Raiders Side to face the Cowboys.

[Stuart]

Gafa given a pivotal role

June 21, 2005

Canberra Raiders utility Matt Gafa has been given a pivotal role for Saturday night’s match against the North Queensland Cowboys at Canberra Stadium, selected to start at five-eighth.
​

Gafa’s promotion came as the Raiders received more bad injury news today, winger Marshall Chalk ruled out for the next 4-6 weeks with a fractured jaw.

Experienced winger Michael Robertson comes into the Raiders team to replace Chalk, who played almost 50 minutes against the Bulldogs on Sunday with the jaw injury. X-rays this morning confirmed the fracture.

Young backrower Kris Kahler has also been recalled into the Raiders starting team to take over from Matt Adamson, out for up to six weeks with a rib cartilage injury.

Gafa has been Canberra’s reliable Mr Fix-It this season, playing every NRL game for the Raiders this year. It has been in a variety of positions, from the wing to the backrow.

Key play-maker Jason Smith is aiming to return for the following Round 17 match against the Penrith Panthers. But Raiders coach Matt Elliott has appointed Gafa to take charge in attack this Saturday.

“I certainly can’t question the effort the players are displaying, but we’ve suffered in our execution and we keep getting injuries to key players,” Elliott said.

“We haven’t played with a great deal of width and Matty [Gafa] certainly has the confidence and assertiveness to take charge of our team. That’s something we’ve probably been lacking.

“We need to play some football. We’ve got no problem going forward or accumulating momentum, but we’re not putting the cream on top of the cake at the moment.”

RAIDERS v COWBOYS
Saturday, June 25, 5.30pm
Canberra Stadium

1. CLINTON SCHIFCOFSKE
2. JERMAINE ALE
3. DAVID HOWELL
4. CRAIG FRAWLEY
5. MICHAEL ROBERTSON
6. MATT GAFA
7. LINCOLN WITHERS
8. JOSH MILLER
9. SIMON WOOLFORD
10. TROY THOMPSON
11. KRIS KAHLER
12. IAN HINDMARSH
13. JASON CROKER

INTERCHANGE
14. ALAN TONGUE
15. ANDREW LOMU
16. JASON WILLIAMS
17. BEN CROSS

​

 

[skeepe]

Worst team all year.

 

[Timbo]

Hmmmm this was my initial reaction to this team:

fhbvwp.kjre.kj8lhb ntlm;lkh'tk;dh VBS JGBZHXBFXCB\MNZNMSabdkjKFNHJSCDA\NJlsdkjnf\l fjd njk fjgfdngm,dn r4u54t8iu hruvdshfjksanb\ jhf rbjrg brsbdj kgnsdjkgb khfdjbgsfdjhng bkmnb kgbg jnfb fjng bjh

I then stopped, paused, and reflected upon the situation.

dslvfjslireu ghtsdigvfxlkjg hsru 435h8iteoidjhglkngkjrt nxkjgflkjnfhk dkjlg h e4ut8i5rutjgirejuytoiEJ foiJD FOIA;JHOIAJF OI7JFH aoiioklgjn slkfd gjksflh QOIJOIj vij\;ijaOI FJOIju OI.

We will get smashed. If we hold them to a 30 point lead I will be suprised.

 

[legend]

That team will get hammered big time. Four forwards on the bench against a super fast Cowboys team is asking for trouble.

 

[skeepe]

Hannay and Webb are out, other than that Cowboys are at full strength

 

[thickos]

Boy are we gonna get owned on Saturday. *cries*

Obviously Campo didn't pass the medical - f**k this season and the injury toll!!!!

Elliott - take a friggin risk for once and name an actual half - Carney and Zillman are there and ready to go!!!

 

[Brimmer]

We are going to get **sorry guys... just gutted** um... beat.

 

[thickos]

Still no Hodgson? Cross over Hodgson?????

Get real Elliott!!!!

 

[Stuart]

On the bright side the PL line up should be a stronger one this week

 

[Raider_69]

if we get within 20 points of the cowboys ill be happy

 

[Stuart]

Campese has been named in PL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Stuart]

PL league team

1 William Zillman
2 Bronx Goodwin
3 Jack Pearson
4 Adrian Purtell
5 David Milne
6 Terry Campese
7 Todd Carney
8 Willie Raston
9 Ryan Hinchcliffe
10 Tyran Smith
11 Michael Howell
12 Michael Hodgson
13 Ben Jones

INTERCHANGE
14 Jarred Lawrence
15 Alan Rothery
16 Alex Blayden
17 Glen Buttriss

 

[Evergreen]

Elliott - take a friggin risk for once and name an actual half - Carney and Zillman are there and ready to go!!!

I actually agree with Elliot on this selection thickos. We are gonna get thumped, and our season is gone - no need for Carney and Zillman to get involved.

I say wait until Smith is back, drop Withers to the bench, and have Carney/Campese/Zillman step up for FG for the rest of year.

 

[Timbo]

If that side played our 1st grade side I'd have my money on the PL boys.

 

[twistedbydesign]

matt bowen must be salivating at the thought of running around williams and cross.

I'm not really anti-Elliott and honestly at the moment we just dont have the cattle, but to argue that matt gafa will provide a more expansive game in attack is laughable.

poor us.

 

[azza]

That is the worst Raiders team I have seen in many a year. Goes back to our 2001 days. I hold grave fears for what will happen on Saturday. I had anticipated Elliott would pick Carney. With Gafa at 5/8, we are screwed royally.

 

[albi]

Is Hodgson out of favour?

Sure Ben Cross is big and bad, but his discipline lets him down every time.

Looks to me like Elliot wants to smash the Cowboys with pure size.

 

[Roy Rover]

There's no doubt the way to beat the Cowboys on a cold Canberra night is up the middle. Whether or not we have the team to do it is another matter. I still hold out hope but when I saw the picture of Gafa my heart sank!

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

Is Hodgson out of favour?

Sure Ben Cross is big and bad, but his discipline lets him down every time.

Looks to me like Elliot wants to smash the Cowboys with pure size.

Big and Bad maybe but one thing for sure is...he is crap.

i too felt like crying when reading that line up, thats without a doubt the worst team ive seen from the raiders.

 

[Brimmer]

Gafa has been Canberra’s reliable Mr Fix-It this season

Can somebody define reliable for me? I think I have a different understanding...