My Wishlist (the solution to the Raiders problems)

[Bay56]

can't see it happening for a few years yet. Definately not next year, 3 games wouldn't be worth the effort.

six games dude ... if the Union goes with the suggested plan of a home/away season Canberra will not lose any games ... I suspect if they dont go h/w they will play one of their games in Vic ... the bumbies have an association wih the Vic Union.

 

[shear_joy9]

really? didn't know this may happen as soon as next season

 

[Lime_Green]

I just want to support a club that regards every year as a potential premiership winning one.

Living for the future is no longer a particularly wise strategy in a competition that is becoming increasingly professional, increasingly mercenary and decreasingly about loyalty.

I think our management has to wake up and realise they are in the 21st century. Stop desperately hoping that the next bunch of juniors will stick around when they start to hit their peak. Start expecting many of them to spread their wings and leave. Stop expecting to be able to retain them on significantly less $$$ than what the vultures are offering.

Player loyalty (and coach loyalty for that matter!) is a thing of the past and it's about time our organisation adapted and became more aggressive and started taking more risks.

I am angry, for example, that we apparently bought the "next big thing" in coaching but gave him an abysmal salary (comparatively) and allowed him a clause in his contract that gave him the ability to walk out on spec. What is the point of signing the next big thing only to give him motive and opportunity to leave as soon as something better came along?

I will never stop supporting the Canberra Raiders but neither will I passively accept mediocrity.

 

[Bay56]

Sums up my thoughts as well Limey.

Management may be in the process of changing their previous strategies but atm the facts seem indicate that for every step forward we're taking a few back ... at that rate we'll never cach up with par.

As I said elsewhere the NRL does not hand out points for junior development ... points are earned by winning footy games ... the retention of the right people, that come through our juniors, will be made a hell of a lot easier by being seen as a successful club on the park, a club that can further ones ambition for rep duty ... unfortunately management think that chickens come before eggs.

I'll support this club till the day I die but I will not support current management who, in my opinion, are driving this club into the ground without any sense of accountability.

 

[Lime_Green]

I'll support this club till the day I die but I will not support current management who, in my opinion, are driving this club into the ground without any sense of accountability.

I agree. I've always been a bit sceptical of management but the last few weeks...it's just gotten beyond a joke.

I am very concerned that we have appointed yet another newbie coach. We all saw how difficult Henry found his first year last year, so we go through it yet again in '09? No disrespect to Furner, he may be brilliant, but I think that was a knee jerk reaction.

It has made player recruitment and retention even more difficult.

This is going to be a very bad few years IMO.

 

[Bay56]

I dont think that Dave Furner's appointment was a knee jerk reaction Limey.

 

[Lime_Green]

The alternative was it was planned a long way in advance...which is even worse IMO.

 

[Bay56]

If I was a betting man, and I'm not, I'd put a few dollars on that ... I think they'd be pretty short odds.

I'm not saying the Furner wont be a good coach ... I am saying that it constitutes a risk that we need not take ... there are any number of coaches on the market at the moment that have runs on the board and would be an attractive proposition for players that should at the very least have been considered.

Therefore the scenario goes that management were caught with their pants down with Henry announcing suddenly that he was leaving and with 10 months till season 2009 we decided it was necessary, no imperative, to appoint a coach immediately .... I dont think so.

I'll let you imagine what really happened.