We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
Ricky Stuart bristled at reporters when asked about the Panthers fans doing the Viking clap during Penrith’s 36-6 win over the Raiders in a tense press conference.
Panthers fans twice chose to do the Raiders’ infamous prematch ritual during the second half and Stuart was asked about it post match.
“Ricky one of the big moments in the second half a couple of times with the Viking clap, what where your thoughts about that?” a journalist asked.
Canberra halfback Sam Williams was on hand in Wagga Wagga to launch ticket sales for the NRL game in the city between the Raiders and the Melbourne Storm on 9 April.
The game is the Raiders’ third in Wagga Wagga in four years, and there are high hopes it will be played in front of a capacity crowd. The 2020 match was called off because of the pandemic, and last year’s game was played in front of limited fans also due to COVID.
Growing up in Cooma, Williams knows the impact the NRL coming to town can have on a community. It goes well beyond the enjoyment of watching the game live.
Penrith Panthers forward Matt Eisenhuth says his side’s rivalry with the Canberra Raiders is “good for the game” amid calls Panthers fans crossed the line by imitating the Viking clap in their team’s round 7 win.
During Ricky Stuart’s coaching tenure, Canberra’s home crowd has adopted the Viking clap as a means to intimidate opposition teams and show support for the Raiders.
But on Sunday, fans of the ladder-leading Panthers repurposed the Viking clap to mock the Raiders after an error in play. Penrith home fans did the same in the Raiders’ visit to the foot of the mountains...