2011: A Raiders Odyssey

IN the middle of May in 2011, in the season after they played for no points, Melbourne Storm hosted Canberra Raiders at the tres functionally-named Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Storm was $1.08.

Though Melbourne Storm had had to give up Brett White, Brett Finch, Aiden Tolman and Greg Inglis because some pelican in accounts kept two sets of books and a disaffected employee dobbed, Melbourne Storm, in their very Melbourne Storm way, remained the testing material of the National Rugby League in 2011.

Billy Slater was fullback, Cooper Cronk halfback, and Cameron Smith captain, hooker and extra match official.

There was Gareth Widdop, Jesse Bromwich, Adam Blair, Kevin Proctor, Bryan Norrie, Ryan Hinchcliffe and a backup goon squad of madmen led by Sika Manu who roared off the bench like a hammerhead shark.

They were hard people.

By round 10 they had won seven and lost two to sit second on the ladder. So not an atypical season for the southern monster and purple machine.

Our dear Canberra Raiders, meanwhile, had lapped Cronulla 40-12 in round one, and then – for reasons known only to them - lost the next eight straight to equal the club record for consecutive losses, set across 1985/86.

Then they went to Melbourne where they had not won in 11 years.

And, of course, on a mild Saturday night at the purpose-built rectangle …