Raiders 2023 preview: Handful of injuries could send Canberra spiralling
Last time out, the Canberra Raiders needed a late attack to reach the eighth and play the Finals, skipping the ailing Broncos – a feat they won’t need to repeat in their 2023 NRL campaign.
The club from the capital is one of the few teams going into the new season with stability. Eighth place and a semi-final elimination isn’t the ideal way to end a run, but coach Ricky Stuart has plenty of talent to call on if he wants to do better in 2023 and fight his way up a higher group.
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Even better, the Raiders have had their roster locked for a while.
The club are hoping there has been a boost to their yo-yo fortunes of late. A grand final in 2020 was a highlight, but four 10th-place finishes over the past eight years speak volumes about how inconsistent the Raiders have been as real contenders of late.
They certainly have the star power to make it to the finals again with big names like Jack Wighton, Joseph Tapine, Jordan Rapana and Josh Papalii starting XI, but converting that into success is another matter. If they can’t click early, like in 2022, there could be another tight scratch or worse for the Green Machine.
conclusion of the last year: 8th, 14 wins and 10 losses
Last ten NRL campaigns: 8th (semi-final), 10th, 5th (preliminary round), 4th (runner-up), 10th, 10th, 2nd (preliminary round), 10th, 15th, 13th
Estimated line-up for round 1
- Xavier Savage
- Nick Cotric
- Matt Timoko
- Sebastian Kris
- Jordan Rapana
- Jack Wighton
- Jamal Fogarty
- Josh Papalii
- Zac Woolford
- Joseph Tapin
- Hudson Young
- Eliot Weisskopf
- Corey Harawira-Naera
- Tom Starling
- Corey Horsburgh
- Emre Guler
- Pasam Saulo
Coach: Ricky Stuart
Biggest Losses: Adam Elliott, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad Biggest Wins: Pasami Saulo
This is what 2023 looks like for Canberra
Start quick, start quick, start quick. That will be the message Ricky Stuart has been carrying to training since before Christmas. In matches yes, but mostly throughout the season.
There are many questions surrounding the Green Machine. Injuries kept them cruel for much of their run in early 2022, particularly when halfback Jamal Fogarty was sidelined until the 10th round. Their start was slow, so some may recall that Stuart faced the ax early on, especially after his infamous ‘weak dog’. ” Explosion.
If the Raiders can keep their strongest seventeen in the park, they’ll go far. Look no further than the weapons at their disposal: Wighton, Tapine, Papalii.
Unfortunately, a couple of key exits can hurt Canberra’s chances at depth.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Warriors), Ryan Sutton (Bulldogs), Josh Hodgson (Eels) and Adam Elliott (Knights) all went out the door in the offseason, leaving the Raiders undermanned. With an extended NRL season and more injury risks, it would be a small miracle if Sticky could keep his men in the park week in and week out. With injuries mounting and Canberra having to tap into their reserve-league stocks to field a team, you can draw a red line through Canberra’s season.
Expected end of 2023: 11
The first five: Cowboys (A), Dolphins (A), Sharks (H), Knights (A), Panthers (H)
TopSport Odds: Premiers $19, Make Top 4: $4.60, Make Final 8: $1.95, Miss The Top 8: $1.82
minimum score: Play endgames again and avoid the Yo-Yo Valley.
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