BY ROB

It’s been a wild few weeks for the Green Machine. They started the gauntlet with a respectable 5-2 record and finished what should have been a grueling period 7-3. They chased down both the ‘Phins and the Storm, only stumbling last Saturday when the Bulldogs flipped the script in the second half.

Confession time: the Bulldogs clash was the first home game I had attended since 2023, and for very understandable reasons I have not watched the highlights.

Still the Raiders find themselves in good stead. Despite Saturday’s mishap they’re still a top four side, and they’ve arguably cleared the toughest part of the draw. If one is to peruse the remaining matches you’ll see that they’re almost exclusively against sides languishing outside the 8. Teams should never be written off, however, as this topsy turvy season has demonstrated.

There are personnel challenges both present and on the horizon. Matty Nicholson has busted his leg, and is expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks, meaning he won’t be due back until round 23 against Manly. Hudson Young is a shoe-in for the Blues, and Horse is a strong chance for a Qld jersey.

But let’s not get ahead here, as we all know rugba leeg is a week-to-week type of thing.

And so the Raiders welcome the Titans to Canberra Stadium for the Sunday twilight game. The Autumn-Winter transition will have begun by then, with a cool maximum of 13°, meaning you’ll need to make sure you’re warmly attired if you’re headed to the game.

The key issue for the Milk (apart from winning) is addressing the weak points in their defence, notably those dreaded edges. The Bulldogs flourished once Crichton figured out the formula, and the Raiders defensive collapse was one of the most depressing sporting things I’d seen in recent years.

The defensive effort from the men in green must improve, particularly the stuff served up by the five in the backline. The Dogs are succeeding because they’re competent on both sides of the ball – the Raiders should take note.

One positive for the Green Machine is that the Gold Coast are pretty shoddy this year, their win last week due mainly to them not being as bad as the Knights (the Knights are really struggling and now that I’ve said that they’ll totally beat us later this season). If Canberra can hold possession and territory they can minimise the amount of time the Titans get to inspect their defences.

This match pits two of the biggest captains in the league against one another. Joe Tapine will be keen to make up for last week, while Big Tino will be angling for a maroon call-up for game 1. Both men lead by example, posting strong metres and solid defensive stats.

In terms of Titans danger players I’d keep an eye on young fullback Jaylan De Groot. He’s been showing promise in attack for the Gold Coast and could prove troublesome if he gets through the line.

The Raiders attack was very good in the first half last week, they just need to tighten up those defensive partnerships out wide. At some point the issue moves beyond technique and becomes a confidence thing. The likes of Timoko, Kris and Savage are going to have to hone their Spidey senses and make wise choices.

In Conclusion

We’re well into the season now, and the Raiders know what they need to do on a weekly basis to secure a win. If they can find that extra oomph in defence then this game should be theirs.

Raiders by 12+!

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