Canberra Times Nosebleed Section

One more to go. The Canberra Raiders are on the verge of ending a 25-year drought and the city has turned green in support.

But can the Raiders really go all the way and beat the Sydney Roosters in the NRL grand final on Sunday night?

Join us for a grand final edition of The Nosebleed Section podcast as we dissect all the big match ups, issues and drama before the big game.

Hudson Young's hopes of playing in the finals for the first time have been shattered after the Canberra Raiders forward was slapped with an eight-week suspension.

Video footage shows him making contact with the face of Warriors forward Adam Pompey. But Pompey gave evidence at the judiciary that he did not feel pressure or pain and did not think he had been eye-gouged.

The judiciary still found Young guilty, prematurely ending his season as the Raiders charge to the finals.

So what do we think? Fair, harsh or somewhere in between.

Join The Nosebleed Section crew for all the latest Raiders news before the finals, hear from Elliott Whitehead and Ryan Sutton after signing new deals and we have updates across all Canberra sports.

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Most Canberra Raiders were furious when the Green Machine were effectively blown out of the contest by the referees last week.

There were 26 penalties in the Raiders' loss to Manly. The figure prompted Ricky Stuart to declare penalties were "ruining the fabric of our game" and the NRL was at the risk of becoming "boring" like rugby union.

Does he have a point? Are people turning away from rugby because of penalties? Or are their other factors?

The NRC will introduce rugby-league style laws this season in a bid to speed up the game, and Super Rugby is desperate for crowds to return to stadiums in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The World Cup and the Wallabies, however, could put the spotlight back on rugby.

Either way, the Raiders' took a hit in that loss to Manly, but they're still in a perfect position to finish third or fourth.

We look at the Raiders' run home, Joey Leilua's brain explosion and the challenge against the Cronulla Sharks on Sunday.

We also check out which Brumbies made the cut in Australia's World Cup squad and why some, including Pete Samu, didn't.

Listen to The Nosebleed Section for all the latest Raiders, Brumbies and Canberra sporting news.

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The Canberra Raiders sit fourth on the NRL ladder ahead of the run home - can they stay there? The Green Machine have emerged as a premiership contender and things are looking up with Nick Cotric close to a return.

The ACT Brumbies are run and done, with a stellar Super Rugby season coming to a close at the semi-final stage. Things may only get tougher as they look to replace an all-star list of players heading into the 2020 season, but there are reasons for optimism.

And Canberra may have a top 10 AFL draft pick on its hands in the form of a new Green machine.

The Canberra Raiders head to Townsville looking to beat the North Queensland Cowboys and secure their best start to a season in 15 years. The Brumbies face a daunting task against the Super Rugby ladder-leaders Canterbury Crusaders in Christchurch.