In the pre-season it looked as though the Raiders would be serious title contenders. They had the roster, the coach and a big home ground advantage.
Fast forward 11 rounds and this is a club in crisis.
They sit 11th with just four wins and have just lost their halfback, and Ricky Stuart spends more time delivering ridiculous excuses in press conferences than he does anything else.
Not to mention their captain stepping down and recently admitting perhaps he needs to move on.
Simply put, they need to make some signings to re-launch in 2022.
They're not in a re-build as they still have a side capable of doing great damage, but they need a sprinkling of players to re-energize the squad.
Below are five players I believe they SHOULD target. These are just personal opinions and I have no information as to whether they're talking to players past what has made the papers.
That said, I have tried to keep it realistic. For instance, I'm not suggesting they can go out and lure Cameron Smith out of retirement.
Let us know in the comments below who you think the Green Machine need to target.
Following the quick exit of Georg Williams, the Raiders need a new playmaker to join Jack Wighton in the halves. I was so tempted to put Anthony Milford here for the romance but Johnson fits the role far better.
Wighton is an elite runner of the ball and has a decent kicking game but he is not the organiser. Shaun Johnson, whether playing six or seven, is capable of running a side.
We haven't seen it so much at the Sharks but I guarantee now that he is paired with Matt Moylan, this will become the SJ show in the Shire.
If he plays well over the next fortnight I can see the Raiders picking up that phone. Johnson is still somewhere toward his best (I still maintain 2020 was his career best year) and is WAY too good to be wasted in Rugby or in the Super League.
He's a marquee signing and compliments the "win now" mentality in the nation's capital. His signature would also sooth the atmosphere amongst Canberra fans.
The back-row is hardly the biggest weakness in the current Green Machine set up, however they lack creativity. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad's injury hasn't helped but even with George Williams the Raiders just weren't scoring the points you expect.
Ryan Sutton, at lock, is a weapon but shifting him into the front row to allow the super creative Tyrone Peachey suits the Raiders game style to a tee.
Lock
Offloads
Tries
Try Assists
'The Peach' debuted against Canberra and scored the greatest individual "no try" of all-time. He has an off-the-cuff style I remember Canberra for.
I can't see them having the money to throw at Dale Finucane but Peachey is a juicy proposition (sorry) and would suit the style sublimely. Get it done Raiders brass!
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For as long as I can remember the Raiders have always had strike centres capable of busting any defense open. With the greatest respects, in 2021 that is not the case.
Curtis Scott, for his great moments, hasn't produced anywhere near the form that saw him win a title in Melbourne, while Jarrod Croker looks to be winding down what has been a magnificent career.
Sebastian Kris is a monster but the fact they haven't re-signed him suggests his future may sit elsewhere. Possible in the back-row too just quietly.
Tesi Niu is currently out of the lineup in Brisbane yet showed some incredible skills earlier in the season. He is a future star and should be given the chance to find regular first grade footy.
The Raiders, if they choose to move on from Croker, could cash in on Niu's potential.
Hudson Young now looks out-of-favour after being dominated to the reserves via the bench, while Soliola, Horsburgh and James are all middle options named this weekend.
Lachlan Fitzgibbon was on the cusp of Origin selection last season and would walk into the 17. At his best I'd slot him straight into the starting 13 and there's 60-80 minutes you don't have to worry about.
I would be SHOCKED if the Knights don't re-sign him but the fact it's drifted this far tells me the Raiders are a shot if interested.
Given what 'Fitz' has done since his return from a serious injury, they should definitely be interested. At 27 he's at his peak, while his contract value would be far less than other options.
Jordan Rapana is 31, while Bailey Simonsson hasn't lived up to the expectation just yet. Semi Valemei looks a prospect but is still raw. I believe the Raiders should look at another option at wing.
Daniel Tupou is available and would slot right in, however Ikuvalu guarantees you plenty of tries without breaking the bank. At very least he adds pressure to the two first-choice wing options.
Ikuvalu has 17 tries in 29 appearances and at only 27 has plenty of footy ahead of him. Again, in a side looking for the final pieces, he presents great value.
Stuart may want a bigger name if he displaces his current stocks but Ikuvalu isn't going to come in and demand big money or demand to be selected every week. Solid squad signing in a position that has been an issue in 2021.