“We let everyone do the talking and then we respond”.
That’s the Raiders’ attitude so far this season, dispelling the opinion held by many experts that they were wooden spoon contenders after losing marquee man Jack Wighton.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart loves the ‘underdog’ tag thrust upon his side, with many questioning how he would fill the void left by Wighton at five-eighth.
The only place to watch every game of every round LIVE with no ad-breaks during play is Fox League, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >
Storm put huge score on poor Parra | 03:06
Then in came Ethan Strange. He’d only played a single game coming into the 2024 season and starred for NSW Under 19s, scoring a hat-trick for his state in July last year.
Since stepping into Wighton’s big shoes, Strange has been nothing but excellent and is showing maturity beyond his years at only 19-years of age.
The rising star is spearheading the next generation of Raiders talent alongside Xavier Savage, Ata Mariota and Kaeo Weekes who are all 22.
Throw in the mix boom rookie Chevy Stewart, who played three games earlier this year at only 18, and the Raiders have the makings of a successful spine for years to come.
Savage, who has strung together his most consistent first grade appearances this season, explained Stuart has created a siege mentality.
“Yeah 100 per cent (we love being underdogs), we know we have one of the youngest teams in the competition at the moment,” Savage said to foxsports.com.au.
MORE NRL NEWS
TALKING POINTS: Leader in NSW halves race; unthinkable Broncos scenario
‘NOT HEARD’: Tigers won’t commit to Leichhardt amid doubts over $50m in funding
STOOD DOWN: NRL set to stand down Panthers star indefinitely over DV charge
‘NOT GOOD FOR US’: Munster’s troublesome injury returns in major Origin concern
“But we like it. Flying under the radar and keep on pushing forward, we let everyone else do the talking and then we respond. That’s our goal.
“We don’t worry about it too much what everyone says, we do what we do and focus on ourselves.”
So how has Stuart created a group that seems to go from strength to strength? The Raiders got the job done in Magic Round with two players in the sin bin to finish the first half.
They snatched victory through a Hudson Young try, which unsurprisingly was created by talented five-eighth Strange.
“Throughout pre-season we were really big on the mental toughness side of things, doing lots of things around training a little surprises here and there,” Savage said.
“It’s like we always have more left in the tank. You just have to remind yourself you’ve always got more left, it’s that never say die attitude.
“We showed that too against Manly as well, hopefully next game we can start a bit stronger and not be having to chase points.”
Those ‘surprises’ were a shock to the system for the Raiders squad, but served a bigger purpose according to Savage.
On multiple occasions after a long day’s training, with high-fives being shared by the Canberra squad, Stuart would chime in and say ‘get in your cars and run up the mountain’.
“Little surprises like that to prove we have more in the tank I guess, then it comes down to games like this and we play a full 80 minutes,” Savage said.
“I think we are really doing that.”
And he’s right, on multiple occasions the Raiders have had to do it the hard way. They snatched a win from the Titans in golden point in Round 6.
Then came another Young match winner against the Sea Eagles in Round 9, scoring in the 76th minute to secure a two-point victory.
It was the same against the Bulldogs in Magic Round, with Savage explaining: “we just knew we had to hold out to start the second half and limit their tries before the boys came back on.
“But they got one there. We actually defended pretty well. When the boys came back on we had that lift of energy again and we knew we could do it if we just stuck with our process.”
Savage admitted he was “proud” of Strange’s emergence this year, sharing a special moment after their Magic Round victory.
“I went up to him after this game and said ‘mate, I am so proud of you. You’re getting better every week’. That’s all we ask of him,” Savage said.
Warriors pull off unreal upset | 02:13
“That he just takes something out of every week and you just get better every week and he’s come along really nicely.
“He’s still young and he’s got a big career ahead of him but I’m so excited to see where he goes and how far he goes.
“He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but we are a pretty tight group and we’ve made him feel as comfortable as possible,”
“We are all here supporting each other, playing as one team. But especially Strange who has had such big shoes to fill.”
He also admitted that Wighton’s departure did come as a shock for the Raiders, with the gun five-eighth having played 12 seasons in the nation’s capital before he made a shock decision.
“Especially Jack being at the Raiders for so long. It was different not having him around, he was a big part of the club,” Savage said.
“But we all supported him and what he wanted to do, and he had to do what he had to do. That’s his choice and there’s no bad blood there.
“But we had to adapt to the changes and I think we have.”
Dolphins hand Tigers 7th straight loss | 02:35
Savage himself was exiled from first grade last season, featuring only once and shifting to the wing in NSW Cup. That move has paid dividends now, with the young gun scoring six tries this year.
“(Stuart) doesn’t beat around the bush, he is honest and he keeps it straight,” Savage said.
“He’s been really good with me, keeping my head switched on. He always reminds me of how far I’ve come, especially after last year.
“It’s a big change for me and I just want to keep making him happy, keep ticking the boxes and keep going around asking for more challenges every week and more goals during the games.”
Gordie faces his biggest fear… heights | 07:49
So where to now for the Raiders? Stuart’s side are firmly fixed inside the top eight, a position that many thought was unimaginable for a side of their youth.
But that’s exactly why they are in this position according to Savage.
“Having all the young boys here, it brings a lot of energy around the club. We have a good balance at the moment, younger boys pushing the older boys,” Savage said.
“And the older boys are pushing the younger boys, so I reckon we still have quite a bit left until we actually click as a team.
“We are still getting there, but once that clicks we can do anything man.”
Source Agencies
