BY ROB

You can wave bye-bye to the traditional Rumble format this week, because I’m in a red mist hangover after last weekend’s debacle against the Cows. Consider this the “Get a rocket up ya!” edition.

Before we proceed I must acknowledge that our beloved Green Machine are not playing with a full strength roster. Horse is inching closer to a first grade return, but the likes of Hosking, Fogarty and Saulo are weeks away, if not indefinite for the remainder of the standard season.

It’s tricky to decide where to start with the current issues plaguing this team, but let’s start with a point that we currently pride ourselves on: the middle. The Cowboys thoroughly pumped the Milk through the middle, dominating them in both go-forward and defence. Commentators and pundits quite often talk about the Raiders desire to (and capabilities) when it comes to this area of the game, to the point where they still cover it (habits are hard to break) even when the Raiders aren’t doing particularly well on that front.

So why are Canberra struggling to match it in the forwards this year? It currently boils down to intent. Other mid-field/mid-ladder teams are busting out of the gates with gusto and enthusiasm, dominating the lads in green and skipping out to leads that are just too hard to chase down (despite the Raiders occasional courageous efforts).

In the era of high-tempo V’landysball teams can no longer afford to ease themselves into games. The old, natural rhythms of rugby league have been replaced by a blitzkrieg mindset where the team that can win the first 15-20 mins often goes on to win the game. The Raiders need to learn this, and they need to learn it quickly. If you’re not the side dominating you’re the ones being dominated. There is no time to get up to speed, you have to leave the tunnel revved up and ready to go.

Offensively the Raiders forwards need some fine-tuning. Tapine and Papa are exempt here, simply because they both know what’s needed from them and are able to execute it. Every other forward needs to be practicing one thing: going down in a tackle tummy first and grabbing that quick play-the-ball.

Too often the forwards are getting wrestled onto their backs and tangled up with defenders who know that each microsecond of delay gains their teammates an advantage. Don’t waste time wrestling with tacklers unless like Taps or Papa you have the ability to pop that clean offload. Just get to your front and play that ball.

I could write a couple of paragraphs on our hooking woes but apparently this just upsets some folks right now so we’ll just pretend like everything’s peachy on that front.

Support is another key issue where the Raiders can improve. Too often I see Tapine or Papa get their ball-laden arm free, only for them to proffer it in several directions before they find a willing recipient.

Those around them need to be attentive and ready to push through – even when the Raiders get an offload away it’s often to a player standing still, who then has to get through the defence the previous player had just engaged.

I won’t bang on about kick chase discipline because the NRL’s disruptor rule has all but wrecked this aspect of the game – we might be able to tighten up on this front once the Fog returns but until then it’s a lottery.

Tactics and strategies mean nothing without intent, and that’s where this side really needs to awaken their inner viking. They’ve managed to rally themselves via honesty sessions in the past, and this may be one of the periods where the coaching staff need to step back and let the playing group, particularly the senior statesmen, take the reins and get some intensity back into this team.

The Green Machine are just as athletic and talented as any other side (on a good day), they just need to realise this and look within.

And please, lay off the crash-balls.

Raiders by 20+!

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