Well what can be said about last week’s loss to the Sharks?
There’s a danger of over using the term heartbreak but how else could it be described?
The tale of close losses this season is definitely frustrating.
Dragons, Melbourne, Bulldogs, Cowboys, and now the Sharks... Gah!
If there was a soundtrack to go with the 2015 season so far, it’d definitely resemble a classic 80's power ballad.
But turn around bright eyes, like all power ballads, we still have a strong finish in us.
And let’s face it, it wouldn’t be a Raiders season without a near heartattack or two so don’t give up now.
This week is a very winnable game against the Panthers at Pepper Stadium.
While road trips for us have traditionally been less than mildly successful, our record has been very good in recent times.
This should worry the Panthers who aren’t exactly in red hot form themselves.
I’m not predicting quite the 74-12 annihilation of 2008 but the Raiders should be well and truly up for this week. They have to be.
Across the park, the boys will have to aim up and eliminate a lot of the easy mistakes from last week’s loss.
Mistakes that can be forgiven slightly due to the team shake up that’s taken place as a result of the Sam Williams injury.
Any team that undergoes substantial changes will take a week or two to settle down.
But time is a luxury we don’t really have. The boys will need to click fast.
We’ll need every bit of the attacking spark that has seen us become one of the best attacking sides in the NRL.
If things do click, we may just be reminded of the 2010 finals series.
We went to Penrith for round one of the finals in 7th place against the then 2nd placed Panthers.
Our boys pulled off a brilliant upset that I’m sure many of us will remember for years to come.
The celebrations literally spilled onto the ground and I was one that was lucky enough to witness the feat.
These types of wins are just around the corner.
Keep the faith Raiders fans. Remember this time last year, the mood around the club was very different.
We’re on the up and up and our best footy is just around the corner.
Carn Raiders!
