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When Nathan Cleary kicked the winning field goal in Penrith’s 23-22 victory over Canberra, it was a case of deja vu for the Raiders and their 7622 faithful fans: leading with less than ten minutes on the clock only to lose narrowly.
It was the fifth time this season they have lost from winning positions in the second half. The fifth time!!
At the time of writing, Canberra sit in tenth position, with 12 points. If they had the mental capacity to close out those five matches, amazingly, they would be leading the competition, with 22 points.
Their 2016 season, when they finished second and came within a match of the grand final, seems to be a shot in the pan. They’ve looked good, and they have pretty much the same team, but the results aren’t there anymore.
For whatever reason, the confidence has gone and a team that could easily be leading the competition will have to work their butts off just to sneak into the top eight this season.
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Since 2016, Canberra have lost 12 matches by six points or fewer – only rivalled by the Bulldogs, who have lost 11.
In that time, Canberra have lost two matches by six points, three matches by four points, three matches by two points, and four matches by one point. In an alternative universe, Ricky Stuart is coaching the best team in the competition, even with Josh Hodgson on the sidelines.
Last year, they finished in tenth position, recording 26 points, having lost seven matches by less than six points.
Let’s go back to that alternative universe. The Raiders finish second with 40 points. If certain things have gone their way, Canberra would be in the midst of a dynasty similar to what they had in the late 1980s and early ’90s.
But in this universe, they are a lower-mid-table club, where they deserve to be.
The top teams grind out the victories. The top teams’ big players step up in moments that matter. It’s not that Canberra don’t do that, it’s not that Canberra don’t have that. But they don’t do it enough.
I’m not sure what’s going on in the nation’s capital, but whatever it is, it needs to change.
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