BY DAN

The Canberra Raiders 26-25 victory over the Dolphins was exhilliriating, exhausting and painful. Canberra were good, bad, insane, and somehow victorious. They showed exactly why they are limited right now, and why they somehow keep manufacturing victories despite all manner of crimes. This victory wasn’t perfect. This isn’t a path they can follow to the premiership. But let me drop some truth bombs on you: life is hard, we’re stronger together, and winning shits on losing.

The Raiders live for chaos. It’s their natural state. When things are easy they make them hard. When things are hard they don’t try to make them easy but instead thump each problem with the base of their fist like hammering it will fix it. They’ve never met a challenge they couldn’t hammer. And in this game they were that subtle. Hard, or harder were the only options. More or more-er. Attack it like you lost your job, your wife, your dog and that wall had it coming.

A golden point win, the second of the season, never felt likely as the game slipped away in the second half. It was in this period both the wonder and the limit of this side was exposed. They simply could not organise themselves to attack in any way other than four hit ups and hope. As the ‘Phins whittled the lead and got themselves into position to take well-rehearsed field goals, the Raiders first forgot to do it, then never really looked like doing it, until they did. Then they gave Redcliffe a conga-line of opportunities to win the game, which was overcome through a mix of fortune and the single-minded effort that would make Sisyphus wonder if he was out of a job. Somehow Rapana slotted not one, but two, field goals and the Raiders walked away victors. How did we get here?

Well it started with a game plan made for the wet. The Raiders were keen to smash the Dolphins in the middle of the park. Win the middle and let the kids play a bit of footy off the back. It’s a game plan that’s about as complex as a baby’s rattle. It’s either making noise or it isn’t. It either shuts the opposition up or it doesn’t. Joey Tapine was a huge part of this and what was amazing about it. It’s wild when 23 runs for 205m, 76 post contact, 4 tackles busts understates the impact. He had 50 plus metres in extra time alone and somehow kept finding the energy to bend a line that was entirely focused on him. He took two critical carries on the game-winning set. Even more amazing he got a hand to one of the Dolphins’ field goal attempts. People like him make generals look like geniuses.

He wasn’t the only impressive operator through the middle. Josh Papalii (16 for 158m) as a bench forward is a joy to watch. I don’t think there was a run he had that didn’t result in his luxurious mane poking out the other side of the line. On another week an arm would have followed and hell would have been wrought on the opposition. He keeps getting himself in the most wonderful positions. Trey Mooney (10 for 91m), again didn’t crank the stats but looks dangerous every time he touched the ball. The back five all did their work here, most notably Matt Timoko (who had 186m despite never getting the ball in anything remotely approaching an advantageous position) and Xavier Savage (16 for 145m) who in addition to scoring a try incredible for a) getting to the ball and b) making the catch, also was one of their most exciting attacking options as well as being an absolute brute in yardage.

Make no mistake the strategy of maniacally targeting the middle like the 28 days zombies chasing brains often worked. Pushing big men back behind the ruck was successful for a period. Two tries came from crash plays but the end result was also how they were built. One-out runs, bending the line, running direct. Neither crash ball was deceptive. They involved no slight of hand, no isolation of a defender. Just power tearing into the line. Ata Mariota had multiple players there to hold him up, as did Elliott Whitehead. They just got the better of their opposition. The entire set leading up to Smell’s try involved one play that involved a second pass. Ditto for Ata’s.

But this success was almost a poisoned chalice. Fanging it up the guts meant that when push came to shove and the Raiders had to, you know, create something, it became clear that they’d near forgot how to do it. Even when they’d had so much success getting around the outside of the Dolphins right-side defence they seemed reluctant to do it. They almost resorted to it out of desperation and it was maddening how it was almost always the way to finding critical metres. These metres got Rapana into position for his first field goal. In periods in the second half where the Raiders were stuck on their own line both Savage and Timoko simply ran around the compressed defence and it led to good things. If only the Raiders knew you’re allowed to pass wide more than once a set.

The Raiders did play a bit of footy off the back of their middle attack but none of it was choreographed or smooth. The best stuff was Ethan Strange using his left foot step and creating a broken line to target. He played face to Mariota to isolate him on small defenders and hope he popped a pass. He did that successfully once, and it resulted in Xavier Savage’s only error, where if he’d gloved a catchable pass he’d be in space (and boy, you know what happens then). On other occasions he nearly created a million things, with his feet, with a pass. It’ll come eventually. He’s learning, growing, and that edge is building with him. On the other side Kaeo Weekes scored a try which may have been the only time the entire Raiders attacking line looked set up and moving at pace. Decisions had to be made (like Herbie Farnworth selling out on Timoko) and Kaeo took the line. He also kicked well, outside of a singular Jack Wighton moment.

But these good moments aside too often the Raiders were reliant on the spotty decision making of Danny Levi and Jordan Rapana. They’re both instinctive players, and poor influences on each other. They combined to take almost every opportunity to push down a short-side. Look I get it. I love a short-side. Some of my best friends are short-sides. I’m even short myself (5’9 but boy I write tall). But movements in close quarters require perfect connection, which Canberra don’t have, and often leave a fat side with Matt Timoko twiddling his thumbs and wondering what he has to do to get isolated on someone.

But even then both had great moments. Levi came away with two try assists and an improved defensive effort. Rapana was the person the entire side turned to when they didn’t know what to do. He marshalled a team that is un-marshallable. He led the un-leadable. Whatever was needed was what he gave. Even if he’d never done it before. He worked it out. That’s what he does.

So they played a bit of footy, but it was limited by strategy (and perhaps execution). That was compounded in the second half by a thicket of idiocy, a confederacy of dunces, in setting up the game. They gave away late-set infringements. They dropped the ball plenty, mostly in their own area (errors and restarts were part of every Redcliffe try, both in the lead up and the final act). And they started to get lost. They didn’t get to kicks on the last. They didn’t even get two passes wide on one late game set, stuck around the ruck working further and further into a corner. It was like a cyclone of energy around the ruck, dragging everything inwards. It was amazing they managed to set up for a field goal (let alone three), and nail two.

It was such a contrast to the annoyingly Wayne-Bennetty side they were going up against. Their opposition kicked multiple forty-twenties, set up well for field goals. They always seemed to have the time and space to get it done, by working towards a point on the ground. They probably should have won. But they didn’t. It just goes to show that sometimes it’s the person in the fight most willing to punch a tree that’s going to win. The ‘Phins were too smart for that. The Raiders gave it a shot and somehow pulled it off. Cop that, tree.

If there was an underrated part of this victory it’s that while the Raiders were chaotic and idiotic in attack, they were largely courageous and effective in defence. Their middles worked hard all game – they didn’t dominate position and possession entirely (the opposition had more time in Canberra’s half over the entire game by six minutes) but they used their powerful contact to great effect to reinforce advantages. And when the Phins moved to the edges they were met with aggressive and excellent defence. Both Weekes and Savage had critical tackles that ended opposition shenanigans like a Dad’s raised voice. Ethan Strange was tested and targeted by Farnworth. Like almost every test that kid faces he passed with flying colours.

That’s what made the fact that the Raiders were in this mess so frustrating. The ‘Phins got themselves in good positions not because they were tearing the line open but because of the exact kind of chaos ball that Canberra normally thrives on. An offload hit everything but the hand and somehow bobbled to end in a try. Another bomb was knocked back, a pass thrown and space that existed because X didn’t trust Seb to take the catch is taken advantage of. Two tries came from a tackle being made and a problem solved, only for contact to be not quiet perfect, and an offload thrown. One of Morgan Smithies over-pursued as Tapine under-pursued. And Nic Cotric made the fatal error of jamming in to help and coming up with nothing but oxygen.

But structurally it was sound. Partly that’s an opposition without its best attacking weapon, who lost his replacement as the game wore off (though, if Trai Fuller hadn’t used his head on Joe Tapine’s knee the game is likely over at that point). But Canberra also kept their defensive shape in a way they haven’t in recent games. It was pleasing to see.

And it meant that even though the second half went against them it never got away from them. That’s the lunacy of this team. Get the game close. That is all they’re thinking. If their defence holds the fort they can manufacture points. If they can manufacture points they’re close enough to do what it takes. Say what you will about Ricky Stuart but he’s convinced this team they can climb any mountain. One step after the next. One maniacal run after the previous. Finding the effort when you should be cooked. That’s not how you be a perfect team but that insanity is a weapon, and the Raiders brandish it like Excalibur.

The Raiders weren’t perfect, or even good. They aren’t perfect and won’t be if they keep being so tight and conservative. They are limited by the same things that make them chaotic and great. They are not structured. They are not smooth. They are insane and do things in every way they shouldn’t. They simply refuse to make things easy, for themselves, for the opposition, for anyone associated with the game.

This is the side for now. Without Fogarty and Hosking this is who they are. High floor, ceiling melting like a Dali painting. Winning takes every ounce of them. But here’s the thing – they’re willing to give it. If at some point they work out a way to expel this energy more efficiently and effectively the world will shake and lava will flow. And they’ll tear into the collapsing earth like they’ve treasure to find.

If you like our page on Facebook,  follow us on Twitter, or share this on social media, I dunno man, i’ll most likely pour another whisky and shake my head at what we saw. Don’t hesitate to send us feedback (dan@sportress.org) or comment below if you have anything you want addressed.