Friday is a historic footy evening in our nation’s capital. It’s the biggest game of rugby league ever played in town, the most meaningful fixture at GIO Stadium.
There’ll be round about 28,000 people packed into the grandstands and the standing alleys will be shoulder to shoulder as the poor stadium ushers try fruitlessly to move people on.
Since the qualifying final win in Melbourne, the city of Canberra has been getting more and more worked up into a state of expectation, excitement and nerves. The green sausages in green bread are back, washed down with Raiders brand choc-mint-flavoured milk.
From all reports the town is humming with a Raiders fervour not seen since the glory days of the late 1980s and early ’90s – and well should it be.
When the Raiders are going well, the ACT gets buzzing. They love their local sporting teams but only one really gets the whole place truly up and about and that’s the Green Machine.
Even more than when the Brumbies, Capitals, Cavalry or any other local team start looking like winning something big, the Raiders get the capital pumping.
The fans on Friday night will be passionate, they will be incredibly loud and they’ll be engaged in the game.
They’ll also have high expectations of a grand final spot, coming up against a South Sydney side that was brutalised in Week 1, then lucky to escape last week for a variety of reasons.
The Rabbitohs are hardly busted up and staggering into Canberra, but they’ve had to play an extra match and after giving up 11 tries and 56 points in two finals games, they’ve not been at all convincing this series.
The whole scenario couldn’t be better set up for the men in green to advance to their first grand final since 1994.
And that’s what Wayne Bennett will use to have his side primed to cause the upset.
If ever you wanted to cultivate a classic ‘us versus them’ motivation, the master coach has had one handed to him on a platter, free of charge. He’s already got his players driving themselves to the game a day early, like they did before their 16-12 win at this venue in Round 10.
They’re a good team, South Sydney. They’ve got genuine superstars of the game in Damien Cook, Sam Burgess and Cameron Murray, a tried and tested halves combination of Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker, try-scoring threats all across the backline, and those two things Bennett loves the most – grit and grunt.
Tom and George Burgess will run with purpose. Former Raider Liam Knight has proven an astute pickup who makes metres and sticks tackles. These three have the ability to knock opposition forwards around.
Wayne ‘Dirty Harry’ Bennett. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
There’s plenty of signs to give cardinal and myrtle fans hope. Canberra’s journey to the top four wasn’t without its doubters. Until a Round 22 comeback win in Melbourne, the Raiders had lost all four games against top four sides. When the regular season was finished they’d also lost to Parramatta (fifth) and twice to Manly (sixth).
In fact, that famous win in Victoria, coming from 18 points down, was just Canberra’s second regular-season win against a team that finished in the top six. Against the top six sides they were 2-7, in addition to beating Parramatta in Round 5.
The Raiders have been very gettable at home in 2019, with six of their nine losses at Bruce. This included losses to the Warriors and Cowboys, teams you would expect to handle without too much trouble.
John Bateman of the Raiders scores a try. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Does this mean much now that we’re in finals? Yes and no. Ricky Stuart’s charges will have taken immeasurable levels of belief from the wins against the Storm. They absorbed everything the benchmark team had to offer and gave a little back of their own.
But it’s the two losses to Manly that may prove most instructive. Des Hasler’s men chipped away after falling behind early, tested the limits of referee tolerance and employed niggly, mouthy gamesmanship to get under Canberra’s skin. It worked at Brookvale (Raiders led 12-0) and it worked in Canberra (Raiders led 8-0).
Souths have the players to keep Canberra off balance and they have the quality to score points. It’s their defence and their discipline where they’ll be tested, but the 2019 Raiders have not been the freewheeling, heavy-scoring unit we’ve been used to of late.
The atmosphere during Friday night’s game will be phenomenal. There’s going to be pressure on the home team to come out blazing. If the Bunnies can’t get their defence set early, they’ll most likely be planning the end-of-season drinks during the halftime break.
But Bennett will have his side prepared for battle and desperate to take their season to the last game.
I can’t wait to see how this one plays out. Can South Sydney win? Of course they can. It’s a 50-50 chance.
Facing up against one of the game’s best defences who are fit, firing and in front of their fanatical fans, it’s going to be bloody difficult. But Souths will embrace playing the role of the villain.
Peter
Guest
Ian, yep, the officials have been told (a) what’s required and (b) that they’ll be staffing the pie van out the back of Bruce in kilts in August if they don’t deliver the required result. To be fair to the NRL, the paper bags have already been packed with used but unmarked $20 notes specially sourced from the mob who delivered GWS to their first GF. I do love a conspiracy, even when it’s as silly as yours.
steveng
Roar Rookie
HaHaaa, all I can say is this, yes yes yes, we know that ‘the Bunnies have been very poor thus far in the finals and for a few weeks prior’ and blah blah blah but, we have been here before, hence and that is why we will prevail ‘no matter what’ our boys will be primed 1000%, there will not be a repeat of 2018 as 2019 is our year! Go You Bunnies
Ian_
Roar Rookie
My biggest concern is the way the game is refereed. If they allow slowing of the ruck and don't enforce the 10 metres, then it brings Souths closer to the Raiders. (and I'll suspect the NRL prefers Souths to make the GF)
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The Raiders to win easily. Time for Wighton to go up a notch and I reckon he will. Manly without Turbo and a few others blew the Bunnies off the park away from their home and almost scored another few tries as well. Parker went over but couldn't ground it, Wadell was in the clear but didn't pass early enough and Tafua couldn't regather his own chip. Manly's defence was poor in patches also but the Raiders will be strong for most of the game in that department. The Raiders aren't missing key players like Manly were and are at home. Raiders by 30. I can't recall the Cookie monster causing a weakened Manly defence many problems either. I've thought all along this was a dark horse year and that horse is being saddled up shortly.
Randy
Roar Rookie
Its weird, when we played the Rabbitohs early in the year it was clear our game plan was to run it at Gagai, except it wasn't very successful on that night. It was poor tactics actually because I think Ethan Lowe was playing left centre and the few times Cotric got the ball he basically had him beat but Hodgson and Wighton kept going down Gagai's side. Anyway the point is the Raiders need to have a plan B if attacking the edges isn't working.
buttery
Roar Rookie
People seem to be forgetting that Souths lost a winger in the 56th minute & then their fullback a couple of minutes later, they had to throw in a couple of forwards & shift players to other positions for that last 20 minutes, then the last 3 minutes they had no one on the bench so to beat Manly was a gutsy effort, Canberra should be very wary, this will be a top game.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
I see The Rabbits winning the big dance. Why? I think the Raiders played their GF already (against The Storm), and The Roosters and Storm will play theirs this weekend. They’ll bash each other and whoever wins, will have trouble lifting the following week.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Souths have been very poor thus far in the finals. Smashed by the Roosters, then a scrappy win over the Sea Eagles where the better team lost. Raiders should win comfortably
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Its an be a jittery time but I would much rather be where you guys are than in Bali where my guys are,
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Maybe - not convinced that Souths would have scored if Parker and Jurbo hadn't interfered. I think Gagai was running out of gas and exaggerated the interference to earn his side a penalty and I'm not sure that Roberts would have scored either otherwise it would have been awarded a penalty try. Maybe Manly could have defended it without giving away penalties. Anyway water under the bridge now. Agree that Manly did amazingly well given the players they were missing - Joel Thompson and Curtis Sironen were two of the form second rowers until they were injured and TommyT was a huge loss to their scoring potential.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Yeah but if Parker and Jurbo hadn't interfered with the Rabbitohs, Souths would have been another 12 points up so, same result. ;-) Had Turbo and Sironen been playing, based on that defensive effort by the Bunnies, then the result could have been entirely different.
Harry
Guest
I don't want to get ahead of myself but I'm licking my lips at the thought of the Raiders' rested, agile, mobile forwards running at the Bunnies' giants in the last 15 minutes of the game...
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I think Manly shot themselves in the foot in the last 20 minutes last week. The Jurbo sin bin, DCE takes too long for his drop out kick, Parker's attempted tripping - some brain explosions really cost the Sea Eagles dearly. That Sutton try was a beauty though. The Raiders have been working hard on how to close out games so it will be interesting to see who finishes best.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
You should have heard me when Bateman scored in Melbourne - one of the great moments in league for me. I'm hangin in their jimmmy but you always prepare yourself for disappointment as you never know what will happen. There won't be any excuses though as the Raiders have had the perfect preparation.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Hey Harry - you'd think the Raiders would be jumping out of their skins for this one - and they wouldn't want to let the home fans down again. Easier said than done of course - but if its a tight one I reckon their fitness and experience in close games might get them over the line.
Harry
Guest
The Raiders were absolutely fired up right from the start for the game against Melbourne a couple of weeks ago and only really let the intensity drop for the first ten minutes of the second half in that game. With the week off to rest there's no reason why they shouldn't bring that kind of intensity right from the start again. Bateman should lead from the front and drag the team with him just like he has all season and unlike a lot of his teammates he's got experience in these kinds of games - even if not in the NRL.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
It's just too bad that the two remaining "good guys" can't meet each other in the GF. Although I wasn't happy with some of the tactics that the Raiders employed against the Bunnies in their last game in Canberra I have had nothing but admiration and respect for how they have carried themselves this year and they are certainly a team that can go all the way. Go the Bunnies! ;-)
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Stay strong Geoff. Dont start doubting now. In the 2015 GF with 2 mins to go I turned to the nearest mob of Cows supporters and screamed, ' we've got this.' Send out the positive vibes. I'll give you some help. Prayer number two.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
We can always hope Slammin Sam and some of his mates are still lost on one of the roundabouts come game time! Or they take a diversion to Fyshwick or Mooseheads! Should be a great contest Papi - the clash earlier in the year was one of the games of the season I thought - even if we lost. Will be interesting to see what Souths team turns up - the tired, running on the smell of an oily rag version that some experts are expecting or a revved up version. And how will the Raiders start - pumped or flat? I'm expecting a contest. Wish it was on tonight!
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
12 of the existing Rabbitohs have been here before (prelim final 12 months ago), with many premiership winners (Burgess bro's, Sutton, Reynolds) and Ethan Lowe (2 finals + Origin) that should put the Rabbitohs in good stead against a less experienced (albeit strong) Raiders. I don't think you can take too much from the Week 1 Finals (1v4, 2v3) as they weren't elimination, so winning wasn't as critical. Once we get to elimination (see Rabbitohs and Storm last week) the stakes change and experience kicks in (see Sutton last 15 minutes against Manly).