We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders face Cronulla Sharks in a do-or-die NRL match to stay alive.
There are no more second chances in the 2025 NRL premiership race as the Canberra Raiders host the Cronulla Sharks in a do-or-die encounter on Saturday evening.
Suffering the heartbreak of finishing on the wrong side of a 94-minute epic last Sunday, the Canberra Raiders will have to put aside what could have been in order to keep their premiership dream alive.
Canberra unites in excitement for the upcoming semi-final, blending loyal fans and newcomers.
As Canberra's collective heart rate returns to baseline, we rally ourselves and look ahead to their Hail Mary semi-final clash against the Sharks on Saturday.
I say 'we', but let me be clear, I am not a sports fan. What I am is a follower.
Canberrans everywhere are being swept away in the current of this exciting era, buoyed by a sudden sense of local pride. But there are undeniably two factions of fans in the grandstands: those who have always been there, and those who arrived on the bandwagon.
And to quote another recent sporting superfan, "It's me, hi. I'm the problem, it's me."
Despite a tough loss, the Raiders presentation night was upbeat, highlighted by Joe Tapine's speech.
Heading into the Raiders presentation night after the drama of the day before at Canberra Stadium, there was cause for some uncertainty.
Would the mood be sombre given the emotion of the golden point extra time loss to the Broncos?
To the contrary. The mood was remarkably upbeat.
Perhaps the best indication of the positive vibe of the night came in Joe Tapine's acceptance speech after winning the Meninga Medal, as voted on by his teammates and coaches.