per cent share of possession. Around five minutes more with the ball. Despite the fact the Raiders were more adventurous in attack, they still posted a 90 per cent completion rate (Tigers 81 per cent). Better than my initial impression, based on the eye test. Errors were level at nine apiece, so perhaps that's why my sense of it didn't match the numbers.

The Raiders had a marginal territorial advantage overall (51 per cent). They had much better field position in the first half (60 per cent of the territory), but that swung in the second half (57 per cent of the territory for the Tigers). The Tigers had 28 tackles in the Raiders' red zone in the second forty, the Raiders only 14 at the other end. Given that, Canberra did very well to hold the Tigers scoreless in the second half.

The Raiders made more runs (185-159), running metres (1820-1473), post contact metres (693-466), line breaks (6-4) and tackle breaks (36-24). The Tigers got more offloads away (12-8).

The Raiders produced more kicking metres (553-357) from the same number of kicks (18). Last week the Raiders posted more than 800 metres from 26 kicks. But basically, they didn't need to kick as much this week.

The Tigers had to make more tackles (344-301) and missed more (36-24). But Canberra's ineffective tackle count was much higher than the Tigers (21-9) and their effective tackle rate was slightly lower than the Tigers (87-88 per cent). As always, the key defensive statistic is tries conceded. And the Tigers conceded five and the Raiders just two.

It was another good performance all round from the Green Machine. Canberra will face tougher opposition in the weeks ahead. Starting next week against the Warriors in Christchurch. However, the Raiders definitely have something to build upon.

Memorable moments: The Raiders' desperation in defence was encapsulated in one moment. Ethan Strange was the man who delivered it, in his third NRL match. The Tigers were threatening to score with just less than 10 minutes remaining. Strange made an ineffective tackle on Isaiah Papali'i and the ball was spun to winger Charlie Staines. But Strange was not done, making a wonderful try saver on Staines in the corner. It was ruled to be high, but it was just a good, ball and all tackle. Terrific stuff from the 19 year old. Best moment of the game for me. If the Match Review Lottery has anything to say about it, I'll be turning on a blue, I can tell you. I shouldn't overlook the tackle from Albert Hopoate on rookie Lachlan Galvin in the lead up, on the other edge. Another try saver, really.

The tries were nice. A lot of good things happeing in the backline. The first try resulted from a great series of short passes on a stacked left edge. Levi to Strange to Kris... who produced a great offload to Savage. Levi was backing up on the inside. Strange showed what is special about his attack in the second try. Great stepping, ducking and weaving from 10 metres out.

I loved seeing the combination between Seb Kris and Xavier Savage for the fourth try. Apparently, they asked to be partnered on the left edge as they understand each other - brothers is how Ricky Stuart described them. The pairing has a lot of potential.

You know what else I loved? The crowd reaction for John Bateman every time he complained to the referee, touched the ball or appeared on the big screen. I guess you reap what you sow. He probably should have been binned for a professional foul early in the match, with the Raiders attacking the try line line. I loved the crowd involvement during the whole game, actually. They were really stirred up.



Best performers:

Zac Hosking. One try, 13 runs for 138 metres, 49 post contact, one try assist, two line break assists, one line break, seven tackle breaks, two offloads, 35 tackles, five ineffective tackles, 88 per cent tackle efficiency

Ethan Strange. One try, six runs for 73 metres, 17 post contact, one line break, five tackle breaks, 17 tackles, two missed tackles, one ineffective tackle, 85 per cent tackle efficiency

Morgan Smithies. 12 runs for 103 metres, 40 post contact, 38 tackles, 93 per cent tackle efficiency

Top tacklers: Morgan Smithies (38), Zac Hosking (35), Emre Guler (33), Pasami Saulo (25), Joseph Tapine (23)
Most metres gained: Matthew Timoko (205), Hudson Young (165), Joseph Tapine (163), Albert Hopoate (151), Jordan Rapana (143), Josh Papalii (139), Zac Hosking (133)

Jamal Fogarty, Joe Tapine and Matt Timoko a bit unlucky to miss my list of the top three.

My player ratings:

Jordan Rapana 7
Albert Hopoate 7
Matt Timoko 7
Sebastian Kris 6
Xavier Savage 7
Ethan Strange 8
Jamal Fogarty 7
Josh Papalii 7
Danny Levi 6
Joseph Tapine 7
Hudson Young 7
Zac Hosking 8
Morgan Smithies 8

Tom Starling 5
Emre Guler 6
Ata Mariota 5
Pasami Saulo 6



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[Billy Walker]

I feel like there might be an unconscious bias against Danny Levi in these weekly ratings.

[Finchy]

I feel like there might be an unconscious bias against Danny Levi in these weekly ratings.

I feel like there might be a conscious bias for Danny Levi when you give him 3 points every week Billy, even when not a single other person gives him any points as he’s clearly not the best on field.

Maybe look at your own bias (aka trolling) before criticising GE’s assessments hey?

[Billy Walker]

I feel like there might be an unconscious bias against Danny Levi in these weekly ratings.

I feel like there might be a conscious bias for Danny Levi when you give him 3 points every week Billy, even when not a single other person gives him any points as he’s clearly not the best on field.

Maybe look at your own bias (aka trolling) before criticising GE’s assessments hey?

Must be mixed feelings for you watching a player you have so definitely written off doing such a great job for us. Someone once said he’d be very good for us - oh yeah it was me.

[-TW-]

His stats are woeful, the only thing he does well is crisp service to the halves

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