Fans give Canberra Raiders a hero‘s welcome at homecoming
Fans heaped praise on the Green Machine at their homecoming but many felt the controversial ‘six-again’ call cost the Canberra Raiders the NRL grand final.
Canberra Star
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Fans gave the Canberra Raiders a heroes’ welcome at their homecoming on Tuesday but many felt the referee’s reversal of the “six-again” call cost them the grand final.
About 200 diehard fans cheered at the top of their lungs as the exhausted-looking players were brought out one-by-one at the Raiders Belconnen club with coach Ricky Stuart and Clive Churchill Medal winner Jack Wighton earning the biggest applause.
The hopes and dreams of Canberra had been resting on the players’ shoulders to end the team’s 25-year premiership drought but the overwhelming feeling among the welcoming party was the Green Machine had done them proud and they had deserved the win.
Coach Ricky Stuart fought back tears during his brief address to the supporters, saying he was “proud” of his team while thanking fans for their unwavering support.
“The defining moment for me happened off the field and how our squad bonded,” Stuart said.
“They’re a very close group of blokes and they’ve done themselves so proud. I’m so fortunate to be their coach.”
Fan Shelley Dickerson said the team was “robbed” of the victory when referee Ben Cummins appeared to signal “six again” and then reversed the decision in the dying minutes of the game.
The watershed moment preceded the Roosters’ winning try and many, including Ms Dickerson, believe it cost the Raiders the premiership.
“There’s no doubt in my mind we were going to win before that call,” Ms Dickerson said.
“It changed the whole momentum of the game and they were bamboozled by that call.
“We were 100 per cent robbed, the Raiders were the better team on the day.”
But she could not have been more proud of the players and Stuart for making it to the final.
“They played hard and with so much heart this season.
“You can’t keep a good team down, we will be back again next year and we will win.”
Captain Jarrod Croker did not mention the six-again call when quizzed by media at the homecoming.
“It’s a game you probably won’t go back and watch to be honest but I’m so proud of the way the boys have handled the whole year,” he said.
“It was one of the best weeks of my life … but as soon as you think back to the result it hurts.”
He gave a heartfelt thanks to the Raiders faithful who have supported the team through some very tough years.
“If I could have come here and lifted the trophy in front of these fans, it would have been the best day of my life but certainly these (fans) have been great all year,” he said.
“They go through thick and thin and the freezing cold, they’re the best fans in the NRL.
“Ricky is as gutted as us, he’s as upset and as emotional as we are (but) we can’t change it and there’s nothing we can do about it.
“The only thing we can do is reflect on a good season and how far we’ve come as a club.”
“It’s massive what the club has achieved and how far (we’ve come) in such a short period of time and I mentioned before how proud I am of the boys and the club.”