BY DAN I moved to Melbourne just as the Ricky Stuart regime was kicking off. Being away from Bruce has made the one game we play at AAMI park against Melbourne each year take on more significance. I’ve still gotten back to Canberra for a couple of games (notably the greatest rugby league game ever … More Raiders (season) Preview: Against All Odds
BY DAN Finding a stable halves pairing has been a challenge for the Canberra Raiders since Ricky Stuart left in the second half of the 1990s. Even in relatively long-term partnerships, like Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin just shared, the union almost always feels pencilled in. It seems the new partnership of Sezer and Wighton … More Sticky, Lozza and the Never Ending Search
BY DAN It’s a truism if Rugby League that the key to success is the skill and stability of the spine. The forwards lay the platform, the backs provide the excitement, but the spine is named as such because it connects all the parts. Talent is critical at these positions; but talent still needs time … More Spinal Fracture
BY DAN The impending move of Jack Wighton from the back-house to the showroom solves one Raiders headache but creates another. Who back-fills for Wighton? Canberra doesn’t seem sure (or at least isn’t telling). The Raiders have few options, none of which are perfect. It should surprise no one that the best choice is Nic … More Solving for One
BY DAN “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.” — my dude T.S. Eliot The fever dream of many a Raiders fan will become real when Jack Wighton returns from suspension. Instead of returning as custodian, the Daily Telegraph has reported that Jack Wighton will … More The Big Risk: Wighton to Six
BY DAN Throughout summer a rumour has persisted on social media that Dylan Edwards might be making his way to the Canberra Raiders. It’s not yet at the level where actual journalists feel compelled to write about it, but people I respect have whispered about it so often I feel I must address it. The … More The Appeal of Dylan Edwards
BY DAN Sometimes you see an idea so tremendously wrong that it makes you do a double take. In an attempt to solve the problem of an injured Jordan Rapana, “resident NRL.com expert” Jamie Soward came up with such an idea. Jack Wighton to the wing. The offending paragraph Jack’s best position is something that … More Is Wighton A Winger? Is Soward an Expert?
BY DAN It was officially announced today that Shaun Johnson won’t be joining the Canberra Raiders. No matter how hard we all tried to wish this scenario into existence, Shaun instead opted for the sunny beaches of southern Sydney. It’s not the first time time the Raiders have been spurned, and it won’t be the last. … More Shaun Johnson and the Raider Raise
BY ROB AND DAN It’s late November and for most normal Australians minds are turning to the cricket, and to Christmas. But here at the Sportress we are not normal. Yeah we’re thinking about 2019. And we’re thinking about 2018. But also 1994. And a bit of 1997. 1989 gets a run, mostly as something … More Watch: Raiders Hype!
BY DAN You win the game in the forwards. It’s a cliché as old as rugby league itself. New South Wales’ 26-18 victory in State of Origin Two was built from the same foundations as hundreds of years of victories before it. That Queensland managed to hold on, and even threaten to take the lead … More The Review: State of Origin Two
