With yesterday’s heart breaking loss, Canberra’s season in terms of playing finals footy are all but over.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, closes losses at home, in games they perhaps should have won, has become the theme of their 2015 season.

Ricky Stuart’s side should very well be preparing to play in the finals, instead they are able to start planning their mad Monday celebrations.

As it stands the Raiders have won just two of their home games at GIO Stadium in 2015, a stark contrast to the past few seasons where the side struggled to win outside the capital.

It’s near impossible for a side to play finals football with such a horror home record, however it could have been so different for the Green Machine.

Yesterday’s loss was the THIRD time in 2015 the Raiders have dropped a home game by two points.

Incredibly they also lost two home games by a single point, and a further game by four points.

That’s six games the Raiders have dropped at home, by less than a converted try.

Their biggest home loss this season has been 12 points, in losses to the Warriors and the Broncos.

Away wins against the likes of the Sharks, Sea Eagles, Tigers and the Bunnies have kept them in the race for the finals, but their form in front of their own fans has let them down massively.

The Titans and the Knights were the only teams who left GIO Stadium without the two points. With all due respect to both of those sides, neither has had a brilliant 2015.

Although it’s still mathematically possible for the Raiders to play finals footy, when you starting talking mathematical chance, it’s all but over.

The best thing the Raiders have going for them is their run home isn’t going to install too much fear.

They play the Titans, Panthers and Eels over the final three weeks of the competition, and luckily for the Raiders, two of those games are away from GIO.

Even with three wins, and six points, they are relying on the Sea Eagles and Dragons to lose each of their remaining fixtures. A win by either side, unless there is a monster turn around in points differential, ends the Raiders season.

It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Canberra will win their remaining three games, however you’d think either the Sea Eagles or Dragons could snag a single win between them over the next three weeks.

The Warriors are also in the running, however without Shaun Johnson, they have been toothless to say the least.

Parra and the Panthers also remain a mathematical chance, but to say it’s a long shot is putting it mildly.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, they probably played well enough to feature in September, but 2015 will not be their year.

For whatever reason they were unable to close out enough games to tally enough competition points to feature.

That being said, 2015 has been a decent year for the Raiders. Jack Wighton and Blake Austin has been immense, while their young forwards have really shown some great signs.

Papalii, Croker and Fensom have had solid seasons, while Josh Hodgson and Soliola have proved brilliant buys.

Add Aidan Sezer to the current Raiders line up, and perhaps 2016 is the season they return to the finals set up.

As for 2015, it’ll be remembered as the season that could, and probably, should have been.

RIP Sin Bin

Over the past few weeks we have seen a plethora of incidents that could have, and probably should have, seen players sat down for ten minutes.

Prior to David Shillington’s send-off last weekend, I had genuine concerns that the referees forgot there were options other than simply placing players on report.

In yesterday’s game between the Raiders and Sea Eagles, Brett Stewart looked as though he was about to burst through a hole, only to be tackled before receiving the ball by Shillington.

If Shillington hadn’t committed the incident, Stewart was through, and may have scored.

As it worked out, the Sea Eagles were able to win regardless, but surely this is a textbook sin bin.

In the second game of the afternoon we saw Brett Morris taken out mid-air by Agnatius Paasi in a horror tackle.

Luckily Morris was able to play on, although it could have been much, MUCH worse after Paasi attacked the legs of Morris mid-air.

Certainly not a send-off offense, but worth a far larger punishment than a simple penalty.

He was put on report and will likely cop a suspension, but for a tackle that could have severely injured the Bulldogs fullback, Paasi got off very lightly.

Unless you throw a punch, or back chat a referee in an aggressive manner, you’re not going to the sin bin.

Last weekend in the Sharks vs Cowboys game, the referees were clearly heard saying “if this continue we will sit someone down.”

There was a penalty in the NEXT set of six, yet no sin bin was used.

The penalty following the one after the warning was met with yet another warning that “if this continues…”

I guarantee if a referee bins a player in the lead up to the finals, players won’t be willing to walk the disciplinary tightrope.

For the record I believe they need to introduce a five minute-sin-bin, but that’s another argument for another day.

Lock Teddy in

Laurie Daley has one less choice to make for next season’s State Of Origin series, as James Tedesco, if fit, HAS to be the first player picked.

With all due respect to Josh Dugan and Matt Moylan, the Tigers custodian is the best fullback south of the tweed (Kempsey aside, ah hem) and should play an important role for his state for the next decade.

The 22 year-old literally has it all. It’s frightening to imagine how good he will be, as he’s still learning.

He leads the tackle break stats by the length of the Randwick straight, and can turn a game on its head with his kick returns.

Throw in his ball-playing skills, that ridiculous step, and some serious pace, and you have one complete footballer.