NRL legend cautions that the Canberra Raiders could be in serious finals trouble unless they address a glaring defensive weakness that has haunted them all season, ahead of Saturday’s high-stakes, do-or-die clash against the Cronulla Sharks.
The Raiders suffered heartbreak in Sunday’s qualifying final against Brisbane, squandering a 16-point lead as Broncos fullback Reece Walsh masterminded a remarkable comeback, capped by Ben Hunt’s 94th-minute field goal in golden-point/
Speaking on his podcast, Billy Slater expressed disbelief that the 2025 minor premiers let such a commanding lead slip away in the match
"I really thought the Raiders were going to go on with it after they scored the first try playing against 11 men," he told Nine's The Billy Slater Podcast.
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"They will look back in the review and think that's an opportunity missed because they really stopped playing. They stopped playing the way they have been playing all year."
A key point Queensland coach Billy Slater highlighted from the thrilling clash was that the Raiders urgently needed to shore up their right-edge defence.
Slater pinpointed this as a glaring weakness that rivals could target in the finals, noting that four of Brisbane’s five tries came down the Raiders’ left side, including the three that completed their 16-point comeback.
"The Raiders' edge defence was awful. That's a real concern going into not just this week, but the rest of the finals series. Especially the right-hand edge," he stated.
"There were deficiencies all over the place and it's not a one off, that's a regular occurrence for the Raiders. It's been a real issue for them, and it was the issue on Sunday afternoon.
"Make no mistake, (the Sharks) will be attacking their left-hand side, attacking the right-hand side defence of the Raiders.
"Not only do you have to recover physically and emotionally from that defeat, you've got to fix some holes and making sure your defence is sound.
"(Leaking) 29 points in a finals game, after being the minor premiers... defence is key at this time of the year. Look how many points the Panthers conceded (against the Warriors), eight points; the Panthers know how to get it done at this time of year.
"You have to get your defence rock solid at this time of the year."