Count em, 7! That’s an incredible 7 straight wins for the mighty green machine!
If those numbers weren’t amazing enough on their own, that 7 game winning streak now includes back to back wins against competition leaders.
Three weeks ago, I wrote about the litmus test that was a fortnight of games against the Cronulla Sharks and Melbourne Storm. I said winning one game would be a good result.
Little did I know the boys would have an incredible couple of weeks that included blowing both those teams out of the water!
If the win against the Sharks was impressive, the win against the Storm was simply outstanding!
For weeks the Raiders have been winning with the attack they’ve become well known for in 2016.
Against the Sharks, the boys not only used that attacking flair, but their defence was much improved.
Against the Storm, that defence went from much improved to beyond brilliant!
Set after set, the Raiders defended their line with a confidence we haven’t seen in years.
A team with superstars Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, and a host of representative players was made to look feeble in attack.
Our boys didn’t just hold out the Storm, they built an impenetrable green brick wall to keep them out.
It was the kind of defence that gives Raiders fans a sort of hope we haven’t dared to have for a long time.
Gone are the days of wanting to be competitive against the top teams. We now know that not only can we beat the top teams, we can dominate them.
Better yet, not only are we capable of dominating top teams, we can call ourselves one of those top teams! It sure is a good feeling.
This weekend gives the mighty Raiders a chance to prove it.
It’s one thing to turn up ready for a fight against top sides. It’s another to still turn it on against teams at the other end of the NRL ladder.
If our boys head into the game against the Eels thinking the result is a foregone conclusion, there could be a nasty surprise waiting.
One thing down and out teams love is to prove their worth. And what better place to prove it than against the high flying green machine?
The Raiders will need to turn up ready to play. That includes the famous attacking flair, as well as that unbreakable defence.
The momentum is there, it’s time to keep that rolling.
Fans have their part to play too. This is it, Raiders fans. Possibly the last home game of the season.
Let’s pack GIO Stadium, help keep that momentum going, and celebrate the incredible turnaround of 2016. The finals are just a moment away. Let’s send our boys there in style! Go Raiders!!!
TICKETS - BE THERE ON SUNDAY WHEN WE TAKE ON THE EELS
