It wasn’t a fluke’: Raiders set sights on avoiding unwanted NRL finals Stat…
The Raiders are motivated going into the 2026 season to break a frustrating pattern: historically, they’ve made the NRL finals many times but then failed to follow it up the next year more often than any other club since the top-eight system began in 1999. That means they’ve tended to yo-yo in and out of finals, rather than establish consistent finals campaigns. �
canberratimes.com.au
Hooker Tom Starling and teammates have said that this history is driving them — they want to prove last season’s success wasn’t a one-off and avoid missing the finals this time around. That mindset is about maintaining intensity and hunger through the whole season. �
canberratimes.com.au
📊 The recent finals experience the Raiders want to learn from
In 2025, after finishing as minor premiers (1st on the ladder) — their best regular-season finish in decades — Canberra exited the finals after two straight losses, including a dramatic extra-time defeat to Brisbane and then a loss to Cronulla. They became the first minor premiers since 2009 to be knocked out in straight sets, an unwanted statistical footnote that clearly still stings. �
Raidercast
That combination — an incredible regular season followed by a quick finals exit — is the kind of pattern the Raiders are determined not to repeat in 2026.
🏉 What’s driving them this pre-season
Players and staff talk about building on the last year’s success and treating it as the start of something, not a flash in the pan. They’ve cited the disappointment of how 2025 ended as fuel, plus a collective mindset that “it wasn’t a fluke” and they deserve to be competitive again. �
canberratimes.com.au
If you’d like more detailed numbers on their finals appearances over the years or a breakdown of Canberra’s squad changes ahead of 2026, just let me know!
