Still a way to go for Ricky’s rampant Raiders

Sebastian Tan | July 19, 2025

Canberra may be tracking towards their first minor premiership in 35 years but coach Ricky Stuart knows they are nowhere near where he wants them to be less than two months out from finals.

The Raiders added another valuable two points to stay on top of the NRL ladder for another week, defeating Parramatta 40-16 in front of a big crowd at a fast and dry GIO Stadium on Saturday.

But it wasn’t as comfortable as the final score suggests as only a strong finish was what got the hosts over the line.

“If you think we’re at a certain level as a football team at the moment … we’re not going to have success going into the back end of the season,” Stuart said.

“There’s a team we want to become, and that’s what we’re chasing.”

The Eels were fearless in the first half, with aggressive running and slick ball movement stunning the Green Machine.

In the end though it was the home side who got stuck into a grind, wearing Parramatta down until breaking through and running riot.

“I walk around there (change rooms) sometimes and I see four, five or six 22-year-olds, 23-year-olds, all gathering around talking about how they’re going to get into the game and what they’re going to do,” he said.

“We look at Ethan Strange at the moment. His communication and confidence has grown so much over 12 months, and I just keep thinking to myself, where are you going to be in another two years?

“I’ve got to keep coming back to thinking realistically that we’re still developing these young blokes.”

His young winger and son Jed was prolific with two tries and three assists.

But his work was guided by the Raiders’ senior members, with Jamal Fogarty inspiring yet again in the halves and Joseph Tapine (165m) leading from the front.

The Eels were without their $13 million senior player Dylan Brown after coach Jason Ryles dropped him for Joash Papalii.

Papalii, the 21-year-old young gun, set up a Sean Russell try but was unable to inspire a tired second-half outfit.

Second-rower Matt Doorey (165 metres) and Zac Lomax (one try, 228m) were also influential for Parramatta.

“I thought we did really well to turn the momentum around and then swing it to our favour in that first half,” said Ryles, whose side have only won five of 17 games this season and sit at the wrong end of the table.

“(Papalii’s) obviously got some lessons there in the second half. So we’ll just keep working really hard on developing his game.”