Joel as good as gone

[greeneyed]

Schif Happens.... are you living in Canberra at the moment? I think you are underestimating what if feels like to live here. Our battle with the Brumbies is as serious a challenge as has ever faced the club.

 

[Evergreen]

Schif Happens.... are you living in Canberra at the moment? I think you are underestimating what if feels like to live here. Our battle with the Brumbies is as serious a challenge as has ever faced the club.

Too right. And don't think for a second that the ARU aren't doing everything in their power to keep the Brumbies prosperous for years to come in the hope that the Raiders will eventually fade in the face of this b******t indifference from the NRL.

 

[mike83au]

Greeneyed, that was a very well thought out letter to the NRL CEO mate and made a lot of sense. I also agree that the salary cap has to be extended past the $3.25m it currently sits at.

But in saying that, I don't think that it will play a role in whether we keep Wiki or Monas - well... it shouldn't anyway.....

From all reports - they have been offered a very generous $250,000 per season from the Raiders. Are they really worth a lot more than that?

I think Wiki might be, but i don't think Monas is.

 

[Skippy The Bush Kangadrew]

As a supporter of both codes, I find the idea of a Brumbies v Raiders rivalry absurd. I like to see all Canberra teams succeed, the only enemies in my eyes are the opposing sides, not each other. It's not hard to see why the Brumbies are Canberra's favourites now, they have been the most dominant Australian team in the Super 12 since 1996, the exact same year the Raiders stopped being a force. All the Raiders have to do is perform better at home games to win the crowd over, something they haven't done since the Bulldogs game early last year, and before that I can barely remember.[/quote]

 

[greeneyed]

As a supporter of both codes, I find the idea of a Brumbies v Raiders rivalry absurd. I like to see all Canberra teams succeed, the only enemies in my eyes are the opposing sides, not each other. It's not hard to see why the Brumbies are Canberra's favourites now, they have been the most dominant Australian team in the Super 12 since 1996, the exact same year the Raiders stopped being a force. All the Raiders have to do is perform better at home games to win the crowd over, something they haven't done since the Bulldogs game early last year, and before that I can barely remember.

[/quote]

What are the reasons for this divergence in performance? It goes to one having no salary cap and the other being very constrained.

And if you don't think the ARU is trying to eliminate rugby league......

 

[Skippy The Bush Kangadrew]

That's why looking at it as "Raiders V Brumbies" is ridiculous. The Brumbies spend the same money as all the other Super 12 clubs, just like the Raiders have the same spending money as the other NRL teams. Not to mention the backbone of the brumbies isn't made up of bought players, guys such as Gregan, Larkham, Roff, Gitau, Henjack and Smith are local products. The only thing seperating the sides is the game they play and they're performance. The ball is in the Raiders court to lift as a team and win over the fans, because the fans are there.

 

[greeneyed]

But I will guarantee you that the Brumbies spend a whole lot more than $3.25 million.......... and there are only 3 teams to spread the top level rugby players around (admitedly they have a lot less top quality union players in Australia). So they can attract the best. And players like Giteau and Henjack would have been going to the Raiders in the past, not union.

 

[Skippy The Bush Kangadrew]

What the Brumbies spend is irrelevant. As I said, the Brumbies spend the same money as other teams in the Super 12, just like the Raiders spend the same as other NRL clubs. All the NRL should do is give clubs a discount on local products such as Joel Monaghan, it would also stop the Roosters doing what they do.

 

[Skippy The Bush Kangadrew]

Both Henjack and Gitau played Harold Mathews, the Raiders just weren't as quick at spotting them as talents. Maybe the Raiders are looking for talent in all the wrong places to let these two little gems slip under the radar.

 

[RaidersMalt]

Harold Matthews is what, under 15's? I can hardly see the raiders offereing them money at that age. Both of them went to a rugby union school and by age 16 were playing first XV and also for the ACT schoolboy's rugby team. They were pretty much lost to union at that stage. Most of the League players at Private schools are made to play Union and with more money in union now they usually stick to it. Luke Priddis was a notable exception however.

PS. Smith is not a local junior, he grew up in Sydney and only came to Canberra when he was signed by the brumbies.

 

[Skippy The Bush Kangadrew]

That's ridiculous to say that talent is looked for and spotted at that age. Parramatta wanted Luke Burt to play 1st grade when he was 15 or 16. Kharmichael Hunt is only 17, do you think he just popped out of nowhere? Todd Carney is another, right under your nose. My brother used to play with Mark McLinden and he got offered all sorts of shit to make sure he stayed with Canberra. I played ACT school boys league and guys I played with and against such as Joel Monaghan got offered a bunch of stuff. So don't tell me it doesn't happen.

 

[Edwahu]

Hmmmm, Maybe Henjak and Giteau were not identified because they were actually crap at league?

 

[Skippy The Bush Kangadrew]

Now there's a possiblity Edwahu, I can believe that, but there's no way that NRL clubs don't target 15 year olds.

 

[Purtell The Turtle]

Schif Happens.... are you living in Canberra at the moment? I think you are underestimating what if feels like to live here. Our battle with the Brumbies is as serious a challenge as has ever faced the club.

Yes, I do, so am able to say that Rugby League in Canberra has absolutely no chance of dying. None whatsoever. It is not Raiders vs Brumbies at all. Both are completely different. However, there are stumbling blocks, ie the stadium access that the Brumbies get, yet Jenno wasn't allowed in for a training session. But in reality, there is not even a smidgeon (is that a word? it means extremely small ) chance that the Raiders would ever die. It's all crap that is purported by media, Rugby League Will Die, AFL Shorts aren't that Tight, John Howard Tells the Truth....all crap.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't see how Giteau would have been crap at league....He is an explosive ball runner with top good kicking and tackling skills, unless he just got way way better after going to union?

 

[Purtell The Turtle]

Giteau plays union because he went to a union school, in St Eddies, same as Matt Henjack. That would have had a decent influence on what they wanted to do, and possibly they didn't want to follow their fathers. Look at Terry Campese playing League, similar type of thing.

 

[ball boy]

f***ing eddies and marist dont get me started on those **edit** schif happens :evil:

 

[Raider Azz]

Lay off Ball Boy... I went to Eddies!! Although their obsession with Rugby is what made me hate the sport so much!! :lol: "Rugby 1st 15 blah blah" is all my headmaster ever spoke about...

 

[ball boy]

my dad went to eddies and was in the 1st 15... my cousins go to marist and think they are top shit. i just really hate those schools

 

[Purtell The Turtle]

f***ing eddies and marist dont get me started on those **edit** schif happens :evil:

You mean that they are all .... well .... bat for the other team ??

Those of us from public schools never did like them... we loved to beat marist in volleyball.