For those of you younger readers who don’t remember the enigmatic Mark McLinden, let me take you on a journey. He played his junior footy for the West Belconnen Warriors in the Canberra juniors. Attending Hawker College for high school, he was selected for the Australian Schoolboys team for two years running in 1996 and … More Where in the World is Mark McLinden?
BY DAN It hasn’t been an easy year for anyone. All of us enter the stretch run of 2020 with at least a light covering of merde. Even if the coronavirus didn’t impact you directly, it shaped your year (and for those of us in Melbourne, it did more than that). The chaotic destruction it … More A Very Sportress Christmas III
BY DAN The Canberra Raiders gifted fans everywhere an early Christmas present when they announced that Jordan Rapana had signed on for 2021. We’ve been waiting a while for this – the club had been talking about a deal being imminent since July, so it is pleasing that this been resolved. The Raiders’ roster is … More Finally! Rapana signs on
BY DAN Smart business management is part and parcel of modern sport. News trickled out Sunday evening that would bring warmth to any fan of the Milk. According to the Australian Financial Review, the Raiders have sold an investment in a Bunnings in Sydney for $56 million, a profit on their investment of near $26.5 … More Financial Certainty
BY DAN The world of the Canberra Raiders got an unwelcome shock when Tom Starling was charged with assaulting a police officer, reportedly after a brawl on the central coast Saturday night. We here at the Sportress are very wary of the lesson of 2020 when Curtis Scott found himself with similar charges. The legal … More Starling Assault Charge Impact
BY DAN The Canberra Raiders have picked up another distressed asset, securing the signature of out-of-work young star Albert Hopoate on a one year deal for 2021 (reported first by the Daily Telegraph). You’ve heard it all about Hopoate. The most talented player in his age group, a freak of player, an undeniable talent. All … More Hopoate’s test begins
BY DAN Lost in the hullabaloo of the Tom Starling incident was the fact the Raiders are close to tying up their roster for the 2021 season. One space remains, and one name remains conspicuosly absent. Just why haven’t Green Machine locked in Jordan Rapana? In the lead up to the Albert Hopoate deal we … More Waiting on Jordy
BY DAN It was reported this week that Albert Hopoate visited the Raiders. One doesn’t do that for fun, and it’s fair to say there’s a good chance that the young gun could be in green next year. Hopoate is a potential star, but he doesn’t come without a risk, and these risks the Raiders … More The Price of Potential
BY DAN Are you certain who’ll be starting in the Raiders centers and wings next season? You could go the ‘conservative’ option like me and assume it will be some mix of Croker, Rapa, Scott and Simonsson. You could look at the young talent and think Harley Smith-Shields or Matt Timoko is ready to rock. … More Outside the Box Part 1: Elijah Anderson
BY DAN As the annual jumble of players has settled like a boggle game, the eyes of the rugby league world have started to think about the ramifications. For most, including the good people at Fox Sports, this has been a focus on what potential lineups will look like. You don’t need actually need to … More The Backup Plan
