BY CURTIS WOODWARD – EDITOR

@woodward_curtis

Come on be honest. As if you aren’t totally behind the Canberra Raiders going all the way in 2019? What a story. What an exciting footy team!

There’s so much to love about the Green Machine.

It makes it easier to jump on the Raiders bandwagon when you look at the other three mobs left remaining. They’re always floating around the top of the table. But Ricky Stuart’s Raiders are the undisputed fairy tale yarn of the year.

And if you’re not convinced yet…here’s 40 reasons to get behind the Raiders on their road to the first Sunday in October!

40 REASONS TO JUMP ON THE CANBERRA BANDWAGON

• The Viking Clap
• Skipper Jarrod Croker is one of the nicest blokes in the NRL
• John Bateman is a mad man
• Who didn’t love Questacon as a kid?
• Josh Papalii is the form prop forward in the world

• ‘Sticky’ sits on the sideline like an old school boss
• Leipana
• They have a really cool zoo
• Their feeder club is Mounties in the people’s South West
• The rise of CNK
• The sheer skill and class of Josh Hodgson
• There’s heaps of hiking and bush walks around the city
• Sia Soliola leading from the front
• Their random acts of kindness away from the field
• They haven’t won the title since 1994
• It was also the last time they appeared in the grand final
• There’s heaps to eat for foodies around town
• Summernats for rev heads
• Mooseheads for piss heads
• Only Joey Leilua has ever played in an NRL grand final
• Josh Hodgson is now an Australian citizen
• John Bateman and Elliott Whitehead are also thinking about doing the same

• The club is expecting a ground record crowd of just under 30,000 this Friday
• You’re only a few hours’ drive from the snow
• Ricky Stuart enjoys a beer (or several) with his players
• There’s no traffic!
• You might run into the Prime Minister at Macca’s*
• Their A-Grade comp boasts the likes of Terry Campese, Lincoln Withers, James Aubusson, Jarrad Kennedy and Mitch Cornish
• Coach Stuart says this is the tightest footy team he’s ever coached

• They’ve beaten the Storm twice in just a few short weeks
• Elliott Whitehead will play his 100th NRL game this Friday night
• It’s the club’s first ever home preliminary final
• The A.C.T sits inside New South Wales…so we’re basically brothers
• They have some of the best young talent in the game coming through
• Who didn’t love Brett Mullins?

• Who didn’t love Big Mal?
• Who didn’t love ‘Lozza’ and Clyde?
• Who didn’t love Nadruku, Nagas and Wiki?
• Or the ‘Brick with Eyes’?
• The team’s theme song – ‘The Mighty Green Machine’ – is catchy as hell

@woodward_curtis

Join me and the Steele Sports Commentary Team this Sunday for grand final coverage of the Canterbury Cup and Jersey Flegg – live from noon on steelesports.com.au