BY ROB There is only one thing the Raiders need concern themselves with this week – ball control. Gone are the days when a player could carry a ball safe in the knowledge that a loss of control in a two man tackle would more than likely lead to a penalty for stripping. Referees … More Raiders Rumble! Raiders v Eels Rd 5 Preview
BY BOZZA Previous Round Following Round On Saturday night the Eels began life as a full-time tenant at ANZ Stadium, as their spiritual home on O’Connell Street is transformed into a state of the art facility for Sydney’s west. The last time they found themselves in this situation, the day Parramatta Stadium was opened in … More Parra Post-Mortem – A less than sweet welcome to a new home
BY BOZZA Following Round Before Saturday night’s disappointing start to the 2017 season, the last time St Kilda tasted defeat against Melbourne was over a decade ago when the teams met in the 2006 elimination final. A night memorable to many as it proved to be Grant Thomas’ last in charge of the team, but … More Saints Summary: Nobody Beats Melbourne 15 Times In A Row
BY BOZZA A little like a broken record, this correspondent has pushed the barrow of Glenn Maxwell whenever discussing the number 6 position in the Australian test side. Throughout the summer The National Selection Panel (NSP) has looked in every other direction possible, seemingly in stubborn opposition to even considering the talented Victorian for the … More Maxwell Grabs His Chance
BY DAN Previous Round Following Round The Canberra Raiders have no one to blame but themselves for their 13-12 loss to the Brisbane Broncos. Many may look to the injury to Josh Hodgson, or the borderline incompetent scheduling, but the real enemy was in green last night. Poor last tackle options and astoundingly poor handling … More Raiders Review: Own Worst Enemy?
BY ROB In round 1 the Raiders showed they had the defensive verve to go toe to toe with competition heavyweights like the Cowboys. In round 2 they wilted in the face of a focused and determined Sharks side. In round 3 they clicked into gear, dismantled the Tigers and ended Jason Taylors’ time … More Raiders Rumble! Raiders V Broncos Rd4 Preview
BY ROB To say that the sin bin has been applied erratically across the opening three rounds of the 2017 NRL Premiership is an understatement. Round 1: Bulldogs vs Storm Will Chambers and Sam Kasiano are sinbinned for 10 minutes each. Offence: Striking Did it warrant the Bin? Yes. After the NRL decided to crack down on on-field … More GET IN THE BIN
BY BOZZA Previous Round Following Round The view from the top was brief for Parramatta. In front of a sparse crowd at CBUS Super Stadium, the Eels were brought back to earth after a flying start to 2017. Against an opponent ravaged by injury, they were reminded that behind every fixture in the NRL season … More Parra Post-Mortem: A Brief Stay At The Top
BY DAN Previous Round Following Round The Canberra Raiders 46-6 victory over the Wests Tigers was not perfect. In fact the Tigers helped as much as hindered the Raiders march to victory. While the errors of previous weeks remained with the Raiders, the side they faced was unable to capitalise. Instead the Raiders found their … More Raiders Review: Capable Of More?
BY BOZZA His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. There’s vomit on his sweater already, mum’s spaghetti. He’s nervous, but on the surface, he looks calm and ready. On Sunday afternoon, Day 2 of our Grand Final against Cheltenham Park, the words of Marshall Mathers’ grandson were true of the situation I found … More A Long And Nervous Wait
