After a disastrous 2013 season which saw Josh Dugan, Blake Ferguson and Sandor Earl all depart the club in controversial circumstances, this year didn’t prove to be any better for the Canberra Raiders.
Despite the acquisition of former Test coach Ricky Stuart, who arrived at the club after quitting Parramatta just one season into a three-year contract, the Raiders under performed in 2014, missing the finals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1985-86.
Only three straight wins to finish the year prevented the club from claiming what would have been their first wooden spoon since their foundation in 1982.
But what else went wrong for the Raiders, and what highlights, if any, where there for the club’s fans? Let’s find out.
Canberra Raiders
Final ladder position: 15th (8 wins, 16 losses, -157 differential)
What went right?
The Raiders defeated three eventual finalists in the first half of the season, including the Rabbitohs away in Round 4 and their biggest win for the season over the Cowboys in Round 11.
The form of Anthony Milford was also a highlight for long-suffering fans, who will surely be missing him when he heads to the Broncos next year.
What went wrong?
Until their wooden-spoon showdown against the Cronulla Sharks in Round 24, the Raiders were unable to notch consecutive victories all season, and of the eight wins they enjoyed only half were at home.
That said, they allowed the Warriors and Dragons to score their first victories in their own backyard for the first time since 1997 and 2000 respectively, ending long hoodoos of 17 and 14 years, respectively.
They also boasted the second-worst defence in the competition, with only Wests Tigers conceding more points in the year.
Best win: defeated the South Sydney Rabbitohs 30-18 at ANZ Stadium in Round 4
Easily their best victory in a dismal year, the Raiders stunned early-season premiership contenders the Rabbitohs in the first half, leading 22-0 at half-time before eventually winning 30-18.
It was fullback Anthony Milford who was the star as he showed Raiders fans just exactly what they will be missing with a performance for the ages.
The victory exposed the Rabbitohs as premiership pretenders so early in the season, but it would not be indicative of how the two teams would fare for the remainder of the year. The Bunnies are now within one win of making their first grand final since 1971, while the Raiders won their last three games to avoid the wooden spoon but still finish second last on the ladder.
Worst loss: lost to the New Zealand Warriors 54-18 at GIO Stadium in Round 21
The Raiders entered their Round 21 match against the Warriors at home confident that they could defeat the Kiwis and keep up their bid to avoid the spoon.
After all, the Warriors were without star halfback Shaun Johnson, and hadn’t won at Canberra Stadium since 1997 when current coach Ricky Stuart was their halfback directing the play.
But the form guide went out the window as the Warriors posted a half-century on the Green Machine for the second time in the season, after doing so at Eden Park in Round 9.
Had it not been for three late tries from the Raiders, the defeat would have been more humiliating. In retrospect those three tries prevented the Warriors from making a finals appearance in 2014.
The future
With Anthony Milford departed, Brett White retired and Terry Campese unlikely to be around much longer, the Raiders will have to look to their younger players if they are to return to the finals in 2015.
Mitch Cornish is one player who has impressed. He can play either halfback or five-eighth, but can also fill in at fullback if required. He’s therefore the logical replacement for Milford.
The Raiders have been unable to land any big signings, however they have landed the services of Hull’s Josh Hodgson from the English Super League and former Rooster Iosia Soliola, whose NRL debut was overseen by Ricky Stuart at Bondi.
Storm flyer Sisa Waqa has also signed on and could be a good replacement for Milford in the backline. The winger featured in their 2012 premiership victory over the Bulldogs and has very good aerobatic skills.
Thus, after a rather disastrous first season under Ricky Stuart this year, it will be interesting to see whether the Raiders can make some improvement in 2015, or whether the club will continue to fall backwards.
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