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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 3693504, member: 1899"] Alright back at it after a break, let's look at the Warriors Round 1 opponents the Canberra Raiders: Canberra Raiders 2025 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Albert Hopoate/Savelio Tamale 3. Matt Timoko 4. Seb Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papalii 9. Danny Levi/Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Tom Starling/Danny Levi 15. Ata Mariota 16. Corey Hursburgh 17. Matty Nicholson They're rarely on anybody's radar and yet the Raiders always find a way to put themselves in the finals mix. Last year they were dealt a hand that should have seen them anchored on the bottom of the ladder alongside the Tigers and the Eels. Yet, they persevered and finished a respectable 9th. What made them so competitive was their pack. They have a real workman like pack that aren't afraid to get down in the trenches and can get over the top of their opposition. At the forefront is Joseph Tapine, one of the best forwards in the competition and is the total package with ball in hand. He has the skills, the mobility and the stamina to match it with anybody. Alongside him is the ever pugnacious Hudson Young. Another Newcastle junior who just represents everything his coach is looking for in a footballer. He's the type of player who never dies wondering and isn't afraid to colour outside the lines to get the desired result. Again I invite my ESL experts [USER=8770]@Wolfie[/USER], [USER=8423]@Sproj[/USER] and [USER=9881]@Fitzy[/USER] to talk about Matty Nicholson. I just presume he's Elliott Whitehead/John Bateman 3.0 and he'll be another strong addition to the pack? It's a really solid pack of forwards and there's plenty of depth there as well with Emre Guler, Trey Mooney, Pasami Saulo in the mix alongside a couple of young guns in Myles Martin & Vena Patuki-Case. With that pack, the Raiders will find themselves in plenty of contests, it's just a matter of whether they can convert their opportunities when they present themselves. There were some real positive signs on that front this year with the emergence of Ethan Strange, Xavier Savage and Kaeo Weekes. Strange in particular proved a real handful down that left-side for the Raiders and I'd expect the Raiders to build their sets around that formation. If that doesn't deliver, then they'll turn to Weekes to target that right middle third and if all else fails turn to Savage to see what he can come up with. I'd also expect to see Ethan Sanders and Chevy Stewart at some point through out the season. They're two of the more exciting prospects coming through and they'll get their opportunity to make their mark. Of the two, Stewart has the best chance to make the position his own since Fogarty for all intents and purposes should have the halfback spot nailed down, but if Sanders delivers it would be a massive boon for the Raiders. Still, that's a lot of water under the bridge and both Strange and Weekes will need to prove themselves if they're a chance of winning the premiership. My other concerns is their outside backs and dummy half. It's not the strongest backline and while they have an exciting prospect in Savelio Tamale coming in it remains to be seen what he can do. As far as the dummy half, it's no secret they've struggled since losing Josh Hodgson and the Raiders of 2016 and 2019 enjoyed a lot of success out of what their dummy half was able to create. Both Levi and Starling can trouble the opposition with their running games but they just seem to lack that class a quality dummy half brings. I can't see them seriously challenging this year. I'd expect them to finish anywhere between 7th and 13th but likely more outside the 8 than in. I expect to see a few players develop and put themselves in the Origin conversation for 2026 and then they'll make a serious charge, especially once they get their spine sorted. [/QUOTE]

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