Cowboys hurt Raiders again
Roar Rookie By sajjittarius, 25 Jun 2012 sajjittarius is a Roar Rookie
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Last week I wrote about how the Brisbane Broncos were both the Cowboys’ great rival and their bogey team.
No matter what the form guide said, the best the Cowboys could do from coming into the NRL in 1995 until September 2004 was steal a draw against their city cousins.
The Canberra Raiders don’t really have a great rival. Back in the early 1990′s you could argue their great rival was the Broncos on account of at least one of the two winning all bar one premiership between 1989 and 1994, but since then, continued mediocrity (occasional inspiration in 2003 and 2010 notwithstanding) and a lack of local derbies means there’s no one that could really be termed great rivals as such.
What they do have, however is a bogey team – the Cowboys.
It’s partially the results: Canberra have won just three of their last 10 matches against the Cowboys, with none in Townsville since 2006. It’s a welcome change for Cowboys’ fans who are still 11-18 against the Green Machine, but not the reason for bogey team status.
Nope, the reason the Cowboys are Canberra’s bogey team is the injury list.
Consider this: the last two matches the teams played Canberra didn’t finish with a full bench. At Canberra Stadium in 2011 the Raiders led 22-0 in the first half before injuries to Josh Dugan and Terry Campese – playing his one and only game for the season – left the Raiders two short. They were eventually over-run 24-40.
Earlier this year it happened again: this time forwards Brett White and Joel Thompson went off injured as the Cowboys managed a 22-6 win, again at Canberra Stadium.
So surely third time lucky for the Raiders?
Nope.
Joel Thompson again failed to finish a match against the Cowboys with a broken knuckle; Trevor Thurling sustained a shoulder injury; while star back Dugan suffered a suspected broken ankle late in the match.
For the Cowboys it was a solid win after co-captain Matthew Scott pulled out following his mother’s passing earlier in the week. Stories of Diane Scott driving up to eight hours return for junior matches from the remote town of Ilfracombe showed the justification for the NRL’s Women in League Round.
Cowboys veteran Matty Bowen furthered his State of Origin claims with another strong performance; not scoring any tries himself but throwing the last pass in four of his team’s seven tries. Back in 2005, much of the excitement around the Cowboys came from his combination with Johnathan Thurston. This year they’re back better than ever causing havoc around the edge of the ruck.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, the Cowboys seem to do more to them than just cause havoc around the ruck. The injury curse hurts the Raiders long after the Cowboys have.
The Crowd Says (5) | Page 1 of Comments
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June 25th 2012 @ 1:45pm
Edward Kelly said | June 25th 2012 @ 1:45pm | Report comment
The Raiders need a new coach( and will only get that through a new board) and probably a new player roster, until then they can expect to lose and to have some very heavy defeats as other teams try to improve their own for and against. Cannot see them as the upsetters that parra might be. Watching the raiders it seems almost as if the players don’t like each other, its become very individual efforts, more worried about personal stats than team stats.
June 25th 2012 @ 2:11pm
MemberforDobell said | June 25th 2012 @ 2:11pm | Report comment
Forget that just let the YASS Magpies into the NRL and get rid of Canberra !
June 25th 2012 @ 2:21pm
NF said | June 25th 2012 @ 2:21pm | Report comment
Very nice showing by the Cows but it was expected the question though is how many I was hoping 50 but 40 is ok. Next month is when the schedule goes up a notch: Warriors (away with Origin players), Storm (away) & West Tigers (home) & bulldogs (away).
June 25th 2012 @ 6:19pm
Justin said | June 25th 2012 @ 6:19pm | Report comment
For a side I (truly) and whole heartedly believed were great, and we’re capable of anything, I’m now just sick of! They’re an absolute disgrace of a side. I can’t tell u how just tired and fed up we are of then hearing the same repeated garbage after a loss, it’s literally the same idiotic nonsense we hear (all the time) get real or just get lost altogether Canberra. Damn you know how to make the fans hate you. Stop talking and do (something), anything, just stop laying down like a rug for other teams to merely walk over. What’s wrong with you!!!
June 25th 2012 @ 8:56pm
Bearfax said | June 25th 2012 @ 8:56pm | Report comment
I’ve watched a couple of the Toyota Cup matches Canberra, one of the comp leaders, have played and they have some quite outstanding youngsters coming through. But that has been true in the past and but for the halcyon days of Daley’s time, all that promise has led to nothing. I expected Canberra to be, along with Cronulla, one of the big movers this year. I got it right with Cronulla, but for all Canberra’s potential, they just dont seem to have the grunt to challenge for the 8 at present. Perhaps a couple of old experienced and willing forward leaders would assist. Losing their five eighth, Campese, through injury consistently hasnt helped. But they need to learn how to intimidate oppositons, assert authority etc. At presnet they seem to be going through the motions.