Ricky Stuart has been around the game long enough to know a 2-0 isn’t anything to write home about yet, but the Raiders coach is understandably excited with what’s brewing in the nation’s capital.
“We get written off a lot. Now we’re showing people that we have a football team,” he said on Triple M the day after Canberra’s 32-22 upset win over the Broncos.
Known in recent seasons as a team that grinded and clawed their way to victory, Ricky’s Raiders have blown their two 2025 opponents off the park.
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In the season opener in Vegas, the Raiders blitzed the Warriors in a 30-8 result. They followed up their US foray with a stunning upset victory over the Broncos – a team who put 50 on the Roosters just nine days prior.
The Broncos scored two consolation tries to add some respectability to the scoreboard, but don’t let the eventual ten-point margin fool you. It was complete domination from the Raiders.
Stuart noted after the Broncos win that Canberra “hasn’t had a bad player” across the first two rounds.
He’s right, but there have been a few shining lights.
Two of those who have been immense for Canberra this season are hooker Tom Starling and forward Corey Horsburgh, both of which have recently faced or are facing an uncertain future in the nation’s capital.
Starling has been such a livewire out of dummy-half so far this season and is a big reason why the Raiders have been able to put on 62 points combined against quality opposition.
He’s second among all hookers in the comp with 193 running metres and nine tackle busts while also chipping in with two try assists and two line break assists.
While Horsburgh (more on him later) has seemingly sorted his 2024 issues with Stuart and the Raiders and is set to play out his lengthy deal with the club, Starling is without a contract for next season.
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Given the Raiders only last week signed the experienced Jayden Brailey for 2026 and 2027 and have rising star Owen Pattie earmarked as the club’s hooker of the future, conventional wisdom suggests Starling won’t be in Canberra next season.
Because of Starling’s stellar form for the Raiders dating back to when he took over as the team’s starting dummy-half in the back half of last season, Fox League’s Bryan Fletcher and Matty Johns are puzzled by the Brailey signing.
“It’s a strange decision with Jayden Brailey coming there. You’d think they want to keep Starling wouldn’t you?” Fletcher said on Sunday Night with Matty Johns.
“They’ve got the young bloke (Pattie) coming through as well. It’s very interesting,” Johns added.
In his interview with Triple M on Sunday, Stuart brought up Starling unprompted when discussing the make-up of the Raiders’ roster, insinuating that the signing of Brailey will bring the best out of Starling.
“It’s hard categorising your roster. I overload in a few positions because I think they’re key positions towards results which makes it harder when you have to pick teams. I hate disappointing players but I’ve also got to look after a club,” Stuart said.
“I’ve overloaded in a couple of positions there and when you categorise your roster in gives you competition in healthy spots. The competition makes people play better and you see what it’s doing to Tommy Starling at the moment. He’s playing so well.”
While it’s unlikely to see a scenario where the Raiders go into 2026 with Brailey, Pattie and Starling, if the latter keeps this form up, Canberra will find it hard to let him walk.
On the rumour front, Souths have reportedly shown interest in Starling, but that may have waned given their fresh focus on Brandon Smith.
While Starling may or may not return, at one stage last season, Horsburgh was next to no chance of returning a Raider in 2025.
Horsburgh and Stuart didn’t talk for much of the season as the former Maroons forward failed to meet his coach’s lofty standards and in turn he dropped down the pecking order.
The two were able to make up, with Horsburgh featuring in first grade at the end of last season before undergoing an incredible transformation in the off-season to look as fit as he’s ever been during his NRL career.
Horsburgh admitted he “didn’t enjoy” the 2024 season amid his feud with Stuart.
“I didn’t really enjoy it last year with the circumstances I put myself under and I didn’t really want to do the hard stuff,” he said.
Horsburgh’s shift in attitude between 2024 and 2025 has impressed Stuart, who says the pair share a really good relationship.
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“Corey had to make all the hard decisions. He’s done all the hard work,” the Raiders coach said.
Horsburgh has won back Stuart’s faith so much so that he has started both games for Canberra this season, averaging 114 metres, two tackle busts and 27 tackles.
Coming up against a fearsome Broncos pack in Round 2 sans skipper Joe Tapine, the Raiders were considered heavy underdogs.
However, against the likes of Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, Xavier Willison and Jordan Riki, it was the Raiders pack who won the battle.
“He looks fit and fantastic. Big Red led the way,” Johns said.
“In Joe Tapine’s absence, he, Josh Papali’i and Zac Hosking were outstanding.
“Last year, him and Ricky admitted they were off each other but they’ve mended the bridge.”
Nathan Hindmarsh added: “He’s a very handy player. He’s quite deceiving, he’s got a bit of David Fifita about him where you think he’s going to run straight then all of a sudden he’s running across you.”
“He’s light enough on his feet to throw the cat among the pigeons a bit.”
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