Party like it’s 1990: Raiders seal minor premiership with win over gutsy Tigers

Blow the horn, clap like a Viking and raise an ice-cold glass of Canberra Milk. The Green Machine just won the minor premiership.

It is an achievement all the more stunning because no one saw it coming. The quote of the season came very early, when Ricky Stuart, in the bowels of Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, mused: “It’s going to be a good competition if we come last.”

It has indeed been a ripping season, one the Raiders have dominated. They were at it again against the Wests Tigers, a clash between the NRL’s most improved teams. In front of another sellout home crowd that included NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo, on hand to present the JJ Giltinan Shield, Ricky’s Raiders prevailed 24-10 against dogged underdogs.

The only other time Canberra have finished the regular season in top spot, way back in 1990, they went on to claim the major prize as well. It was fitting that the presentation was made at GIO Stadium, where they have lost just one game all year.

It was a result that wasn’t sealed until the 76th minute, when Ethan Strange crossed under the posts to start the party.

“I’m very proud of them, they’ve just been very consistent all year,” Stuart told Fox League just after full-time. “They’ve just worked really hard, and it’s just been a wonderful season for them so far.

“You win this competition, but the big one’s yet to come. That’s the big one that you’ll want to win. It’s a big four, five, six weeks ahead of us.”

Stuart said the silverware was just reward for the club, which he said deserved to be recognised for its achievements.

“I’m just so happy for the club,” Stuart added. “I don’t think the club gets the recognition, and I don’t say that disrespectfully. The people don’t know how good our club is, people don’t understand.

“They don’t see the little things that we do for the players, what the club does for its history. It’s a wonderful club, it thoroughly deserves this recognition today.

“Again, we won’t get too far ahead of ourselves, it’s just really important that we keep taking it a week at a time and just do what we can. There’s no pressure on these blokes, we were never meant to be here. There’s no pressure going into the next games, the semi-finals. Whatever happens now is a bonus.”

There was little between the combatants and the difference was the boot of Jamal Fogarty. A missed tackle that led to a Tigers try was the only blemish on an otherwise stellar effort. Whether it be clearing kicks, spiralling bombs or judicious grubbers, the Tigers had no answer to Fogarty’s work with the boot.

Sunia Turuva has a safe pair of hands, but they couldn’t get anywhere near one of Fogarty’s bombs, leaving the spoils for Jed Stuart.

The hosts didn’t have it all their own way. Their journey to the top of the ladder has been on the back of a forward pack forever offloading the football. However, their first offload didn’t come until right on the stroke of half-time, a pointer towards how well the Tigers wrapped up the ball carrier.

The Tigers, meanwhile, were more than happy to promote the Steeden. The try of the day, to Jeral Skelton, was the result of the ball being spun all the way to the right, then to the left, and then back to right again.

It’s unclear whether Skelton will recall his magic moment after being on the wrong end of a booming collision. The winger put on a huge shot on Ethan Strange, but the Raider was the only one capable of bouncing back to his feet.

With just over a minute remaining, local fans performed the Viking Clap. After securing top spot, they will get two more opportunities, during the finals series no less, to put their hands together.

Storm’s shock loss left NRL scrambling to deliver trophy to Canberra

Christian Nicolussi

An NRL staffer drove the prestigious JJ Giltinan Shield to Canberra on Saturday morning after Melbourne’s shock loss to the Roosters on Friday night opened the door for the Raiders to clinch the minor premiership.

Sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly confirmed the NRL had initially hoped to present the silverware to the Raiders in week one of the finals.

The Raiders play the Dolphins in Brisbane next weekend in the final round of the regular season, and it made sense for the trophy presentation to take place in Canberra during the qualifying final.

However, Green Machine officials wanted the celebration to take place on Saturday after the Roosters defeated the Storm.

And that meant an NRL staffer hopping in his car with the trophy on Saturday and making the three-hour drive down the Hume Highway. NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo flew straight from Melbourne, where he helped celebrate Craig Bellamy’s 600th game as coach on Friday night, to the nation’s capital to make the presentation.

The Storm won the minor premiership last year, and asked the NRL to present the Shield in the middle of the week after a training session so it was not a distraction leading into the finals.

The minor premiership is still worth only $200,000, which is a paltry figure compared to the amount of money teams collect in some of the other major sporting competitions throughout the world. The money is split evenly between the club and players, which means players collect little more than a $3000 bonus for being the best team for six months.

The NRL premiers receive $1 million, which is again split between the club and players.

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