The Raiders’ inability to control games was laid bare in the 34-22 loss to the Sharks in Round four of the NRL.
With Corey Horsburgh sent to the sin bin in the game’s third minute, the Sharks laid on two tries in his absence to lead 12-nil.
While the Raiders fought their way back, the energy spent in the first 15 minutes was telling towards the back end of the game as the Sharks scored tries in the 59th and 71st minutes.
It was a frustrating game for the Raiders as they appeared to overplay, with forced passes resulting in a handover of possession.
In his post-match media conference, Ricky Stuart said as much, describing the Raiders’ lack of discipline as self-destruction.
“That’s coming from trying too hard,” he said, “That’s the care in wanting to win, but you’ve got to balance that. I don’t want them to lose that either.”
It was in many aspects a reflection of the round 2 and 3 losses to the Warriors and the Bulldogs.
There were glimpses of what was to follow in the golden point win over Manly in the opening round, where the Raiders were seemingly in control only to allow the Sea Eagles back in the game.
A positive for the Raiders has been Simi Sasagi’s form, with impressive post-contact and running metres and a defence efficiency of around 86 per cent.
His stats compare favourably with the best centres in the game, including Stephen Crichton and Katoni Staggs.
The stats show just how effective Sasagi has been since starting in the centres. Against the Sharks, he had eight tackle breaks. In comparison, Staggs against the Dolphins had seven tackle breaks, while Crichton had just one tackle break.
Coupled with an 84 per cent tackle efficiency, Sasagi has been impressive.
His form is keeping New Zealand test centre Matt Timoko in the NSW Cup.
Ethan Strange attempting to break through the Tigers defence in January 2025. Photo: Jaye Grieshaber.
Another positive is the performance of the young halves. Although still a work in progress, Ethan Sanders is building in confidence, having played in only eight NRL games at half, while Ethan Strange, after a breakout year in 2025, is yet to replicate that form in 2026.
The Raiders, on the back of three losses in a row, now face an in-form Newcastle on Sunday in Newcastle.
