Source : ABC NEWS
Of all the teams in the fight for the NRLW premiership, Canberra shapes as the ultimate wildcard.
Ahead of the first finals series in club history, the Raiders are a difficult puzzle to solve; for themselves and opponents alike.
Darrin Borthwick’s side enter the finals in fifth place with a 6-5 record that belies a strange tendency that developed over the season: more than any other team in the league, they play to their opponent’s level.
The Raiders have a winning record against fellow top six teams, highlighted by a 28-4 win over third-placed Broncos, comfortably the Brisbane team’s biggest ever NRLW loss.
They even put the gloves up against powerhouses Gold Coast and Sydney Roosters, losing to the two competition heavyweights by a combined 10 points, finishing close enough in both games that they would fancy their chances in a rematch.
But as easily as the Raiders can be inspired by the challenge of taking on the big dogs, they can be complacent when facing teams they should handle easily.
Canberra dropped games to stragglers Parramatta, North Queensland and Cronulla throughout the season, costing them a home final.
As they prepare to head to Campbelltown to take on Wests Tigers in tomorrow night’s sudden-death final, they are still trying to work themselves out as they head into the deep waters.
“I’ve found we’ve lifted for those bigger teams. We’ve spoken about that, that we need to believe we can win because if we get that down, our effort and our fight will come,” said captain Zahara Temara.
“For some of the other teams who aren’t as high on the ladder, we’ve matched them in terms of effort, and that’s disappointing. But we know we can lift for the big teams.”
It is an unorthodox way for Canberra to live, but now that only big teams are left, the Raiders’ record against the top sides makes them perhaps the best candidate to break open the Roosters-Titans hegemony at the top.
Canberra will lean heavily on Zahara Temara’s experience through the finals. (Getty Images: Scott Gardiner )
Temara’s experience will be crucial for Canberra, with the clever halfback one of the few Raiders with an extensive finals pedigree, having won a premiership with the Roosters in 2022.
That was the 29-year-old’s third grand final, and she admits she took the team’s success for granted in the earlier years, something she is desperate to ensure does not happen to her Raiders teammates this time around.
“Something I wish someone told me in those early years at the Roosters was how hard it is to have regrets. I took it seriously, but not as seriously as I could have,” said Temara.
“It’s hard to make the finals. It’s extremely hard to win a grand final, and with the position we’re in now, I want them to have no regrets, to realise how we can make history.”
That perspective was reinforced by former Roosters teammate and current Canberra co-captain Simaima Taufa, especially after their losing effort in the 2020 grand final.
The Raiders will be without gun lock forward Simaima Taufa tomorrow night. (Getty Images: Mark Nolan)
The sight of the whole-hearted Taufa after the match has never left Temara, and inspires her to this day.
“She gave it her everything, and I didn’t feel like I did,” said Temara.
“We were all disappointed, but I tell her all the time now I couldn’t look at her because I knew I hadn’t done everything I could for her and the team.
“I still took it seriously. I just wish I took it as far as she did.”
With Taufa sidelined due to suspension, there will be even more responsibility on Temara’s shoulders tomorrow night.
The Tigers are polar opposites of the Raiders: they beat every side that missed the finals, but went 1-4 against the other play-off teams, with their sole success coming via a one-point win over Newcastle.
But there are similarities too. The joint venture is also playing in its first finals match, and given Raecene McGregor’s form at halfback, the team will also lean heavily on an experienced playmaker to show the way.
To add to the intrigue, this is a rematch only seven days in the making. The two sides met last Friday night at Leichhardt with the Raiders grinding out a 22-10 victory.
Winger Mackenzie Wiki and centre Leianne Tufuga, who was crowned the club’s player of the year, both played blinders as Canberra’s strike out wide carried the day.
It ensured the Tigers would enter the finals on the back of consecutive losses, but Temara understands how dangerous they still can be when the stakes are highest.
“Their fight stood out,” said Temara
“They were down on the scoreboard, but their fight and hunger to keep coming at us was hard to manage. We got lucky with some errors and penalties that kept the momentum for us.”
