Round 25: Raiders v Bulldogs preview
Raiders Looking for Something, Anything Against Woeful Bulldogs
Every year, around this time with just a few weeks to go until the finals, there emerges a team that may not have been a consistent juggernaut around the top of the ladder for the whole season, but that start to warm into things as do or die clashes get closer. No-one wants to play against team x in the finals.
The Canberra Raiders may be the closest thing we've ever had in the NRL to the polar opposite of said team. Currently, there is not a single side that's either locked into or fighting for a spot in the eight that would be frightened of drawing Canberra in week 1. They have spent the majority of the year so far eking out unconvincing win after unconvincing win, playing a style that encouraged many doubters to come forward, but at the same time, they were getting the job done. A win is a win.
Well, after three pitiful performances in a row, the Raiders have flushed away any credibility they had as a finals dark horse, and a week one exit for the men from the nation's capital is just about the safest bet you can make.
I gave them a chance of beating the Storm in Melbourne last week simply because it's something they've made a habit of doing in recent years when their backs were against the wall. The utter dross they served up en route to a 46-point shellacking confirms that this Raiders side doesn't come close to matching the grit, toughness or steel of the previous editions.
Their opposition this week is probably the only team in the competition currently travelling worse. The 2023 Bulldogs season feels very much like a movie we've seen before; a highly touted Penrith assistant coach takes the top job, the team's performance in said coaches supposed area of specialty is by far the worst in the league as fans brace for yet another year of rebuilding.
There isn't much to say about Canterbury that hasn't already been said. The side they fielded last week was, on paper, their best of the season, and still they gave up 42-points to a Knights side that wasn't at their best. Some of the defensive efforts displayed by senior players would have local under 14s coaches extending training by 2 hours. I suppose the one silver lining to their 2023 trainwreck is that they scrapped their way to enough early wins to avoid another wooden spoon.
With all of that being said, no-one in the world would blame you if you chose to do something else come Sunday afternoon at 4:05pm. For the sickos who do decide to tune in, I expect the Raiders running the same inane crash plays before the most predictable backline shift in the world against the Bulldogs paper mache x swiss cheese defensive line will be like watching an extremely stoppable force collide with an object so movable a newborn could push it over.
In team news, club legend Jarrod Croker is back from injury after announcing his retirement early in the week, starting at centre for Ethan Strange. Tom Starling is back in the side at 14, replacing Adrian Trevilyan, while James Schiller comes onto the bench assumedly after Ricky Stuart watched the highlights from last year's win over Melbourne and noticed the awesome try he scored.
For the Bulldogs, the only changes made by Ciraldo are forced ones. Jacob Preston is suspended so in comes Corey Waddell to the back row, while Ryan Sutton is back from injury and starts at lock, pushing Luke Thompson to the bench. Raymond Faitala-Mariner is also back from injury and will come off the bench in his return.
Last meeting: Round 10 2023 - Bulldogs 30 Raiders 34
Who to Watch: The Raiders don't have much going on in attack apart from Jamal Fogarty's bombs/grubbers as well as Matt Timoko's ability to beat opposition defenders with his speed and strength when given early ball. Canberra inside the opposition 20 are one of the toughest watches in the game at the moment, and if they can't breach Canterbury's defensive line in their first five or so attacking opportunities I'd suggest turning off and watching the highlights later on, where hopefully you'll see a cool play from either Fogarty or Timoko.
In their last nine games, the Bulldogs have conceded 42, 22, 44, 44, 32, 66, 48, 34 and 25 points, and in a couple of those they were up against genuine reserve grade sides due to the impact of origin. Facing an attack as anaemic as Canberra's, they have an opportunity to at least stop the freefall they're currently in and put in a performance they can be proud of, even if it doesn't end in victory. My answer to the question of "who to watch" is simply the whole team in defence to see if there is any semblance of an attitude adjustment. If there isn't and the Dogs concede another score in the 30s or 40s, I daresay we'll be able to add departure method to the growing list of similarities between Cameron Ciraldo and Trent Barrett's time in Belmore.
Favourite: The Raiders are 9.5-point favourites over the Bulldogs at the time of writing.
Tip: The score will be 0-0 after 75 minutes, the Bulldogs will kick a field goal and then end up losing 2-1 on a last second Jamal Fogarty penalty goal. The total amount of points scored will still be higher than channel nine's ratings for the game. Canberra by 1.
