The Green Machine celebrating one of the many tries during the 2025 Canberra Raiders season. Photo: Jaye Grieshaber.
Predictions in rugby league can come back to bite you – just ask the ‘experts’ who predicted the Raiders would end up with the wooden spoon in 2025.
Much of the research by pundits is conducted in the Sydney bubble without any real insight into what is happening in Canberra.
The Raiders’ first minor premiership in 35 years had those so-called experts squirming as their predictions were resurrected regularly throughout the season. This is a timely reminder that in this day and age, predictions no longer simply disappear into the ether and the internet never forgets.
In 2025, the Raiders probably exceeded expectations. There was no way they were going to finish last, but the minor premiership would have been a stretch even for the most optimistic Canberra supporter.
So as we head into the 2026 season, questions will no doubt be raised – and predictions made – around the Raiders’ exit from the 2025 playoffs in the semi-finals after consecutive losses to the Broncos and then the Sharks.
Will there be any hangover from those losses? The answer hopefully ranges from ‘highly unlikely’ to ‘no’.
Kaeo Weekes scored some incredible tries during the 2025 Canberra Raiders season. Photo: Jaye Grieshaber.
I reason that with such a young team, they reflect the current generation’s ability to shrug off setbacks more quickly than previous generations.
A case in point is Kaeo Weekes. He went from being maligned following his performance against Manly in March 2025 to setting the competition alight with a remarkable ‘back yourself’ try against the Storm in Magic Round.
There were calls for Ricky Stuart to drop Weekes after that Manly game, but Stuart backed him to recover, and he did.
There are also high hopes for Ethan Strange, a player who could rival the impact Laurie Daley had on the Raiders.
Strange is only 21 years old and is contracted until 2028. His absence in the semi-final loss to the Sharks was telling.
As they head into 2026, the Raiders are pretty much the same outfit, albeit without halfback Jamal Fogarty, fuelling fans’ optimism that Canberra is virtually at the start of a so-called premiership window.
There is pressure on Ethan Sanders to fill Fogarty’s boots, but he will play a different role from Fogarty as he is prepared to take on the line more, although Fogarty has a superior kicking game.
Ethan Strange; 2025 Raiders vs Titans. Photo: Jaye Grieshaber.
How Stuart manages Josh Papali’i will also be a factor with Papali’i in the twilight of his career, but on his day on the field, he can make an enormous impact on the team’s performance.
It is hard to see anything but another successful season for the Raiders. The so-called experts may see it differently, citing the potential emotionally draining impact of the 2025 semi-final losses.
Speak to any of the Raiders players, though, and it’s either already in the rear-view mirror or a motivation for 2026.
