Waiting for Canberra to fulfil their dangerous potential is like waiting for Pizza Hut to deliver a Bigfoot supreme you ordered in 1995. Except for a few minor differences.
Even though you placed the order in your teens, and even though it’s now a discontinued product, your piping-cold serve of the Hut’s one-time fad slab of trans-fats will probably still arrive before the Raiders do.
Just make sure it comes free-of-charge and with a side of penicillin.
Yes, you can tell I’ve nearly given up on the Green Machine. I’m not sure how much more patience I’ve got to give, and I don’t even follow the club.
They’ve got the pack, they’ve got the coach, and this year, they’ve got the halves, yet their talented squad continues to stooge us by failing to produce on their oft-vaunted promise.
This kind of frustration and disappointment may have been the hallmark of the dying embers of the evil Furner Axis, but I won’t cop it from a team full of gun recruits. If I wanted real inexplicable unpredictability in my footy, I’d go and watch the Oatley thirds.
Once as enticing as diphtheria on the player market, Canberra has enjoyed more fruitful times on talent acquisition in recent seasons. Players no longer view a stint in lime green like a sleepover at the Milat household, and the cattle have slowly arrived as a result.
So in addition to their usual power-pack of country bumpkin fire and brimstone, and a home ground advantage that forces visiting teams to spend time in Canberra against their will, they’ve slowly built an entire roster bursting with verve and capacity.
This is especially so in 2016.
Add Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin, arguably the most lethal halves pairing in the ACT, and I’m going to need more than some home torture and two wins per season over Wayne Bennett’s Dragons.
Yes, I feel let down because I believe the Raiders are a serious team. Seriously capable, seriously threatening, yet seriously proficient at self-sabotage.
Their blueprint for the top four should be a cinch.
Firstly, they should be unbeatable at home, and secondly, their power game should be bruising their way to a handful of wins elsewhere. It’s much like how the Warriors could be successful, only I expect the Raiders to carry it out.
After a strong start to the season, I allowed myself to believe this could be the year they begin braining it towards the hallowed reaches of the upper echelons. Instead, since then they have beaten themselves so often, the only team they have the wood on is themselves.
The Raiders have achieved this hoodoo by mastering the art of abominable decision making. For example, this decision making:
Passing to forwards on the last tackle, passing to the opposition in golden point, and allowing Jordan Rapana to cut his own hair with a kitchen mixer.
As you can see, they’d be better off delegating to a magic eight-ball.
Will they ever hit their straps and dominate this damn competition?
In fairness, this unfulfilled anticipation and cruel frustration inflicted by Canberra’s teams isn’t a fresh concept for their poor rusted-on fans.
It’s been so long since anything enjoyable has occurred that Jason Bulgarelli’s famous season-destroying spill in 2003 is now considered the club’s new ‘glory days’.
Even the new generation of fans are so distanced from the original golden years, they know Ricky Stuart not as their former master halfback, but only as a bloke who kicks chairs at them.
However, this season is far from an unmitigated disaster, and it could still be salvaged with a face-saving seventh placed finish.
In the club’s defence, Sia Soliola, Jeff Lima, Sezer and Austin have all spent time on the sidelines helping nobody, while Josh Hodgson has elevated to the upper-crust of hookers, so that’s better than a kick in the teeth.
Plus there’s always the boost of the Origin period to come, a time when the players they developed for richer clubs go MIA for someone else.
Whatever happens, and despite my impatience and frustration, I’m willing to give Canberra one more chance to finally arrive. Then another chance, then one more after that, and then as many as it takes before they live up to that potential.
But they’re on notice.
Dave
Guest
I think the problem with the raiders is experiance the raiders tend to fall apart after bad ref decisions rather than sucking it up, moving on and trying harder like the great raiders teams of old. Any game that doesn't have a decision like this they usually blitz the opposition. This team has the potential to be the up there with or as the greatest raiders team of all time they just need to back themselves and accept that bad decisions will happen and not let it change their attitude.
sham
Guest
Agree with your comments but I do think that Vaughan in particular deserves serious consideration for Origin - he can bend the line, has good metres per run and can generate quick play the balls. The focus of some on total metres per game is a tad misplaced as a guy who plays more minutes will almost always look better on that. I also think that the comparison with the Panthers is telling. The Panthers are ahead of the Raiders by one point but the way people talk you would think that the Panthers would be way ahead. Vaughan was good against the Panthers. I guess to be fair that Laurie Daley prefers gritty, grinding type players. The raiders are not that sort of side. I personally think that a good argument can be made for NSW going for more mobile forwards like Klemmer with power and good leg speed who have really good metres per run and who can bend the line and generate quick play the balls. On that logic you could go for someone like Vaughan rather than Woods. It won't happen of course. Woods rarely seems to generate quick play the balls despite being a good player who has good metres per run.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
Agree with you about the Raiders lack of mental toughness. Sezer was brought in to close out games but so far he has failed to deliver. In all honesty sham who would you put in the NSW team from the Raiders. Their best players in recent weeks have been Hodgson (a Pom), Rapana (a Kiwi), and Leilua (is still regarded as a hothead and not even discussed as an option in the centres). Sezer and Austin had a chance to put their hands up for the halves positions but haven't set the world on fire. Croker isn't rated because he can be a bit suspect in defence at times (only rarely in my opinion). Fensom gets through a lot of tackles but doesn't bend the line enough in attack. Wighton was spoken of as a future origin player a couple of years ago but is lucky to get a game in the NRL at the moment. Their best chance might be Vaughan or Boyd on the bench as an impact forward but even their efforts have been pretty flat of late.
sham
Guest
Being a raiders fan is certainly character building. They really are the antithesis of the storm and and they are great to watch. It's a cliche but they lack mental toughness. The side looks to have quite a few players who lack confidence at times. While Ricky has built a good side does Ricky build their confidence? I have no idea my guess is that he tries to. The reality is that most commentators dismiss them and ignore them. Every week they should remind themselves that other teams and the commentators just don't rate them. They seem to play poorly when they get some rare good press and get complacent. They get ignored when it comes to origin selection for NSW and this won't change. They beat the Panthers in their first clash and only got beaten by the Panthers in the second match by what the NRL has admitted was an illegal block play but people are raving about the Panthers who will have 3 players chosen for NSW while the Raiders will have zero. This won't change - the raiders have to bond and agree to disprove those who treat them with contempt.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
Great article Dane. Raiders fans are used to being promised the world and ending up disappointed. You'd think with the squad they've assembled they would be challenging for a top six spot but they seem to find novel and innovative ways of losing. Having said that it will be hard to top the finish to the game against the Dragons last Thursday. I had my head in my hands in stony silence for about 5 minutes after watching that train wreck - followed by a ton of expletives with the name Wighton repeated over and over. The family gave me a wide berth for the next hour or so. Raiders fans have been banging on about Rapana moving to full back all week. Perhaps a straight swap with Wighton. Rapana plays like a full back anyway so why not give him more ball. Wighton can just keep it simple and benefit from BJ's offloads. I'd love to see this swap happen but Stuart still seems to have blind faith in Wighton. I hope he's eventually proven correct but I would have lost patience by now. To be fair the Raiders halves haven't had much time together this season. Sezer has played a couple of good games but missed three weeks due to an eye socket injury and Austin has shown very little due to a knee injury plus a hammy then a broken nose. Plus Austin and Sezer were recovering from shoulder surgury during the off season. Once these two spend a bit of time together and get a bit of match fitness I reckon the momentum could change. Hodgson has been great this season but I think he's being trying to do too much at times. He's probably been trying to overcompensate for the absence of the halves earlier in the season and might benefit by mixing his game up a bit more. Ironically the team has looked better when Baptiste comes on to the field as he provides a bit of spark and gives the halves more early ball. I'd lilke to see Baptiste get at least 30 minutes on the field. I'm not sure why Ricky is only giving him the last 10 minutes or so. By that time the game is just about gone. I actually think the Raiders defence has been better this season. Not as many easy tries conceded out wide. They've only had big points put on them twice by the Eels and the Sharks. The Eels game was after a five day turnaround and their form this season has been pretty good while the Sharks have been playing good footy all year. The Raiders have the 9th best defence this year and the 4th best attack. Last season they had the 13th best defence and 3rd best attack. But the attacking style the Raiders play seems to give the opposition some scoring chances as well. About the only time they snuffed out the opposition was aginst the Dogs and the Tigers. Every other team has had a chance to beat them. Anyway enough excuses. Losing those close games to the Dragons, Titans and Panthers has been costly. But you could never accuse the Raiders of being dull. You just don't know what is going to happen when you turn up to Bruce Stadium. I am rarely confident of them winning (apart from the game against the Tigers) but you always rate them a chance.
Kris Swales
Expert
Ahh, Bulgarelli - the sliding doors moment of the Raiders' entire century. We'll get there, though. Just need Sezer and Austin to find something vaguely resembling form (or at the very least get early ball out to their respective edges), and Jack Wighton's brain transplant to get fast-tracked.
Footy 101
Guest
I'm a fan of Jack Wighton but I'm not sold on him as a fullback. He's a talented centre and handy winger, I think a better passing fullback will allow their halves to really shine. It may be worth trying Rapana at fullback? Can't remember how he goes at full back.
Parrafan
Guest
I think we all know Raiders have a very good attack. Their issue both this year and last is their defence. Their whole defensive structure just doesn't work against modern attacking systems. They come too far up and in, and are often isolated. Get rid of Dean Pay and reap the rewards.
jimmmy
Guest
OK I will give the Dragons and Raiders an honourable draw ion this stat. Never said the Raiders can't attack, in fact they are superb at times in this area. They just don't know what to do on last tackle and even when they do they do it poorly.
steveng
Roar Rookie
'I would say Stuarts job depends on it' what??? Stuart can't do it 'all on his own' from the sideline, the Dragons got most of the line ball decisions in that game and there were some shockers for the Raiders to lose that game, in extra time. The Raiders weakness is organisation and their kicking game, Sezer didn't have a good game against the Dragons and after Austin got his nose broken his game fell away, as far as Wighton is concerned, he had a shocker, in every respect of that game, which didn't help the Raiders in that game. To me, the Raiders seem to make far too many elementary mistakes and their pattern of play was all over the place, the Dragons were just as bad but as usual and as always they got and get the majorly of the decisions go their way (at crucial times). That is the Raiders problem, they make far too many elementary mistakes and that costs them allot of games and makes them contest close games that in the majorly of instances they lose by a few points, must be very frustrating for Stuart.
Ken
Guest
The Raiders made a heap of errors last week and, as a Dragons fan, I felt mostly comfortable during the game (well, up until the last period!) that we had them under control. I say mostly, because the feeling disappeared briefly almost every time Leilua or Rapana had the ball in the second half. They are so hard to tackle.
Agent11
Guest
How can they be the worst team by a fair way in last tackle options? The Dragons are scoring just above 10 a game. The Raiders are 4th or 5th best in attack.
E-Meter
Guest
But seriously, I enjoy watching the Raiders when they are on song. But often they stink and they are nothing more than error machines.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
Poor old Raiders. Both Canberra and NZ are the two most frustrating teams to watch. You can watch them completely play a better team off the park one week, and the get smashed by a cellar dweller the very next round. So much potential to be a great club.
E-Meter
Guest
Ahhh boring. What's Hayne up to today?
jimmmy
Guest
I love watching the Raiders play but I guess I am not a fan so in can watch in awe when they go into attacking overdrive and laugh when they implode without having my gut ripped out. To me they do not seem well coached . They do not seem to have anyone who is aware of the state of the game . They are the Anti-Storm. Surely counting to five is not that hard? They are the worst team by a fair way in last tackle options. Love watching but I do feel for their fans.
Cugel
Roar Rookie
Everyone can play this game, but three last minute losses, totalling about 5 minutes play is the diff between 4-1-5 and 7-1-2. Still, we're still too soft in defence out wide close to the try line, and have that all too often propensity of middle the of the road sides of making errors just when it's critically important not to.
Gus Paella
Guest
There is something about "the upper-crust of hookers" that just sounds..........right.
nerval
Guest
I actually had the Raiders down to meet the Broncos in the Grand Final. I'll admit it was a long shot. And it's partly because I love watching them play. I think too that the likes of Jack Wighton have received far too much stick after the last gasp madness v the Dragons. He simply got a little bit over-excited after Rapana's round-the-back flip pass and he won't be the last player to thrown an interception. But, yes, I really do think it's time for them to hit their straps. The time for mucking about is over. Ricky Stuart seems to be trying too hard to be really nice. It doesn't suit him. Especially after a loss such as this one. It's time he and his team got angry.
bear54
The last tackle options by the halves and fullback against the Dragons was abominable and more so when you consider the coach is Ricky Stuart???? In his playing days Stuart had more ideas than an advertising guru with a snoot full of Bolivian marching powder yet he can't inspire his players to such levels of creativity. Perhaps it's because he had the threat of so many willing and capable allies around him whereas Sezer and Austin aren't nearly so lucky. For mine, Stuart should ban any sideways shifts and cut-out passes in the attacking 10 metre zone until the forwards have rammed the centre and created a 5 to 3 match up on one side. Wighton should just be banned from passing.