BY DAN

Dear football gods,

It’s been a really fun season to be a Raiders fan. After a few years with some really tough times (remember the Warriors game? The Panthers? Which one? Stop thinking) it’s been nice to have a bit of success. The team has played really well, it’s been massively exciting to see some players come into their own, either fulfilling their potential (Jack! Big Papa!) or breaking onto the scene (Charnze! Bailey! I guess even Bato!).

Some of these boys have rightly earned a spot for their national sides that play on this, and coming weekends. The list includes Nicoll-Klokstad, Leilua, Wighton, Papalii, Cotric, Bateman, Hodgson and Whitehead. It can include Bailey Simonsson and Ata Hingano depending on how you feel about reserves and contracts. Safe to say it’s a long list.

Now, I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Canberra Raiders but we have a habit of things going pear shaped at the wrong times, particularly out of season. Josh Hodgson hurt himself so bad after an international they made a new rule, which was lucky because the Raiders got to think about using it when Jordan Rapana got injured in an international. Let’s not forget Ata Hingano, whose Canberra, and professional, career has been derailed by an injury in an international. You can see why Charnze playing his first international lining up in the front line might worry me a bit.

I’m going to level with you, I’m not a religious man. I don’t know if there’s one football god or many football gods. I don’t even know if you exist. I don’t care if Australia lose. I’m not even certain what we’re playing for (other than the beauty of Rugby League which is as good reason as any).

I’m just a man standing before you begging that you let the Canberra boys get through these internationals unscathed.

For my sake. For their sake. For Canberra’s sake.

Yours sincerely

Your boy

Dan