In the end, it came down to one missed penalty kick in the 77th minute that split the Tigers and the Raiders in Canberra last night. The Tigers move to the Preliminary Final, and the Raiders rue their missed chances for what many believed was their best shot at a Premiership in over a decade.
Despite the heartbreak of Friday night’s loss, the future looks promising for a Canberra side that never really seemed in control and yet came close to pulling off their seventh straight victory for the season. In a game that the Tigers appeared to dominate from the start, the Raiders showed remarkable resilience to keep the contest so close, particularly after the loss of the talismanic Terry Campese with 23 minutes to go.
Down 24-12 after 50 minutes, the young Canberra side looked overwhelmed by the energy and charisma of the Tigers, led by an inspirational Benji Marshall. And when Campese was carried from the field seven minutes later, a comfortable Tigers victory loomed. But the Raiders fought back, and somehow had their chances to win in the last five minutes, including Croker’s already infamous missed penalty shot.
Though the Raiders are gone for this year, they take momentum into 2011 along with a host of young talent who have tasted finals football and will be thirsty for more. The Raiders’ young guns have shown they won’t be overawed, with coach David Furner praising the side’s “second half spirit” despite Croker’s missed kick. Raiders captain Alan Tongue reiterated his coach’s sentiments. “We showed the type of players we are, the type of character we’ve got at the club,” Tongue said. “The lessons that we’ve learned out of this game and this season – coaching staff, players, the whole club – I’ve been really proud of what we’ve done.”
Speaking about the kick, Furner reminded that it was only Croker’s cool head under pressure which made the difference against the Panthers last week. “If you think about last week, his goal-kicking put us in this position…he’ll be stronger than that. He’s a very good kid, and a very good goal-kicker.”
The Raiders’ run this year has injected some much-needed excitement into rugby league in Canberra. “There was such a buzz around Canberra, and that was really exciting to be a part of,” Tongue said. “Hopefully they’ll all be back again next year to watch us grow as a footy team.”
Recently, there hasn’t always been much to cheer about for Canberra’s league fans, and the club has struggled drawing marquee players away from the lifestyle of Sydney or the climate of Queensland to the cold, quiet capital. But the Raiders are clearly a tight-knit club, which has a level of belief and camaraderie to more than make up for the lack of glamour lifestyle and high profile players. And the club has a strong pool of juniors to draw from, some of whom, like Croker and fullback Josh Dugan, have played starring roles this year.
“However it’s all washed up,” Tongue says, “I know that we’re going to be better for it next year”. With crowd numbers at record highs, a blend of youth and senior leaders who set an example on and off the field, the Raiders are on their way to rebuilding a dynasty to rival their team of the mid-90s. It’s likely the Raiders will still be playing this time next year, and it’s hard not to think they might go one better next time.
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