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Let's hope this works for this weekend.
From today's CT:
Business as usual for Raiders
Rugby league By Peter Fitzgerald
Wednesday, 14 July 2004
Canberra Raiders coach Matt Elliott is confident the off-field dramas of the past week will not have a negative effect on his side when they play Penrith on Saturday night.
In fact, he thinks it will act as a motivator.
Despite the announcements that Ruben Wiki, Luke Davico and Joel Monaghan will be leaving the club at the end of next year and continued speculation that the club is in crisis, Elliott believes all the negativity will act in the Raiders' favour.
"A lot of the commentary and comments from the past week have been based on misinformed, ill-informed information and I think that will motivate out guys to be successful on the field," he said.
"Some of the energy-sapping stuff off the field has been well-documented but we're starting to build some momentum and I think we're ready to rebound from that."
The Raiders have won their past three matches, making them second only to the Bulldogs as the NRL's most in-form side.
In stark contrast, the Panthers have lost their past two games, including last weekend's humiliating 30-6 loss to the Rabbitohs - similar form the Sharks and Warriors had in the lead-up to their surprise victories over the Raiders earlier in the year.
While Elliott is wary the Raiders may be playing the Panthers at a time where their season may be on the line, he knows how committed his side is to cementing their spot in the top eight.
Pending other results, the Raiders may even sneak into the top-four with a victory on Saturday night.
"We may be getting Penrith at a bad time but they may be catching us at the worst time possible as well," Elliott said.
"I'm certainly hoping [the past week] brings out the best in me and I've got a great deal of faith of the people here and always have and I'm feeling really strongly about the way we can perform this week."
Elliott yesterday named an unchanged lineup to that which defeated the Cowboys last week but an injury cloud still looms over Jason Croker's head.
Croker injured his neck last week and has been troubled by it ever since but he is confident it will right come Saturday.
"[The neck] is coming along pretty good," he said. "I couldn't move it much on Monday but it's improving really well.
"Now I've got full movement of it one way and pretty good movement the other ... I can't see it stopping me from playing."
If Croker is unavailable, Terry Martin will replace him at lock.
Martin has recovered from a hip-flexor injury which kept him out of the Raiders' 32-28 win over North Queensland at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.
In other Raiders news, fullback Clinton Schifcofske is in the midst of negotiations with Raiders management regarding an extension of his contract.
Schifcofske, who joined the Raiders from Parramatta in 2001, is already sealed with the club until the end of next year but hopes to play the rest of his career in Canberra.
"The ball's in the Raiders' court," he said yesterday.
"Matty [Elliott] has made it clear to me that they're keen to keep me on until I finish my career so hopefully we can sort something out in the near future.
"I think I've got a good three years left in me so we'll see what happens."
From today's CT:
Business as usual for Raiders
Rugby league By Peter Fitzgerald
Wednesday, 14 July 2004
Canberra Raiders coach Matt Elliott is confident the off-field dramas of the past week will not have a negative effect on his side when they play Penrith on Saturday night.
In fact, he thinks it will act as a motivator.
Despite the announcements that Ruben Wiki, Luke Davico and Joel Monaghan will be leaving the club at the end of next year and continued speculation that the club is in crisis, Elliott believes all the negativity will act in the Raiders' favour.
"A lot of the commentary and comments from the past week have been based on misinformed, ill-informed information and I think that will motivate out guys to be successful on the field," he said.
"Some of the energy-sapping stuff off the field has been well-documented but we're starting to build some momentum and I think we're ready to rebound from that."
The Raiders have won their past three matches, making them second only to the Bulldogs as the NRL's most in-form side.
In stark contrast, the Panthers have lost their past two games, including last weekend's humiliating 30-6 loss to the Rabbitohs - similar form the Sharks and Warriors had in the lead-up to their surprise victories over the Raiders earlier in the year.
While Elliott is wary the Raiders may be playing the Panthers at a time where their season may be on the line, he knows how committed his side is to cementing their spot in the top eight.
Pending other results, the Raiders may even sneak into the top-four with a victory on Saturday night.
"We may be getting Penrith at a bad time but they may be catching us at the worst time possible as well," Elliott said.
"I'm certainly hoping [the past week] brings out the best in me and I've got a great deal of faith of the people here and always have and I'm feeling really strongly about the way we can perform this week."
Elliott yesterday named an unchanged lineup to that which defeated the Cowboys last week but an injury cloud still looms over Jason Croker's head.
Croker injured his neck last week and has been troubled by it ever since but he is confident it will right come Saturday.
"[The neck] is coming along pretty good," he said. "I couldn't move it much on Monday but it's improving really well.
"Now I've got full movement of it one way and pretty good movement the other ... I can't see it stopping me from playing."
If Croker is unavailable, Terry Martin will replace him at lock.
Martin has recovered from a hip-flexor injury which kept him out of the Raiders' 32-28 win over North Queensland at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.
In other Raiders news, fullback Clinton Schifcofske is in the midst of negotiations with Raiders management regarding an extension of his contract.
Schifcofske, who joined the Raiders from Parramatta in 2001, is already sealed with the club until the end of next year but hopes to play the rest of his career in Canberra.
"The ball's in the Raiders' court," he said yesterday.
"Matty [Elliott] has made it clear to me that they're keen to keep me on until I finish my career so hopefully we can sort something out in the near future.
"I think I've got a good three years left in me so we'll see what happens."
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