Jason Smith | Possible Signing??

[Panjabi]

Prior to 2gb's coverage of the Raiders v Sharks clash..
Dean Ritchie after consulting with Simon Hawkins, broke the story that the Raiders were in discussion with Jason Smith ??????
Considering he's 32 years old, im dumbfounded as to why he's name would even be mentioned as a possible signing... we already have a player that fits his mould in Jason Croker.
Maybe he's had enough of the Uk and wants to come back to the NRL on a reduced contract, i can't see that happening though.

 

[greeneyed]

This is it... the one I was referring to in the other thread... I kept thinking Darren Smith, but I knew he is playing for Brisbane Easts along with Steve Renouf....

I agree, we don't need Jason Smith.

 

[Bay56]

MOVE OVER MANAGEMENT ..... LET ME BE IN CHARGE OF PLAYER NEGOTIATIONS !!!!!

Boyo !!!

 

[azza]

At first my reaction was the same as Bay's and greeneyed's, but, with Carney coming through, it might be great to have a decent half around to help him develop. I don't know whether Smith can fill that role but it's the only reason I can fathom why we would be looking at him rather than a younger halfback, because if we do sign Firman/Head whoever you can pretty much rest assured we will lose Carney like we lost Michael Monaghan.

 

[Raider_69]

i cant believe how f**king dumb our management is
signing kite before re-signing muss and monnas #-o #-o #-o #-o
trying to sign thurston #-o #-o #-o
trying to sign smith #-o #-o
not throwing the kitchen sink at monnas and muss #-o

 

[Bay56]

Management just could not be that stupid .....

I'm hoping all this silly stuff we are hearing is just a smoke screen or something and at the end of the day we will have Rubes and Monas stitched up, Firman on board, a good Centre + Winger combination signed up, Drew banished to Belconnen reserves, Elliot given the boot (and his pommy trainer), Stuart coaching and me given the position of CEO. 8) 8)

Then again .... we will end up with a geriatric half trying to spend his last years doing not much, say tah tahs to Rubes, loose Monas and not sign anyone of note in the centre/wing area, re-sign Elliot to a new five year contract (including his pommy friend trainer)

Where's that f**king gun ... ahhhhhhhhh !!!!!!

 

[Poida_Raider]

i'm sensing that you dont like elliot and his pommie conditioner bay?!!

haha, i think they are great. but elliot does have very little explanations when we lose, that frustrates me a bit.

i dont see why we would possible need smith, he'd be one of those players that everyone thinks should be playing first grade, even if there is better/fresher talent around

 

[Raider_69]

i like Jenno, i think he has done great things for our forwards durability re:see Wiki
but elliot is testing my patience

 

[SOULS 04]

we really had nothing before elliot came along

so im willing to give him quite a bit of time

i really think he deserves it

 

[legend]

Not if we lose two club superstars.

I have a very bad feeling about what lies ahead. IMO, we are starting to emulate Parramatta in more ways than one. :evil:

 

[thickos]

Jason Smith - too old, bugger off champ. #-o

Ruben simply has to stay. The legs may be aging but the kava is keeping him young, he leads our forward pack from the front. In the same vein, Joel is the 'next Phil Graham' - 33 tries in 35 games! :shock: We haven't had a finisher like this for a long long time - come on people, keep him!

 

[SOULS 04]

ok yeh if we lose monas and wiki i must admit ill agree with you... im pretty certain wiki isnt going anywhere... it would hav to be a huge stuff up caus he wants to stay and has been loyal all this time.

i think his manager has the most to do wioth him testing the market.

but yeh if we lose both those two ill be after his head as well.... i still like the guy as a coach though

who else was after the head of kevin neil after the tradgedy of losing stuart and clyde?... i know i was

 

[Raider_69]

who else was after the head of kevin neil after the tradgedy of losing stuart and clyde?... i know i was

i certainlly was
they were #1 and #3 on my fav players list and they went to the one club ive always hated :evil:

 

[woodgers]

Smith? I would be very surprised indeed. I haven't seen him play lately so I can't comment there. The age is certainly a worry.

Elliott has made some puzzling decision however I am still happy to keep the faith for the moment. See, people are blowing up at him over what COULD be a worst case scenario.

Jenno, he is a bloody champion. I can't believe people are going off at him. He has turned players like Hodgson around. He has physically turned our fully fit pack into the best around and probably the most feared.

Furner and Hawkins are the 2 I am unsure about. I can't understand some of the things they do. The club marketing and profile in the community is rubbish and that stems from their job.

 

[Poida_Raider]

i reckon jenno is great too. i like his column, or his old column on the raiders site.
and i like elliot too.

i reckon elliot has taken us forward in his 2 1/2 years, this year is just like the dissappointment after the high.
i have faith for sure. but yeah, losing two stars in wiki and monas would be like losing a family member. well probably not that bad, but bad!

 

[Anonymous]

Now that I've read other articles, this could be a very smart move indeed.

It'd give Carney an opportunity to slot in and become our first string halfback (all things going well, he has 12 or so seasons in him after this one).

 

[Steven Gerrard]

Good Move Raiders. I think it's a brilliant idea if it's true.

 

[Raider_69]

if the reasoning is just a stop gap untill carney is one year older and wiser then ill accept it
if the contract is more than 1 year ill be spitting chips
also before that happens Monnas and Wiki need to be resigned

 

[thickos]

If its for only 1 year I can see the merit in it then.

But while Carney may be good, we're gonna put a lot of pressure on this kid! It's like the Campo situation! #-o

 

[greeneyed]

From today's Rugby Union Times:

Raiders court veteran Smith for crucial role
Rugby league By Peter Fitzgerald
Monday, 14 June 2004

Former Kangaroo and Queensland Origin veteran Jason Smith is the England- based player the Canberra Raiders are chasing to replace Brad Drew.

Sydney player-manager Sam Ayoub confirmed late last night that the Raiders offered Smith a one-year contract last Friday.

But after discussing the terms and figures with Smith, Ayoub sent the Raiders a counter-offer yesterday.

While refusing to divulge details, Ayoub confirmed Smith was interested but looking for changes to the financial offer and the term of the contract.

"[The Raiders] will see that when they get back to the office [this morning] and I guess the ball will be in their court then," Ayoub said.

"All I really want to say is the club has made an approach and put an offer to us and we're still in the midst of talks."

Smith is currently the captain of English Super League club Hull. At 32, this would likely be his last professional football contract.

If Smith decides to come to Canberra, coach Matt Elliott would rotate him between a half/five-eighth role and lock.

This would allow the Raiders to bring outstanding Premier League teenager Todd Carney into first grade as the regular halfback in 2006.

Smith represented Australia at lock but also spent a great deal of playing time at half/five-eighth for the Eels and Bulldogs.

The Raiders' move came just one day after they offered Canterbury Bulldogs youngster Johnathan Thurston a three- year-deal - and three days after resident half Brad Drew announced he was leaving the club at the end of the year to take up a two-year deal with the Huddersfield Giants.

The Raiders declined to comment yesterday.

It isn't the first time the club has pursued Smith. It showed considerable interest in 2002, when he was coming off contract with Hull, but Smith re-signed as captain for a further two years.

He played 11 seasons in the New South Wales Rugby League and National Rugby League competitions from 1990 to 2000, and was expected to retire at the end of his current contract with Hull.

Smith remains a respected, inspirational player on the English league scene, where he fought back this season from a shoulder reconstruction.

He played 152 games in Australia, 63 with Canterbury between 1990 and 1995 and 89 with Parramatta from 1996 to 2000, before heading to Hull.

He played with the Kangaroos in the 1995 World Cup, was on the 1994 Kangaroo Tour and played a total of 16 Tests.

He was named man-of-the-match for Queensland after their 20-12 victory over New South Wales in the first game of the 1995 series and was also named Parramatta's first-grade Players' Player in 1998.

His combination with Dean Pay, Jarrod McCracken and Jim Dymock made the Eels' pack one of the most feared of the competition in the late 1990s

But Smith has been plagued by injury in recent seasons.

A shoulder reconstruction at the beginning of this year resulted in him missing a slice of the English Super League season with Hull.

His long-awaited return to football came just a fortnight ago and sparked instant success for his club.

"He's played two games since [the operation], which have coincided with Hull's two biggest wins of the season," Ayoub said.

"But he's just taking it one game at a time for now to get back to 100 per cent in all aspects of his game."

Smith's player profile on the Hull FC official website paints a picture of an ageing, potentially fragile yet valuable player: "Unfortunately the last couple of seasons have seen him dogged by a string of unlucky serious injuries but when he's been on the paddock he's been outstanding."