From today's CT:
Raiders chasing Blues Origin star Plan to lure prodigal son Kite back home
Rugby league By Ewen Page/ Andrew Benson
Tuesday, 8 June 2004
Powerful St George Illawarra forward Brent Kite is considering an offer to return home and put a winning edge on the Canberra Raiders pack.
A former Queanbeyan Blues junior and Raider in 2001, Kite has been given permission to talk with rival clubs - and the Raiders and Manly Sea Eagles have both rushed to place bids.
The NSW Blues prop was locked up in Phil Gould's State of Origin camp in Sydney last night and wasn't available for comment.
But Raiders general manager Don Furner confirmed he made an offer for Kite last Friday, after the 23-year-old spoke with Raiders coach Matt Elliott.
A quality runner with pace, ball skills and size, Kite is exactly the forward the Raiders believe they need to get over the advantage line and create try-scoring opportunities.
"We've got a good, hard working pack, but there's times when you need that explosive runner who can break the defence near the line," Furner said.
"We need a big ball runner."
The 190cm, 105kg Kite fits that description and has come on strongly this season after switching from second row to front row with the Dragons.
For the Raiders, it's a case of buying back one of their own.
Last year they attempted to lure Kite back to the club where he made his NRL debut, after hearing he was chasing a change of scenery.
On that occasion, the Dragons declined to deal on the promising forward.
But this time around, with the salary cap tightening on a team laden with State of Origin players, the Dragons are prepared to entertain the thought of Kite and possibly hooker Mark Riddell leaving.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Dragons retain the right to make the final bid on both players. The club says it wants to retain both but the realities of the salary cap make that a remote possibility.
Furner admitted that the Raiders should not have lost the talented Kite in the first place. He left the club at the end of the 2001 season following a dispute over payment of medical costs associated with his broken leg.
"He left us under less than ideal circumstances under previous management," Furner said.
"We made it clear to him that we now have a different management structure here and that struck a chord with him."
Kite won't come cheaply, and it is believed the Raiders are offering significantly less cash than the rejuvenated Sea Eagles.
But both Furner and Elliott are banking on Kite's rumoured homesickness to seal the deal.
Kite's family - who make the trek to Sydney for many of his games - still live in Queanbeyan. His partner is thought to also have connections in the local area.
PLAYMAKER Mark McLinden admits the tendency to tighten up at the end of games is costing the Raiders dearly.
"We are making a habit of that after doing it a few weeks ago against Melbourne," McLinden said.
"It has got to the point now that when we are up eight points with 10 to go we almost expect the other team to come back and I think that is contributing to why it is happening.
"You try and look at the positives. You look at the game against Melbourne and again yesterday and you see seven-eighths of the game we dominated."
But it is the last eighth which counts in close games and that is where the Raiders are starting to struggle.
Languishing in 11th position on the ladder, the Raiders have taken a big drop from last year, when they finished the season in fourth. Dropping too many games from a winning position has cost them valuable competition points in 2004.
Mclinden believes the fitness of the team isn't an issue and the problem is more mental.
"The difference between us now and a year ago is when we were in that situation then we actually had the confidence to go on with it and weren't thinking negatively," he said.
"This year we are sort of concentrating on what the opposition are going to do and getting worried about being ahead. It is obvious to say that we can't go for 80 minutes and other teams can, but I don't think [fitness] is the issue.
"The thing with football is there are so many contributing factors it is never just one simple answer - if it was such a simple answer everyone would be playing well."
