- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
After a terrible start to season 2018, the Raiders were starting to build some momentum with two wins in a row against the Bulldogs and the Eels.
The team was starting to play with belief and I fell for it hook, line and sinker.
I decided to tip them against the Rabbits. After all, halfback Aiden Sezer was beginning to look creative and dominant in attack. His short kicks in the previous Eels game were sublime, as if from the golden boot of Johnathan Thurston or Cooper Cronk.
The forwards were impressing with power and strength and there were even a few surprise standouts like Iosia Soliola who started his career as a centre and is now apparently a prop. The 31-year-old is a good example of the attitude change of the Raiders’ forwards – hitting the line with power and tackling with maximum energy and ferocity.
Not to mention the exciting combination of Jordan Rapana and Joey Leilua – they even have their own nickname Leipana, a sign they must be doing something right.
So yes, I tipped the Raiders with a touch of confidence. A voice inside convinced me that they were on a roll and the early losses were simply a result of the ginormous Raiders pack getting used to the pace of the game, working to find their fitness. They tell me this happens every year.
Unfortunately, I was wrong, and it was a painful loss for Ricky Stuart and me – I was the only one of my tipping competition who believed the Raiders had a chance. The final score 42-22 in favour of the South Sydney Rabbits, with seven tries scored against a defence I thought was ferocious and determined.
It was actually 18-0 before the 20th-minute mark of the match.
So will I ever tip the Raiders again? What can they do to restore my faith? If there is a criticism of Ricky Stuart coached sides, you could argue that they run hot and cold throughout a season. It’s as if he’s a great motivator for a short span of time, but players seem to stop listening to the same script after a while.
Having said that, he’s not the one who is dropping the ball and missing the tackles.
The Raiders’ next three opponents are the North Queensland Cowboys, Gold Coast Titans and the Cronulla Sharks. None of these sides have set the world alight in 2018, but I’ll be tipping them unless key injuries or suspensions cruel their starting sides.
I just can’t ride the Green Machine at the moment. How about you?
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.