BY ROB

On Sunday afternoon I made the gargantuan effort to lug our bedroom TV downstairs and set it up in front of our much larger loungeroom panel. My goal was to live out that sports fan dream where you simultaneously watch two of your teams charge to victory.

Oscar Piastri, in his papaya coloured McLaren, was most obliging, effortlessly driving his way to the win in Shanghai. I would’ve enjoyed his victory much, much more if it weren’t for my other team.

As Piastri got closer and closer to victory the Raiders got closer and closer to humiliation. They managed to fend Manly off for 20 minutes, but the no-try for Kris and Horse’s subsequent binning proved too much. Brookvale turned into a slaughterhouse with Manly scoring at will, the Raiders flailing around.

From the slaughterhouse to the fan-forced oven that is Townsville. One of the most physically grueling road trips for any team, 80 minutes in an open-air sauna. The forecast for Saturday afternoon and evening is rain. Lots of rain. Expect greasy, muggy conditions. The team that can retain the Steeden, even if they play conservatively, will be on the right path to success.

The good news is that our captain Joe Tapine is back from suspension, meaning that the Raiders forward pack is back to something nearing full strength. Unfortunately Morgan Smithies has joined Hosking in the injury ward, sitting out this game due to a head knock from the Manly fiasco.

Stuart has rejigged the forwards again to cover these two absences – Papa and Taps start in the front row with Horse taking up lock duties. While this does give the Green Machine a lot of firepower early in the game it does mean that Mooney and Mariota need to be pitch-perfect when they cover for the old warhorses.

The danger in this game is that this could be the moment where the Cowboys get their groove back. Too often the Raiders have encountered this club on struggle street, only for the Cows to fire up and run riot.

For Canberra this is a chance to right the longship. If their processes are solid then the Manly game should be an anomaly, not a constant. They’ll have to balance some aspects of play, such as offloading at will, with the ball security demands of the weather. If Sticky knows how to motivate them right he’ll be reminding them that they toppled the Broncos just two weeks ago, in conditions approaching those of Townsville on a balmy day.

To espouse the tactic of kicking to the corner is to thrash a dead horse, but it really is the best way to nullify the Cows backline – get the ball away from Drinkwater, and try and find a 40/20 off a kick that skids across the slippery turf. Alternatively, if the heavens do open up, kick to Drinkwater. Send him towering bombs off Fog’s boot that swirl and drift in the spray.

Going through the middle will require extra attention. If Papa and Taps can forge that beachhead then supporting players need to be primed for the offload. If they can drag Cows in to defend the middle they’ll clear turf on the edges for the backs to run wild.

The Cowboys do have strike options, even in their current malaise. Drinkwater and Taulagi can be lethal given space to operate in, and you always need to be wary of the likes of Cotter and Taumalolo up front, lest they try to inspire their troops with a barnstorming run.

In Conclusion

Wet weather footy demands fundamentals and restraint, and it’s up to the Raiders to show the fans and Sticky that they can adapt appropriately. A win here, even a narrow one, can bounce them back into the top 8.

Raiders by 8+!

Sign up the mailing list because the algorithm hates the Milk as much as the Sydney press. Also like our page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or share this on social media and believe in the future with me. Don’t hesitate to send us feedback (dan@sportress.org) or comment below if you think we are stupid. Or if we’re not.