Best and Dunemann ready for action

[I Bleed Green]

Best and Dunemann ready for action
November 14, 2006

The CFMEU Canberra Raiders have moved into the second week of their pre-season campaign, and took to the fields and halls of the AIS today, to work on ball skills and wrestling as part of this week activities.

The new look squad have had the week to get to know each other both on and off the training paddock, and new recruits Colin Best and Andrew Dunneman are two new faces that will look to gain a spot in the Raiders first grade in 2007.

After finishing the 2006 season on the sideline with a neck injury, Best said it’s great to be able to start the pre-season a fit and healthy player, and with a club who he has always had a special place for.

“I’ve gotten straight back into it and obviously with the new Coach and new teammates it’s been an exciting time,” Best said. “The Raiders were the team I supported as a kid and I wanted to come here and be a part of this new setup.

“I think this team has a lot of potential with a lot of good young players here.”

After playing the majority of his career on the wing Best said he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a positional switch, and will play wherever new Coach Neil Henry decides to put him.

“I’ve come here as a winger but if the coach wants me to develop into a centre or fullback then I’ll definitely put my hand up for it.”

At 28 years of age Best will be one of the Raiders more senior players in 2007, and said he will look forward to playing alongside some of the Raiders up and coming stars.

“I feel like I’m one of the old ones now but it’s been great training with the young guys and they’ve got me going and that’s good,” he said. “This will be my tenth year of first grade so hopefully I can help those young guys come along and take the next step in their careers.”

Andrew Dunemann returns to the NRL after a successful stint with both Leeds and Salford in the English Super League, and said he is ready to sink his teeth back into the NRL.

“I’ve come back for a challenge,” Dunemann said. “I had been over in England for a while now so I’m looking forward to coming back to the NRL.”

Dunemann said he will use his experience to assist with the continued development of the young Raiders halves, and hopefully secure a first grade position early in the season.

“At Leeds we had a lot of young players so hopefully I can play a similar role and use my experience to help them along and be one of the leaders,” he said. “At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how old or young you are the Coach will pick the best players for the best spots, and hopefully I can play well enough to get one of those spots.”

http://www.raiders.com.au/season/news/06111401/

 

[Timbo]

Positional change for Best? I wonder if he's toying with slotting him at fullback, purely for his experience?

Also I think it's becoming more and more apparent that Dunemann is going to be our starting #7.

 

[SOULS 04]

geez that would seem dumb... i mean hasnt dobson been like one of the best no 7's in the superleague so obviously he wouldve been playing better than duneman... seriously the choice should be obvious.

 

[legend]

I wouldn't mind Best at fullback to be honest but we really need Frawley to step up and start earning the $$$ he is getting paid for.

Best
Chalk
Frawley
Graham
Purtell
Carney
Dunemman
Tongue
Bickerstaff
Costigan
Thompson
Withers
Logan

Weyman
Miller
Turner
Zillman

Thurling
Tilse

 

[thickos]

Dunemann may be experienced but if Dobson was a Man of Steel candidate over there in the ESL then surely he's travelling better than him???

 

[hrundi99]

Talked to the brother of one of the players yesterday and he said they have been working very hard and that the group is excited about the new coach.

Apparently they've all been given bikes to use as part of their training.

 

[SOULS 04]

bikes!!!!

we'll win the premiership for sure hehehe

 

[hrundi99]

bikes!!!!

we'll win the premiership for sure hehehe

:lol:

 

[Raider_69]

Bikes indeed :lol: well in souls

at worst we will add the Gold Medal for the NRL Team Pursuit to our trophy cabinet

 

[Papa_smurf]

bikes!!!!

we'll win the premiership for sure hehehe

well they cant ride shifcofske nemore...........

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

I know a sh!t joke when i see one..and that there is sh!t.

 

[Papa_smurf]

I know a sh!t joke when i see one..and that there is sh!t.

nah u r just cut

peace out

 

[Mal Meninga]

Dunemann may be experienced but if Dobson was a Man of Steel candidate over there in the ESL then surely he's travelling better than him???

My guess is that Henry doesn't want to rule anyone out of contention and is putting the pressure on the players to stake a claim in the side. I want Dobson as halfback though, as the last thing the Raiders need is another stop-gap measure that will grow into a circus in 2 or 3 years time when we're looking for the next halfback in England to fix our 'aging halfback problems.'

 

[thickos]

Rumour has it that Dobson will move on if not playing regular firsts this year in Canberra anyway, I'm sure he'll be in demand after his debut ESL season.

 

[dubby]

Funny isn't it? For the last few years we have had a posse out for Elliot due to players not getting selected. It seems as if already we are shaping for another few years of people attacking Henry for not selecting players they want to see start.
Except this time it looks like Dobson will be the hot topic and not Carney.
FGS, lets just wait and see what happens. Lets not Forget the ESL is not the level of the NRL so Dobbo wont be up against the same level of opposition. Dunny has played NRL before (as has Logan) so is prepared for the intensity.

 

[julian87]

If Naiqama gets sacked, will/should we sign him?

 

[TiTTieS_[CNTDN]]

Funny isn't it? For the last few years we have had a posse out for Elliot due to players not getting selected. It seems as if already we are shaping for another few years of people attacking Henry for not selecting players they want to see start.
Except this time it looks like Dobson will be the hot topic and not Carney.
FGS, lets just wait and see what happens. Lets not Forget the ESL is not the level of the NRL so Dobbo wont be up against the same level of opposition. Dunny has played NRL before (as has Logan) so is prepared for the intensity.

I think you make one of the more valid points that people around here make. Having said that, I think that's no excuse for a coach failing to make the right decisions.

 

[jed]

At the end of the day though, it's the coach and his staff that make selection decisions, not the members of this forum.

As with Elliott, if Henry's choosing one player over another, I'm going to trust that there was a reason for it, irrespective of whether I agree or not.

 

[macavity]

Dunemann wasn't going too bad in the ESL - the commentators loved him.

Dobson looks to have the goods though - should be something special.

Raiders shouldn't go too bad next year - solid forwards, half-decent halves, bit of depth.... backline looks like the weak link (with my team too) if Frawley and Best dont stand up, and Zillman doesn't come on, you might have trouble scoring (who would have thought 12 months ago that the loss of eggie would hurt so much..!!)

(you look, now ive said that, Canbraaa will surely get the spoon... haha)

 

[TiTTieS_[CNTDN]]

There's always a reason for everything, jed. I think a lot of the anger on the forums that was directed towards Elliot was due to the fact that he made selections based on training ground form, not game day form. They are 2 entirely separate entities and should be treated as such. The 2 points aren't won during business hours.