How I fell in love with the Canberra Raiders

Brett Kimmorley sure won't be writing anything positive about the Raiders. I am not a Club insider so have no idea why he left his coaching assistant job for the Raiders. It must have ended badly because he's white-anting the Raiders at every opportunity these days. I sure wish the referees would start to love the Raiders, as they seem to be making very poor decisions when the Raiders play. Simple things like knock- on's, "tackled" and "held" seem to be interpreted very differently for some reason. Kimmorley reckons Brenko Lee should be in First Grade apparently, but the guy is barely influencing games in the U20's. Guys who play out of their skin in U20's sometimes make it in Firsts, whereas loafers in U20's just will not.

Lee Briers - tell him punters from downunder rate his old school tatts! Double pint me a Bitter please. Enjoy TH, should be a belter.

Haha you know your pre-match boozing emporiums Jason. Yes I'm going to the game, on a bit of a freebe as it happens, the ex Warrington player, who is now on their coaching staff Lee Briers is an old pal and I'm lucky enough to be on a bit of a corporate gig courtesy of him! I usually drink bitter, what're you having? I've actually written up a preview of the first semi and just waiting to see if the mods will post it. Writing the second preview a bit later. All the best pal.

Cheers mate. Top wrap. Certainly difficult to follow UK for from Downunder as the Cup nears the pointy end. I like how Leeds are at Halliwell and the Wire in Leeds. Drop into the Rodney for a pre- game warmup if you are going to the Saints game...have one for me too.

yeah i live near Bruce Staduim...well GIO Stadium, boooooo. Anyway, I think what Ricky is doing for the club is great. It really surprised me that i read somewhere that he had try to incense a sense or pride back in the club by really recognizing their past achievements like the 3 grand finals wins (this is by means of putting photos and whatnot of these teams back around the locker rooms), but, again, it was just a real surprise that they didn't do this already. I also read in this Brett Mullins interview that things changed around the club around the time he was leaving (http://www.nrl.com/where-are-they-now-brett-mullins/tabid/10874/newsid/63078/default.aspx) , i kind of want to know what exactly happened, because it seemed like around then a once strong club started to slip and by the end of the 00's wasn't a meek shadow of what it once was. I know they hung onto the old annuls of largely recruiting from QLD Cup sides (like Souths Logan) and the local area for way too long, it freakishly worked for them in the 80's and 90's but it just didn't seem to work anymore, this "aggresive recruitment campaign" is the exact thing the Raiders need because basically its what every other club is doing and the Raiders just hadn't kept up, i feel like Ricky knows this from his experience at such established clubs like The Roosters. One other thing...and i know it's a weird quam, but i wish they would re-instate the old logo, nothing makes me prouder seeing them run out with that on their chest on a heritage jersey or whatnot, it was strong, proud and has allot of history. the new one represents allot of bad and forgettable times for me, and, its damn ugly.

Yep, 24,000 at home v Cronulla in Sept 2012 finals, was great weather, a great day! 2013 was going nicely too until Blake Ferguson abruptly left the team. He was our best player. Ill say it again. Both Blakes should be Blues in 2016! Ferguson and Austin. The Blues needs these guys!

Hundred percent agree! I'm a Tigers tragic - tragic being a very appropriate word here :'( - but if there is one game a week I always make sure to catch its the Raiders game. Mostly because of Austin but also in general the style of football they play, they love to throw it around and have some players that can pull off insane feats even if inconsistent - think Lee, Ropana and Waqa. Hope they make the finals!

'Ow do Jason, I actually think Whitehead will make a lot more of an impression than Josh Hodgson has, I really expect him to cut it up next year. The Hull KR v Warrington semi is a funny one to call. Wire have started to come to a little bit over the last couple of weeks and I expect them to go well in the super 8's even though they only have 3 home games. On the other hand the Robins have had a couple of bad defeats on the bounce, first at home to their arch-rivals Hull FC and then last Friday they copped for one hell of a licking at St.Helens. So, needless to say, all the smart money is on Wire to get to Wembley, but the challenge cup is a funny old competition and although it's a bit of a cliché the form book goes out of the window come the cup matches. KR proved this in the last round defeating Wigan on their own midden, this after they'd been cricket scored by the Warriors a fortnight before. Sometimes in the cup certain sides just seem to have the Indian sign and overcome all obstacles. Having said all that it will take an extra special effort for them to win on Saturday The Friday night semi between Leeds and St.Helens should prove to be a real corker, and thus far this season the form book favours the Loiners, having had 2 convincing wins against my beloved Saints. Leeds have come out like a whirlwind on both occasions and clobbered us good style to have both games in the bag by half time. Saints need to be on pins from the first whistle in this one, but I do fancy us to take the spoils, the game is at Warrington, which is no distance from St.Helens and we have a very good record there. I'll stick my Gregory Peck out and say St.Helens Vs Warrington at Wembley on 29 August. Not a bad waffle for an article about Canberra!

Hopefully the Raiders can have a bit of success in the next few years and you can hate them again.

Gday TripeHound. If he's half as good as the hooker then happy days. Hodgson killing it, great player. Do you reckon KR can get over Warrington in the semi?

They are very entertaining! I say put a line through the Cowplods. Just to be sure. Slot the Roosters into 2nd and bump the Raiders up into the 8.

This is so weird, was in the shower this morning and suddenly this flashback come to me when I was 6yrs old watching the Winfield cup GF where Raiders beat the Tigers. I so hated them then because they beat the team with the live tiger in the cage on the sidelines. I swore then that Raiders would be my hated team and latter years felt extra satisfaction when the Broncs got up and utter despair when beaten by Canberra. Thats all changed now 20yrs or so later, them and the Sharkies are definitely my 2nd team! Nice article Mary :)

With regard to recruitment the Raiders have signed an absolute belter in Elliott Whitehead for next year, expect big things from this bloke, he's big, fast, powerful and knows his way to the try line and can dig in and snotter a few in defence as well.

I loved the Raiders in the lat 80's and 90's, as we all did. Bruce stadium when almost full in the 90's for club games was great. And when raiders host finals eg west Tigers 2010, Sharks 2012, it's a wonderful atmosphere. A good Raiders side, is good for the NRL.

Have to agree Mary, the first time I saw woods play I noticed the look on his face , it just read party time, I love mischief let's party!!!! I just hope Hindy doesn't read this article, he gave his heart and soul to the eels but some fans just can't be pleased.

Have to agree Shaun , the raiders couldn't buy any SOO players so now they're creating them,.

Hey Robert - you don't live near Bruce Stadium too do you? I'm hoping the Raiders can make something of this year to be honest. They have been relatively injury free apart from Sam Williams and Shillo early. The Raiders may just have a bit of momentum going into the finals (if they make it) and could casue some damage. You just never know what's going to happen in the following season. I remember after the Raiders beat the Sharks in the first week of the finals in 2012 but then got beaten by Souths the following week everyone thought the Raiders would be specials to make the four at the end of 2013. And then the proverbial hit the fan with the Dugan and Ferguson incidents and the season collapsed in a stinking horrible heap. Ricky Stuart did his best to try and resurrect the corpse in 2014. They just may have a chance to do well this season. Best to make hay while the sun shines as the old proverb says.

I think its finally some well deserved karma for the Raiders. After the total disrespect shown to the club by some of their most promising players in Carney, Dugan and Ferguson, they've ended up with one the most exciting and talented players in the competition who also is a embodies the exact opposite in attitude of those aforementioned. They'll have a strong spine next year if Wighton matures a bit....

Yep, I too enjoy watching the Raiders and Austin go around. They have been entertaining this year. It was criminal that NSW didn't even pick Austin on the bench. NSW got flogged at Suncorp, then two days later, 'awesome austin' scores a hat trick inside the first half. Now that's kharma. But what about Austin's look. Put some black leather gear on him, and he could be the leader of the comancheros.