WITH three games left to play in the NRL regular season and
just six points separating the sides between fourth and tenth, the run into the
finals is smothered in scenario-riddled matches.
Perhaps none more so than the match-up between the Canberra Raiders and
Penrith Panthers this Sunday at GIO Stadium.
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| Canberra must win every game remaining to make the 2017 Finals. |
Penrith have notched half-a-dozen straight victories and are
flying high again, but even more intriguingly, Canberra, who appeared destined
to be 2017’s biggest flops, have found a glimmer of life again on the back of
three-straight wins.
Both teams enjoyed a stellar, out-coming year in 2016, which
led to the league world’s cumulative preseason prediction that they would
challenge for this season’s title.
However, for indifferent reasons, neither side has kicked on
from last season’s red-hot form.
Penrith began this season with just two wins from the
opening nine rounds. By anyone’s assessment it was a disaster given how they had
captured our attention just six months earlier.
The start might have been a shock, but their next four wins
in the middle of the season would prove to be crucial. Essential, even.
They spent five games away from Pepper Stadium during that
period and after losing two on the trot to the Cowboys and South Sydney, they
returned to their spiritual home and haven’t lost a game since.
Six games, six wins. Five at Pepper Stadium.
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| Three of their best: Nathan Cleary, Josh Mansour and Reagan Campbell-Gillard. |
They have the undisputed sensation of the season Nathan
Cleary playing well beyond his years and in calculations for a representative
call-up, and now their key stalwart Matt Moylan has returned from injury.
Under the guidance of Anthony Griffin, the play-making tutelage
of club legend Greg Alexander and the behind the scenes advice of Phil Gould,
Penrith could really give this competition a tilt if everything continues to
fall into place like it has been.
While Penrith’s showing for the majority of this season has
been mixed for a number of reasons, Canberra just haven’t clicked as they did
in 2016.
They lost only Paul Vaughn and Edrick Lee in the offseason
and kept virtually their entire line-up intact. They unearthed a potential
franchise weapon in 18-year-old Nick Cotric and in somewhat of a surprise, handed
Dave Taylor a train-and-trial contract.
Trying to work out where they’ve gone wrong this season is a
tricky exercise, but identifying what went well for them in 2016 is an easy
task.
The Raiders played a formidable and fear-invoking style of
footy which allowed their attacking brilliance to shine as they won 13 from
their last 15 games.
Comradery amongst the squad in the isolated nation’s capital
under Ricky Stuart brought them together and momentum took them to within a
dropped pass of the Grand Final.
Every team they faced was weary of playing the re-built Green Machine.
Even Paul Gallen was in tears of joy after the Sharks got
out of GIO Stadium with a qualifying final win.
Perhaps the most endearing complement to Canberra was that
only their own error prevented them from knocking off Melbourne in the
preliminary final at the ‘Graveyard’ of AAMI Park.
It’s why should they win on Sunday afternoon, they must be
considered a danger to any team that encounters them on their run into the
finals series. That includes the Storm at AAMI Park in the final round of the
season.
They might have left their run very, very late, but make no
mistake, Canberra are coming home hot.
If they can build the confidence and find the spark that
inspired their run last season, the Raiders are capable of beating anyone on
their day.
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| Blake Austin found form against the Warriors last week, and will need to improve again on Sunday. |
What a tantalising prospect the 2017 NRL Finals could be if
the Green Machine make the cut.
It would only be a scrape-in eighth place finish, but
goodness scarious, look out whoever runs fifth.
And for the Panthers, who knows what awaits for them.
A club still in a development phase, but well capable of
going all the way should they play to their potential.
In last year’s semi-final Penrith went to Canberra and
failed to match the Raiders, going down 22-12.
That match put them out of the finals series and they will
be eager to revenge the loss in this Sunday’s blockbuster clash.