NRL Finals 2020: The mid-season chat that revved up Raiders’ enforcers
A mid-season chat between Raiders coach Ricky Stuart and the two biggest men in the Canberra pack has been the catalyst for the team’s remarkable run to another preliminary final — and they are not finished yet.
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It’s the moment that saved Canberra’s season and could propel the Raiders all the way to the grand final.
With Sia Soliola, Corey Horsburgh, Emre Guler, John Bateman and Josh Hodgson all sidelined through injury in the middle stages of the season, coach Ricky Stuart needed his remaining big men to step up.
So he called on the two biggest units Canberra has to offer — Josh Papalii and Joseph Tapine — and the Raiders have ridden the two star forwards all the way to a preliminary final showdown with Melbourne.
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“He brought me and Taps into his office and said with all the middle going down it was important for me and Taps to take charge,” Papalii said.
“I just try to play my game, I try to lead the forward pack the way I should and the boys jump on the wagon and follow.
“But there’s no leaders on this team, we’re all at one level and we go together.”
Papalii’s quality was well known — even before this season he was counted as the best prop in rugby league.
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He proved it again in the 22-18 win over the Roosters on Friday night, running for 170 metres from 18 carries and helping create the break that lead to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s try after opening the scoring himself.
But Tapine was just as important to Canberra’s upset win — he ran for 151 metres and scored a remarkable try of his own — and the rangy lock forward has come of age in recent months.
“I think he’s been the best forward in our pack for the last three months. He’s led by example, not only on the field but off it,” Papalii said.
“He keeps people accountable in the gym and keeps old blokes like myself honest as well.”
Papalii and Tapine, helped on by strong efforts from unheralded forwards like Hudson Young and Dunamis Lui, propelled Canberra to a 16-0 lead early with the Raiders desperately holding on despite a valiant rally from the Roosters.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was the hero in defence, saving two tries with remarkable tackles on Josh and Brett Morris when the veterans looked destined to score.
Nicoll-Klokstad finished with 241 run metres from 22 caries despite struggling with cramp for much of the second half.
“He won us the game with some try-saving tackles,” Papalii said. They’re some of the efforts that nobody sees outside our little group.
“We always believe Charnze has another gear. It’s his job to do that. He trains hard, he puts in the hours and nobody sees the hours he puts in.
“He’s always the first one on the field and the last one off. The way he plays is just competing wherever he can.”
WHY RAIDERS WIN WAS NOT ABOUT REVENGE
By Paul Crawley
It was revenge 12 months in the making.
But in the moments after the Canberra Raiders delivered the knockout blow to the Sydney Roosters’ dream of a premiership three-peat with a dramatic 22-18 victory at the SCG, Ricky Stuart couldn’t have cared less about payback.
What he spoke about was pride.
“They are not just a team of footballers these guys,” Stuart said.
“They are more than a team.”
In what will go down as one of the great rugby league finals clashes, both teams were incredibly brave and brilliant as the match went down to a heart-stopping finish.
But it was the Raiders who survive to now meet Melbourne in next Friday’s preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium.
“Revenge was never mentioned outside of what other people might have thought,” Stuart said.
“Last year was over. It was a new year.
“Obviously it is always a very high quality contest against the Roosters. They are a very good football team. They have won the last two competitions for a reason.
“I take my hat off to them because they have been up for a long time.
“Winning two comps in a row is an amazing feat by a club.”
The question will be how the Raiders back up after such a physical and bruising contest.
The Storm will go in as the TAB’s $1.55 favourites with the Raiders listed as $2.45 outsiders.
But if there’s one thing the Raiders love almost as much as playing the Roosters, it’s taking on the Storm.
And Ricky has no doubts his boys will be ready.
ONE FOR THE AGES
The Roosters got off to the worst possible start when they trailed 16-0 after just 22 minutes on top of losing star five-eighth Luke Keary for a concussion test.
Keary came off second best in an accidental head clash with Josh Papalii as the big prop was touching down for the opening try.
Keary was cleared to return but the Roosters were clearly in strife as they went to the halftime break trailing 16-6.
The second half was one for the ages with end-to-end football at its dynamic best.
As good as the opening finals match between Penrith and the Roosters was last week, this took it to the next level.
The Raiders started like a tornado but the Roosters showed tremendous courage fighting back.
There was no shortage of outstanding performances from both teams with Papalii, Hudson Young and Joey Tapine leading the way for the Raiders up front, while George Williams and Jack Wighton were outstanding.
So too was Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad who came up with two tremendous try saving tackles on Brett and Josh Morris.
The Roosters had none better than hooker Jake Friend who finished with 61 tackles, while James Tedesco and Joey Manu could not have done more.
“I am proud of our players, how they handled this season,” Stuart added, taking into account how they’d lost the likes of Josh Hodgson, Emre Guler, Corey Horsburgh and Curtis Scott along the way, as well as not playing at home in Canberra for most of the season.
“No one outside our inner sanctum … knows how hard it was for us. Where we have got to today no one gave us a chance outside our own.”
JACK’S PAYBACK
The irony of Jack Wighton claiming the match-clinching try won’t be lost on any Raiders’ fans.
Given the drama that surrounded last year’s grand final with that controversial six again call involving Wighton, this time luck bounced Canberra’s way.
With the scores at 16-12, Wighton chased through on a George Williams’ grubber kick in the 69th minute to score.
James Tedesco looked to have the kick covered but slipped at the last second as Wighton pounced.
For the Roosters it was a tough way to bow out but Trent Robinson wasn’t searching for excuses.
“You dream and you dream big and it’s not there,” Robinson said.
“There is no excuses other than we couldn’t handle it well enough.
“I am really proud of the group of guys. It was a really tough year everybody has had to go through. And the guys were impeccable, as human beings.
“They have just been amazing. We weren’t good enough on the field and they were incredible people off it.”
KEARY’S CONCERN
The match started with high drama when Keary was forced from the field.
Keary was in obvious distress and the Roosters medical staff wasted no time getting him off.
There was understandable concern for the five-eighth given his previous concussion injuries.
But no one could question the Roosters duty of care.
Keary showed no evidence of being in trouble after returning.
Although he got brushed off three times by Tapine for Canberra’s third try, by the end of the first half Keary played a vital hand in the Roosters’ only try to Tedesco in the countdown to the break.
Keary threw a terrific cutout ball that put Josh Morris in space before he threaded an unbelievable chip kick that the flying Tedesco latched onto to score under the posts.
NOW FOR MELBOURNE
After such a bruising contest, now we wait to see how the Raiders will back up.
There were no signs of any significant injuries coming out of the match for Canberra.
The Storm cruised past Parramatta in their opening finals clash and will go into this game fresh from a two-week break.
The only concern for Craig Bellamy related to a knee injury to Cameron Munster.
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Originally published as NRL Finals 2020: The mid-season chat that revved up Raiders’ enforcers