From the Couch: Canberra Raiders Season Review

Win-Loss: 12-12
Ladder Position: 9th
Finals: N/A
Attack: 19.75 (15th)
Defence: 25.04 (11th)
Longest Win Streak: 3 (R25-27)
Longest Loss Streak: 4 (R15-19)
Best Win: Round 25: 22-18 v Penrith
Worst Loss: Round 8: 40-0 v Cronulla

Season Review

Highlights: Canberra were widely tipped to win the wooden spoon so finishing in ninth makes them major overachievers in 2024.

The emergence of Ethan Strange is a huge boon for the Raiders and a full season under his belt will serve the club well in 2025, the club would be very happy with their astute purchasing.

Canberra hung around the Top 8 early in the season and made a late run that included wins over Top 4 teams Penrith and the Sydney Roosters.

Lowlights: There were few worse teams to watch visually than the Raiders, whose attack was a complete-and-utter disaster and they also conceded 40-plus five times from Round 8.

Jamal Fogarty missing the first half of the season did the club no favours.

The stubborn refusal to play Corey Horsburgh for much of the season brought unnecessary self-harm.

What Worked: The Raiders blooded a number of young players that bodes well for the future.

The Raiders were effective running from dummy half, ranking third in dummy half runs per game.

Canberra tackled well, ranking bottom four in missed tackles.

They were one of the most disciplined teams, ranking top four in fewest penalties conceded.

What Didn’t: Canberra’s attack was an absolute debacle, most highlighted by their lack of points and the fact their top assist man missed half the season.

The Raiders finished the season with the equal fewest tries and the second fewest tries per game.

No team engaged the line less than the Raiders – in fact their 317 line engagements was 122 behind the second worst team.

Canberra finished last in line breaks, last in decoy runs and second last in try assists.

The attack was a complete and utter disaster and needs a total overhaul.

Betting Stats

ATS: 12-12
Over/Under: 11-13
Head-to-Head Return: +7.93 units

Three Betting Notes:

• Canberra had the best head-to-head return of any team in 2024 with a POT of 33.04%.
• The under was 7-4 when the Raiders played at home.
• Canberra bounced back well off a bad defensive showing, covering six of nine off conceding 30-plus.

Personnel

Best Player: Joseph Tapine
Next Best: Kaeo Weekes, Hudson Young
Most Disappointing Player: Matt Timoko
Next Most Disappointing: Simi Sasagi, Jordan Rapana
Top Tryscorer: Xavier Savage (15)
Top Assist Merchant: Jamal Fogarty (10)
Top Tackle Breaker: Ethan Strange (3.86 per game)
Top Metre Eater: Joseph Tapine (165.42 metres per game)
Top Tackler: Morgan Smithies (37.88 per game)
Best Buy: Kaeo Weekes
Worst Buy: Simi Sasagi
Best Rookie: Ethan Strange

Player Ratings