The Canberra Raiders earned their way in their last regular season game, outlasting the Wests Tigers 22-10. When it came down to it the Raiders stuck their discipline and ground out a victory. Heading into the finals they proved they know how to win. But the question is can they do it when it matters?
In so many recent games the Raiders have lost because they’ve lost their mind. Simple things have become impossible. Good strategies have been remembered like songs from your youth. Most of the words are there, but only if the tune is actually playing.
These Raiders get the main bits right when they’re getting them right. Structures beget discipline begets structures like good book. But when one of them loses their mind, it can roll. Organisational culture let’s call it.
This game was a wonderful mix of these two. They gave away 12 penalties and 11 errors across the game. There were periods, particularly in the first half, where it felt like they gave the Tigers are leg up on every exit set. When the rest of the team’s resolve stiffened in the second half, Grace Kukutai’s Tasmanian Devil impression (the cartoon character, not the endangered little psycho) gave away more penalties and defensive errors than the rest of the side were offering.
But while these moments punctuated the game – and Kasey Badger made sure the game was punctuated with the most penalties in NRLW history – it always felt like the Raiders had the mess under control. They played strong, tight through the middle but also direct on the edge. It was consistent, disciplined and effective. When they stuck to it.
Sophie Holyman (16 for 155m) continued here stellar season, filling the gap that Simaima Taufa’s absence created. Behind her Lili Boyle played an exemplary 40 minutes off the bench, not just taking some surprisingly strong carries, but also providing important passing (including connecting to ball to width on the Isabell Waterman try, and on the Leanne Tufuga try). Grace Kemp didn’t have a big impact in numbers, but every run broke the defence’s resolve.
What was interesting was how effective the back five were – they all cracked 100m on the ground. Mackenzie Wiki and Leanne Tufuga just seem so uncomfortable to tackle, and they made the defence pay for any tentativeness. The first try started with a stone-cold line break from Wiki, who backed up and received the pass to score on the next tackle. Another try came from Tufuga just getting on the outside of the defence and being ungovernable.
Isabel Waterman, who also scored on the end of the Raiders most cohesive attacking shift of the night (it included three forwards connecting across the park before Waterman finished it), just becomes more impressive each week. She’s safe under the high ball, can finish with aplomb, and each week it seems she’s made of a little bit more granite than last.
This foundation gave the Raiders a lot of opportunities to attack. Zehara Temara spent the game trying to work Jordyn Preston through a hole on the left. So much ball was turned over early in the game because they couldn’t get this right. Turns out getting Preston early ball was the trick. She looked so comfortable sliding across defenders with ball in hand, looking for a pass. It was so effective that her game sealer came with her doing exactly that, only this time she tucked it and ran, while the outside defender had already turned out, and the insider defender simply couldn’t keep up.
On the right side the Raiders did score multiple tries, but it felt like they left a lot on the field. Krystal Blackwell is learning the role, and can’t seem to perfect the decision tree required at the position. She can work the face ball effectively, but when the defence ties in on the second-rower and she’s looking for Sherridan Gallagher out the back, or going long to Leanne Tufuga, she’s not quite nailing the shot.
In this game it even worked to the Raiders advantage on occasion (such as when the bouncing ball stumped the defence on the Wiki try), but it puts a ceiling on what the side can do, and restricts how often they can get to the powerful and electric pairing of Tufuga and Wiki.
Chante Temara also deserves a shoutout. Each week she seems to make more important defensive efforts than the last. This week she made a mountain of important tackles, especially on the goal line, and forced an error to save a try late.
But even that try-saver came because the Raiders gave away a penalty on the last tackle ruck, then the same person who did that (screams Kukutai in a Superintendent Chalmers voice and shakes fist) missed their responsibility at the ruck, requiring scramble and saving by the smallest person on the field.
Canberra have to turn around against the same opposition this week in the finals. The Tigers will know they weren’t as far away as the score suggests, and that whoever can find their best, consistent football will win the game. The Raiders showed in this game that when they can be disciplined, when they can play smart, direct football, they can go deep in this conversation. They play the Tigers again next week, but the real enemy will be in green.
Let’s hope they beat them, too.
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