Fast-forward almost 12 months, Canberra\u2019s prospective NRL Rookie of the Year is readying himself for the historic repeat.<\/p>\n
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The 22-year-old goes head-to-head with Nathan Cleary in a rematch for the ages in Mudgee on Saturday, as the Raiders plot an NRL finals berth that seemed unlikely just a month ago.<\/p>\n
In a wide-ranging chat with foxsports.com.au, Sanders talks about the positional changes that have stirred the Raiders\u2019 sudden finals hopes, the influence of Ricky Stuart, and his real driver to succeed in the NRL.<\/p>\n
The positional switches that ignited the Raiders\u2019 finals run<\/p>\n
It has been a topsy-turvy year for the Raiders, but the belief inside their four walls has never wavered according to Sanders.<\/p>\n
Replacing Manly-bound halfback Jamal Fogarty at the end of last season was always going to be a tough assignment for the reigning minor premiers, but coach Ricky Stuart\u2019s patience around the evolution of the squad is now bearing fruit.<\/p>\n
Sanders\u2019 combination with Ethan Strange showed promise in early season wins over the Rabbitohs and the Storm, but a mounting injury toll particularly through the Raiders\u2019 middle stymied their progress, while poor completion rates and countless errors in the first half of the season made wins difficult.<\/p>\n
A Round 16 loss to Melbourne could be considered the low point of the Raiders\u2019 season, plunging them to 16th on the NRL ladder.<\/p>\n
But a positional switch combined with the return of Canberra\u2019s middle men has helped turn the side\u2019s fortunes drastically.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was definitely games that we were proud of earlier in the season, but I think moving Strangey back to the left and getting Kaeo back on the right was something that has definitely freed up those two boys,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving Strangey there didn\u2019t really affect my game too much, it was more just defending on the right side instead of the left. <\/p>\n
\u201cI like to say I\u2019m an on-ball half that goes both sides of the field, so it was more of a defensive move for me, but it freed Strangey up on his preferred left side and Kaeo the same with his right side.\u201d<\/p>\n
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – JULY 18: Ethan Sanders of the Raiders kicks ahead during the round 20 NRL match between Canberra Raiders and South Sydney Rabbitohs at GIO Stadium, on July 18, 2026, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Raiders have scored 154 points in their four consecutive wins, while Sanders has led the league for the most try assists (11) and the equal most try involvements (15) over the past five weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to learn coming in as a halfback to a side that\u2019s full of senior boys. It\u2019s been different, we haven\u2019t got as many wins as we would have liked to but over the last month it has all come together and we\u2019ve been playing a good style of footy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew we could get it together, it was just some of those games earlier in the year that we weren\u2019t getting the bounce of the ball and things weren\u2019t working.\u201d<\/p>\n
Complementing the positional changes has been the integration of Owen Pattie into Canberra\u2019s hooking role.<\/p>\n
According to Fox Sports Lab, the 11th-placed Green Machine are now an 8.2 per cent chance of making the finals at the time of writing, with the Panthers, Knights, Sharks, Broncos and Cowboys comprising their run home.<\/p>\n
Canberra have enough change to lose just one match from their remaining five matches, and will need to do so without injured forwards Hudson Young and Noah Martin. <\/p>\n
According to Greg Alexander, Sanders is one of the keys to Canberra keeping their finals hopes alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes time to settle in as an NRL player and you\u2019ve got to get comfortable in knowing what to do, when to do it, all facets of your game are under pressure when you play NRL,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEthan Sanders was a very talented halfback as a junior and it takes a while for you to be able to show that at NRL level because of the step up in the speed and the physical contact and the pressure. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve seen the last couple of weeks Ethan Sanders play like Ethan Sanders can play. It\u2019s good to see when someone can put the skills on the park. Ethan Sanders is a good runner of the football and we\u2019ve seen that the last couple of weeks but he\u2019s a very accomplished number seven and he\u2019ll just improve on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ricky Stuart influence<\/p>\n
If Sanders and Strange are the key protagonists in Canberra\u2019s attack, then coach Ricky Stuart is the brains. <\/p>\n
\u2018Sticky\u2019 is considered one of the greatest halves to play the game, but aside from his on-field nous, it is the locker room manner that helps his players flourish.<\/p>\n
Stuart\u2019s little morsels of wisdom will find their way to Sanders on the training field, from the sidelines during matches, and in the quieter moments away from the game.<\/p>\n
Although Canberra wasn\u2019t an obvious destination for Sanders \u2013 a Parramatta junior whose path to first grade was blocked by a certain Dylan Brown and Mitch Moses \u2013 he said he is grateful to have made the move to the nation\u2019s capital in 2025, primarily because of Stuart.<\/p>\n
\u201cSticky has been massive for me. He\u2019s lived this and he came through as a young half, so to have him there is awesome,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to put into words but it\u2019s a lot of things that he goes into detail about. The crux of it is more just being yourself and playing the style of footy that you want to play, gaining the trust of boys with playing consistent footy every week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt happens on the field with my kicking, Sticky was a very good half so he\u2019ll give me points there, but there\u2019s also stuff off the field in terms of leading the boys around and that sort of thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cRicky has lived this so I don\u2019t think I could ask for anyone better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arguably Stuart\u2019s biggest asset as coach is that of patience. <\/p>\n
Just as he has done in recent weeks with hooker Owen Pattie \u2013 giving him the necessary experience in NSW Cup before going under the microscope in first grade \u2013 the Canberra coach has played the long game with Sanders to build a spine that will work well beyond 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe spoke about it at the start of the year: it\u2019s Ethan\u2019s first season of NRL and it\u2019s going to be a big learning curve. It still will be,\u201d Stuart said in the aftermath of last week\u2019s win over the Tigers.<\/p>\n
It is this delicate balancing act that Stuart does so well, according to Greg Alexander.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re chasing wins but you also realise that you need to give the individuals the time to become themselves as players,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a balancing act that\u2019s for sure and Ricky\u2019s stuck with it. It\u2019s a very good young spine that they\u2019ve got now with Owen Pattie and Ethan Strange and Ethan Sanders and Kaeo Weekes, so that\u2019s certainly something to build on for next year.\u201d<\/p>\n