Adamson and Smith arrive

[greeneyed]

On WIN TV news tonight, the focus was on the arrival of the two aged recruits from the English Super League, Jason Smith and Matt Adamson.

The club held a press conference at Raiders HQ, with the focus on the two new players.

Jason Smith said he thought his role would be to bring some experience to the organisation of the team on the park and to do a lot of the talking. He would be looking to pass on his organisational skills to the younger players in the club. He has now reportedly recovered from the shoulder injury that affected his last season in the ESL.

Matt Adamson will bring some much needed size to the Raiders pack, according to reporter Phil Small. Adamson said he would also be looking to pass on his experience to the younger players in the forward pack. He also refuted suggestions that he was too old to come back to the NRL and said that he would not have signed with the Raiders if he thought that his body would not stand up to the rigours of an NRL season.

The players had a barbeque today, though a number of them have earned a number of days off this week, after having achieved their stage 1 fitness goals. The whole club will be back in training next week, prior to breaking for Christmas. There was also footage of the two new recruits on the training paddock with their families.....

 

[raiders_lover_18]

Just Fielden to come!

 

[greeneyed]

He won't be coming and he isn't the saviour either, based on his Tri Nations form.

 

[DJ Raida]

Raiders sign former Roos
November 29, 2004

FORMER Kangaroo Internationals Jason Smith and Matt Adamson arrived in the nation's capital today to bolster the Canberra Raiders for the 2005 season.

Smith and Adamson, both 32, were recruited from the British Super League to add talent and experience to the youthful Raiders lineup.

Smith, a veteran of 13 Origin games for Queensland and 16 Tests for Australia, had been playing for Hull and is confident he can cast aside two injury-riddled seasons to play an important role.

"I'd been injured a bit in the past two years, but I felt like I still wanted to play," said Smith.

"I wanted to come home. Four years is a long time to be away from family and friends. We were ready to come home and if there was no NRL club ready to pick me up I would have retired."

Adamson, who played two Origins for NSW and 5 Super League Tests for Australia, was part of the premiership-winning Leeds Rhinos.

The former Penrith second-rower had resigned himself to finishing his career in the UK but, after some helpful advice from his father, accepted the Raiders' offer for an NRL swansong.

"When the opportunity came up in mid-June it was something I started to think about. I saw it as a tremendous challenge and I thought I'd take it with both hands," said Adamson.

"I wouldn't have taken the challenge on if I didn't think I had something to offer."

While the two newcomers will add strength to the Raiders pack, left bare following post season departures of Ruben Wiki and Luke Davico, Smith could slot into the backline reigniting his playmaking flair.

"I don't know what position I'll be playing yet," said Smith.

"I've played so many positions. I played a bit of halfback in England, five-eighth, second-row and hooker.

"It doesn't matter, just put a jersey on me.

"I'm pretty much a dominant player as far as talking goes. So that's probably something they wanted at the club, a bit of organisational skills."

While both are surprised to be returning to the toughest League competition in the world Smith isn't ruling out a possible comeback to Origin football.

He would be a long shot for a halves position for the Maroons, especially after the emergence of Scott Prince in 2004 and behind the world's best player in Darren Lockyer at five-eighth, but he is still hopeful.

"I'll see how I go here (in Canberra) first," he said. Meanwhile, former international Bradley Clyde was today appointed Football Manager for the Bulldogs, vacating his recent role as the club's media director.

 

[DJ Raida]

when i saw the title of the story i thought wed actually signed someone new and got excited :?

 

[raiders_boy]

when i saw the title of the story i thought wed actually signed someone new and got excited :?

Yeah I klnow...

On ninemsn they said Raiders sign two former kangaroos, and i got excited... all to no avail

 

[greeneyed]

From today's CT:

Not the retiring types: Green Machine recruits back on tougher home turf
By Andrew Benson Rugby league
Tuesday, 30 November 2004

The Canberra Raiders team for 2005 was completed yesterday with the arrival in Canberra of their two star recruits, Matt Adamson and Jason Smith.

The two former English-based players, both 32, touched down in Canberra in preparation for a season in which they both thought they wouldn't be playing.

As is the case with most Australian players who head to England, both thought their NRL playing days were over.

But the temptation to finish their careers on home soil in the strongest competition in the world lured them to the Raiders for next season.

"I always assumed I would retire and finish my career there," Adamson said.

"I saw it as a tremendous challenge [to come back to the NRL] and when the opportunity came I took it with both hands.

"After talking to a lot of people I came to the decision I still had a lot to offer. If I didn't think my body was up to the week-to-week battles of the NRL I wouldn't have come.

"Over the last 12 months I have been in good shape and I am looking forward to getting on with it."

A homesick Smith was also on the verge of retiring from his team Hull at the end of the last English season. "I've been injured a bit in the last two years and I felt like I was still able to play," he said.

"I wanted to come home. Four years is a long time to be away from your family or friends. If there was no NRL club who wanted me I probably would have retired."

The pair must now get themselves in condition to take the step up from the English game to the higher level of the Australian game.

But Adamson believed he was as ready now as he was when he last played in the NRL.

"I think I am in better shape now."

Really?

"No," Adamson joked.

"Time will tell. The challenge is there and I look forward to it. To be competitive you have to do all the little things right and work hard, and I am prepared to do it."

Smith believed that although the Australian competition was superior, as shown by the Kangaroos' thumping of England on the weekend, the transition from the English competition wouldn't be too difficult.

"It is not as though we haven't been playing, it is pretty tough over there," Smith said.

"It [the NRL] is obviously the best competition and most of the English boys would love to come and have a go. But I am just looking forward to our first game and then go from there."

Both former Australian representatives, the pair will bring a mass of experience to the Raiders' young line-up.

The younger Raiders will have plenty of opportunity to learn from a pair of seasoned campaigners.

"I look forward to it," Adamson said.

"I don't know a lot about the younger players here apart from watching a few games on TV in the UK.

"I look forward to the opportunity to be able to pass on some knowledge and experience to these younger guys and help them develop as players.

"It is a similar sort of role to the one I played in the UK. It was a very young team at Leeds and I enjoy that role. I like to make an emotional attachment to the club and I look forward to doing that."

Smith was also willing to lend his bank of experience to the Raiders' cause but believed it would be more of an on-field role.

"It is hard for a young player to go up and ask a senior player," he said. "They learn more when they watch you play. They learn your little habits and your training habits and they go from there. You rarely find a young player who will ask a senior player how to do something. It is a strange thing but it is just a fact that no-one ever asks you."

 

[greeneyed]

From raiders.com.au:

Smith, Adamson arrive to complete Raiders squad
30/11/04: Former Australian internationals Jason Smith and Matt Adamson arrived in Canberra yesterday afternoon to complete the Raiders squad for the 2005 National Rugby League season.

Smith and Adamson, both 32, were recruited from the British Super League to add proven talent and experience to the Raiders line-up.

Smith, a veteran of 13 Origin games for Queensland and 16 Tests for Australia, had been playing for Hull. Adamson, who played two Origins for NSW and 5 Super League Tests for Australia, was part of the premiership-winning Leeds Rhinos.

When you went to England did you ever think you’d be returning to the NRL to play with Canberra?

Matt: I always assumed I’d retire and finish my career in England. When the opportunity came up in mid-June it was something I started to think about. I saw it as a tremendous challenge and I thought I’d take it with both hands.

Jason: My manager rang me up and said there were a few clubs interested. I’d been injured a bit in the past two years, but I felt like I still wanted to play.
I wanted to come home. Four years is a long time to be away from family and friends. We were ready to come home and if there was no NRL club ready to pick me up I would have retired.

Do you think you can be successful in the NRL again?

Matt: I wouldn’t have taken the challenge on if I didn’t think I had something to offer. After talking to a lot of people and getting advice, especially my father, I came to the decision that I’ve definitely got something to offer and I look forward to playing.

Jason: I spoke to my manager about it and he’d been speaking to Wayne Bennett. Wayne had said rugby league players probably get pushed away a bit too early. A lot of them are just starting to play really well when they’re in their 30s, so maybe the thinking is turning around a bit.

How does the English game compare?

Matt: They’re two different styles of football and I think the refereeing has a lot to do with that. The Australian referees are more dominant and vocal and stricter on rules, whereas in England you tend to get away with a lot more things.

What kind of shape are you in?

Matt: To be competitive I’m going to have to do all the little things right and work hard and I’m prepared to do that. There’s a lot of weeks of training ahead of me and I’m looking forward to it. There’s a great set-up at this organisation and the people have been wonderful. So I’ll get in, do the hard work and look forward to pulling on the jersey.

What will be your roles at the Raiders?

Matt: I don’t know a lot about the younger players here, other than watching a few games on television once I’d made the decision to come to Canberra. Smithy’s the same, we look forward to being able to pass on knowledge and experience to these younger guys and help them develop as players. I look forward to that role - it’s a similar role to what I played at Leeds in the UK. I like to take an emotional attachment to a club.

Jason: I don’t know what position I’ll be playing yet. I’ve played so many positions. I played a bit of halfback in England, six, 13, second-row and hooker. It doesn’t matter, just put a jersey on me.
I’m pretty much a dominant player as far as talking goes. So that’s probably something they wanted at the club, a bit of organisational skills.
It’s probably hard for a young player to actually go up and ask a senior player for advice, I think they learn more when they watch you play. They learn your training habits and they go from there.

Are you ready for the weekly battle of the NRL?

Matt: Certainly. I wouldn’t have taken on the challenge if I didn’t think my body was ready for the week to week battles of the NRL. My body’s been in good shape, other than impact injuries you can get at the age of 18-19. Over the past 12 months I’ve been in great shape.

Jason: I feel all right, I’ve been doing a bit of training. It’s not as though we haven’t been playing and it is pretty tough over there [in England].

Is representative football in the back of your mind?

Jason: I’ll see how I go here first. I’ll just try and play well for the Raiders and that might come along.

 

[I Bleed Green]

I still maintain that if kept healthy, Smith will be the buy of the year. He is a leader and he knows how to direct a side around the park, that's what we've been lacking since Lozza retired. I'm really optimistic about next year.

 

[choc_soldier]

If Adamson keeps a cool head, he'll be a good buy too.

But we'll be there waiting for him in Round 9, with the "welcome home" committee.