Pirate Galaxy » good platform, he said.Weve got a very

Canberra flew under the radar for most of the season, but the Raiders wont cop critics who say they dont deserve to be in the NRL top four.Canberra are safely nestled in third position going into round 23, one point clear of Canterbury in fourth and, more important, three points ahead of the rest of the pack.It means that after an Origin period in which they won six matches from seven, they need only hold their form to ensure they finish in front of last seasons grand finalists, North Queensland and Brisbane.Raiders captain Jarrod Croker refuses to agree with those who dont believe they have earned their spot above the supposed premiership heavyweights.Were there so we deserve to be there, he said.A lot of people are saying Canterbury dont deserve to be there, but theyve won more games than everyone below them so I dont know why they dont deserve to be there, either.Were happy with where were at at the moment.Canberra havent finished in the top four since 2003, and are also the only team to have failed to make the third week of the finals since the start of the NRL era in 1998.However, they have the chance to solidify their top-four hopes against table-topping Melbourne on Monday night in Canberra.And while the Storm only worked their way into first position when Canberra upset Cronulla by 16 points last weekend, Croker doesnt expect it to be quite so easy on Monday.Theyre so consistent, the Storm, Croker said.Theyre a high-quality side and were going to have to be better than we were last week. Anthony Rizzo Cubs Jersey . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. Kosuke Fukudome Jersey . LUCIE, Fla. http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-mike-montgomery-jersey/ . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Kerry Wood Cubs Jersey .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Kyle Hendricks Cubs Jersey .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Canberra captain Jarrod Croker believes last seasons deep run in the NRL finals has set the team up for more success next year.The Raiders returned for their first day of their pre-season training on Monday, less than two months after falling one game short of a grand final appearance.And Croker said there was an air of expectation among the playing group.The long break, everyone was keen to get back into it, which is a good sign for us, Croker said.Kurt Baptistes re-signing last week meant all 17 players who played when Canberra went close to beating Melbourne in the preliminary final will be back on deck next season.Only Edrick Lee and Jordan Rapana come off-contract at the end next season, creating a continuity Croker is banking on to deliver early results next year.Weve laid a good platform, he said.Weve got a very similar squad for the next couple of years now. Everyones played that season orr two together now.dddddddddddd. The combinations are already there.It might be a bit rusty at the start but obviously after the break, we all know each other pretty well by now so hopefully a week or two in it should just click and we can build on last year.Croker is unlikely to take part in full training for another fortnight as he recovers from ankle and knee injuries that plagued the back-end of his 2016 season.He started straight-line running two weeks ago.Im still at that stage at the moment. It was probably more the ankle giving me grief than the knee, he said.Croker says the recruitment of former State of Origin representative David Taylor on a pre-season deal is an exciting development.If he goes out there and rips in, who knows what could happen, Croker said. ' ' '