When the planets align on a weekly basis Dan, Viv and myself have a running chat session going during WRaiders games. Sometimes these chats are joyous exchanges, proud fans watching on as the 17 in green execute brilliant footy with aplomb. Other times they are forlorn exercises permeated with frustration, punctuated with wonderment as to how a team so golden one week can be so woeful the next.
Today’s victory over the Knights covered both these points on the spectrum and everything in between.
For approximately fifty minutes the Raiders played like absolute duffers, incapable of even the most basic coherence needed to complete a set. They would weather a brutal set in defence, take possession and then throw the pill away like it was covered in fire ants.
When they weren’t dropping the Steeden they were giving away penalties like they were going out of fashion – Jordyn Preston got pinged in the ruck so many times I lost count of her personal infringement tally (NRL.com reckons it was only 2, but it felt like way more than that).
Blackwell and Gallagher had a collective nightmare trying to catch/hold onto the ball. Gallagher murdered two regulation catches, one inside the first minute of the game that lead to the Knights getting on the board early.
Luckily for Canberra, their hosts were also having trouble with penalties and handling. Neither side could get into a groove or maintain pressure. Indeed it was a Knights error that gave the Milk possession and position, and they finally broke through the Novocastrian defence after a shallow left-side sweep culminated with Waterman executing a deft tap-on to put the ball in Simpson’s hands, the winger having no trouble planting it for a try.
Canberra’s momentum was halted early in the second half with the Knights scoring in the corner through Taulelei-Siala. At this point your writers three were slowly sliding into the comfortable fit of footy cynicism. Last week’s victory over the Broncos was starting to look like a blip, not a trend.
Then Sidney Taylor went and got herself binned for a hip drop, and very slowly, like me getting out of bed or a bulk carrier trying to do a 180° turn, the Raiders began to play footy.
It took them six minutes of a 13 on 12 advantage to score their second try, this time on the right edge with Wiki, who along with Tufuga had almost become invisible until now, crossing the line for another 4 points.
Three minutes later Basham and Simpson punched through with consecutive line breaks, Simpson scoring and closing the gap to 2 points.
The Raiders came hunting points again, camping on the Knights line, with Chante Temara feeding a perfectly angled Sophie Holyman to take the Green Machine into the lead. Zahara Temara was finally given a kick from dead in front, her conversion giving Canberra a 4 point margin.
The elation was short-lived, as Kirra Dibb, sporting the mother of all contusions on her face, deployed a cheeky grubber at the restart – the ball cruelly scything away from Taufa’s hands as she desperately tried to pin it down. Newcastle quickly scored, locking it up at 18 all with seven minutes to go.
Just as the Knights were winding up for another midfield assault Romaniuk coughed up possession, and suddenly Canberra found themselves in prime position to sink a field goal, Temara expertly directing her charges before coolly potting the 1 point shot.
Because 1 point is never enough when talking about the Milk they came back for more, Holyman steaming over for her second try of the day.
The only thing stopping this side from truly terrorising the NRLW is themselves. At one point I messaged the other two to say “Imagine how much they would be leading by if they could play competent footy consistently”.
In successive weeks they have beaten two bug-bear opponents, sides they never been able to best until now. They came close to toppling the Roosters in round 3. They’re looking like a team who might be allowed into the club they call finals *don’t jinx it*.
There is still work to be done. The Titans are red-hot, 2nd on the ladder. The Bulldogs are desperately trying to stay in contention. The Eels are mathematically out of it already, but can still upset the apple cart.
The next four weeks are going to be a terrifying joyride – are you ready for it?
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