Seeds planted for Canberra Raiders success 10 months back
The Canberra Raiders’ stunning form in 2019 has come as a reward following a bold decision from Ricky Stuart back in November last year.
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The seeds for Canberra’s recent success were planted 10 months back when coach Ricky Stuart flipped the regular preseason routine on its head.
For years the Raiders had lit up the competition as the game’s premier entertainers week in, week out.
Scoring points always came easy, but defensive frailties plagued the side’s ability to break a premiership drought dating back to 1994.
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Speaking on the Monday Bunker, Daily Telegraph reporter Fatima Kdouh explains how the men from the nation’s capital refocused their priorities for the 2019 season.
WATCH THE MONDAY BUNKER CREW DISCUSS IN THE VIDEO ABOVE
“I actually spoke to Sia Soliola last week who said that Ricky Stuart turned up to day one of preseason and said to them, ‘alright guys, we’re changing things up, we’re going to be a defensive footy team,’” Kdouh said.
“For the first two months of preseason they didn’t touch a football.
“They worked on their conditioning, they worked on their endurance, they worked on their defensive structures, and it’s paying dividends.”
Having conceded just 278 points at 14.6 per game, Canberra boast the second best defensive record in the competition behind only Melbourne.
Meanwhile, they’ve maintained their relentless attacking structures, amassing 435 points at 22.9 per game, ranking them third in the NRL behind the Storm and Roosters.
The impressive record has catapulted the Raiders into third on the ladder, only trailing the Roosters on for-and-against.
Panellist and Daily Telegraph reporter Paul Crawley was in awe of the side’s transformation.
“They’ve always been the razzle dazzle Raiders who can score, and if you score four tries we’ll score five,” Crawley said.
“But this year it’s their defence that’s carrying them.
“Danny Buderus said in the match the other night that was the best performance he can remember from Josh Hodgson, and that’s saying something.”
WATCH THE MONDAY BUNKER CREW DISCUSS IN THE VIDEO ABOVE
Originally published as Seeds planted for Canberra Raiders success 10 months back