The Canberra Raiders’ 24-14 loss to the Newcastle Knights was the worst of them. Every constraint, fault, and structural flaw that they had concealed for three weeks was exposed and decimated by an average side. Instead of achieving stability, they have turned an opportunity into a critical wound. They can survive, but this has to be their lowest point.
Canberra entered this game with the ability to demonstrate proof. A statement, if you will, that the two losses in Queensland were unlucky, and that the victory over the Sharks reflected who they are as a unit. That they were a deserving club with a solid foundation that, given the opportunity, could compete with the best. Instead, they confirmed the darkest concerns about this side. If this was a statement, it was a scream for aid, the equivalent of the best man channeling his inner Steve Buscemi. The Raiders had a chance, blew it, and puked on it.
, only this time they couldn’t tackle their way out of the problem. They committed 13 errors. They gave away 8 infringements. The Novacastrians completed a full 11 more sets than the Milk. In a game where they could have had the ascendency built by a middle that dominated they instead fumbled the ball and forfeited field position. That many of those errors came from experienced players just made it worse. That the penalties came from people who should know better was infuriating.
Sometimes it resulted in points. Two of the three tries that broke the game early in the second half began with the Milk committing late-set penalties. The opponents scored their second try after two different set restarts, putting the Raiders under pressure before they cracked. The pressure for the Knights’ first try stemmed from Jack Wighton’s amazement that someone was handing the ball to him before the last, followed by a Seb Kris error. Canberra quickly became overburdened with queries. Only one try did not begin with a dropped ball or penalty.
Unlike previous weeks the Milk couldn’t tackle themselves out of trouble. There was inconsistent effort and contact through the middle third. Sometimes the opposition wandered ten metres before contact. Other times players were shooting out of the line at pace trying to end a movement – they almost never made contact, and Newcastle took advantage. It allowed the Knights to undermine the Raiders dominance through the middle of the park.