A speedbump or a rebuild? The question facing the Canberra Raiders

"There's not a lot you can say is there?" the Canberra Raiders captain mused in the wake of a 44-6 defeat on home soil at the hands of the Gold Coast Titans.

Yet in some strange sense those few words said so much about the state of a club most figured would be knocking on the door of a drought-breaking NRL premiership this year.

For the first time in years the Raiders were booed off the park by sections of their own fanbase. To a squad who entered the season with such optimism, it is a moment both forgettable and unforgettable in equal measure.

Supporters seemed fed up with dishing out their hard-earned on a bitterly cold Canberra night, only to see their side miss 65 tackles and concede eight tries to a Titans outfit most backed them to beat.

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Many among the 7646 at Canberra Stadium will have waited for the opening round of the 2021 campaign anticipating a top four finish at the very least. It seemed a plausible pass mark given the previous two seasons had finished with a grand final and a preliminary final appearance.

But now a seemingly wide open premiership window looks to have been slammed shut in the blink of an eye to spark questions about a major rebuild at Raiders headquarters.

Conversations around the water cooler or on the job site seem to go in circles. They've got the talent, I'm not sure why they are where they are.

Marquee halfback George Williams has been shipped back to England, centre Curtis Scott was stood down following an alleged nightclub altercation, Josh Hodgson stood down as co-captain, players' wives took shots at coaching calls on social media.

Even so, Canberra remain just two points adrift of eighth-placed Cronulla, giving fans a faint glimmer of hope there is still a way to salvage the season.

But is it time for Ricky Stuart to bite the bullet and rebuild his roster? The Raiders mentor says he has "got to find some energy, and the only way to find energy is with some new faces".

There is an inherent risk in throwing players to the wolves before they're ready, but something has to give.

"Sitting around watching is not much fun, and being out there in those sorts of games isn't much fun either. I'm lost for words really, I'm a bit shocked at the result, I think everyone was," Croker said after his return from a near 10-week stint out.

"The way the game is at the moment, if you get a roll on, you're hard to stop. We just weren't good enough.

"You're seeing teams all weekend getting flogged, it's not enjoyable to be a part of and I doubt it's enjoyable to watch.

"It's tough. Put it this way, I'd rather be in the sheds after getting flogged than sitting on the sidelines after not being out there and not being able to contribute.

"On nights like tonight, you want to be with the boys and hang tough."

They say a week is a long time in rugby league. The Raiders need every second.

Because waiting for them at Brookvale Oval are the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, who put 56 on the Titans a fortnight ago, and 66 unanswered points on Canterbury this past Saturday.

Perhaps 2021 is a speed bump in similar vein to the frustrating years of 2017-18, which followed a preliminary final exit.

Perhaps the talent is still there to make this team a premiership contender rather than a pretender. If it is, it's time to stand up.

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