RAIDERS V STORM

[I Bleed Green]

I can't believe you'd even consider betting against the Raiders.

You know we're gonna win then and you'll lose all your dosh.

 

[Kris_man]

I can't believe you'd even consider betting against the Raiders.

You know we're gonna win then and you'll lose all your dosh.

so i can't lose - it's a win for the kris man either way!

 

[Raider Azz]

-Hey kris_man, I'll take that bet

 

[greeneyed]

On WIN TV Canberra News tonight:

* Simon Woolford could not train due to his groin injury again today. He will have a painkiller in order to train tomorrow and will see how he pulls up on Saturday and will hopefully be OK to play Sunday. The coach is prepared to wait until the last minute to make a decision on whether Woolford plays. He is likely to require a painkilling injection if he does take the field.

* Brad Drew will definitely be in the 17, and will offer cover for Woolford or the halves.

* Michael Robertson has been cleared to play and if any reshuffle of the backline will be made tomorrow if required.

 

[I Bleed Green]

* Brad Drew will definitely be in the 17, and will offer cover for Woolford or the halves.

OH HAPPY DAYS!

:|

 

[edabomb]

I know we all love to bag off Drew, and personally I was dissapointed to see him in the team. But in all honesty, we need him. We will not get the ball over the line more than 3 times in 80 minutes with Macca as our only half, I've come to that realisation. The only time we do score a few tries is againt the teams who abide by the 'we will score more points than you' theory. We need something in attack!!!! GO DREW!!!

While I highly doubt Drew will do anything to change our recent fortunes, I have a glimmer of hope.

 

[greeneyed]

Woolford didn't really sound all that confident to me of him playing at all. If Drew MUST play, he should be in hooker and hooker only.

 

[I Bleed Green]

The only chance Drew has of getting us over the line to score a try is if he:

a) Runs behind a decoy runner who takes out the defence to score a try. However, it won't be allowed anyway.

b) The defenders actually jump out of the way of his grubber kicks, which always rebound off opposition players legs.

c) He ru... actually, no, just those two.

 

[edabomb]

He got us over the line a lot last season. The one half experiment hasn't worked, and if Elliott is going to refuse to use Carney we at least need someone who can create a try coming off the bench.

PS: I don't see McLinden creating anything for team mates this season either. We can heap the dissing on Drew, or except we've used the same gameplan 20 weeks in a row and it clearly isn't working.

 

[oxenham]

Storm 20-6 H-t 14-0
Match ups
Slater v Schifcofske - Slater
Geyer/King v Monaghan/Gafa- Draw (Kingy might just get us through)
Bell/MacDougall v Mogg/Bulgarellli - Bell/MacDougall by heaps
Hill v Croker- Hill
Orford v McLinden- Orford
Kearns/Howe v O'Hara/Thompson - Kearns/Howe (experience to get 'em over the line)
Smith v Woolford- Smith
Kidwell/Kearney v Wiki/Hindmarsh - Wiki/Hindmarsh
Johnson v Smith- Haven't seen Smith play that much so I dunno
Turner/Hoffman/Tanielu/McFadden v Weyman/Miller/Kahler/Drew - Draw
18th man
Cooper v Robertson - Cooper

That is why the Storm will win by 14 possibly 30 points more than that if its the Storm's day

 

[thickos]

He got us over the line a lot last season. The one half experiment hasn't worked, and if Elliott is going to refuse to use Carney we at least need someone who can create a try coming off the bench.

PS: I don't see McLinden creating anything for team mates this season either. We can heap the dissing on Drew, or except we've used the same gameplan 20 weeks in a row and it clearly isn't working.

Good point ed. What has happened to Drew's cross field kicks inside our half etc etc. We need some unpredictability. It worked a treat last year - for those who remember Rd 26 v Roosters, it led to a super try to Mogg and plenty others throughout the season.

He could at least give us reason to smile before he buggers off to the old dart.

 

[Kris_man]

Storm 20-6 H-t 14-0
Match ups
Slater v Schifcofske - Slater
Geyer/King v Monaghan/Gafa- Draw (Kingy might just get us through)
Bell/MacDougall v Mogg/Bulgarellli - Bell/MacDougall by heaps
Hill v Croker- Hill
Orford v McLinden- Orford
Kearns/Howe v O'Hara/Thompson - Kearns/Howe (experience to get 'em over the line)
Smith v Woolford- Smith
Kidwell/Kearney v Wiki/Hindmarsh - Wiki/Hindmarsh
Johnson v Smith- Haven't seen Smith play that much so I dunno
Turner/Hoffman/Tanielu/McFadden v Weyman/Miller/Kahler/Drew - Draw
18th man
Cooper v Robertson - Cooper

That is why the Storm will win by 14 possibly 30 points more than that if its the Storm's day

i agree with u for most of them, but get out of town if you think your bench is as good as ours!! we've got a dynamite bench in my opinion (except for drew, but he does have a good reputation). and, i think your wingers are way better than ours: geyer, an ex-origin player, and matt king, one of the real good up and coming players of the comp.

 

[Kris_man]

and in response to the drew thing - yes, i agree that there is hope, because we all know drew is capable of being dynamic, and if anyone disagrees, check out his 2001 form. the only problem is, he is also capable of being extremely poor, in fact terrible. and to disagree with some of you, i don't think his variations in form have much to do with whether he plays hooker or half. let's hope the good drew comes out on sunday - i think we'll need him to if we're any chance.

 

[Kris_man]

ok, this will be my third post in a row, but i came acroess this when reviewing last year's final against the storm:

Preview: Raiders vs Storm
Wed Sep 10, 9:14pm (NSW)
Written by: Matthew O'Neill
Source: NRL.rleague.com Website
Canberra Raiders vs Melbourne Storm Week One Finals Preview.

CANBERRA RAIDERS (4) vs MELBOURNE STORM (5)
Fri Sep 12, Canberra Stadium, 7:30pm

RAIDERS: Clinton Schifcofske, Joel Monaghan, Jason Bulgarelli, Adam Mogg, Jamaal Lolesi, Michael Monaghan, Mark McLinden, Ryan O'Hara, Simon Woolford (c), Luke Davico, Ruben Wiki, Ian Hindmarsh, Tyran Smith. Subs: Sean Rutgerson, Terry Martin, Troy Thompson, Michael Hodgson, James Evans, Alan Tongue (two to be omitted).

STORM: Billy Slater, Fifita Moala, Steven Bell, David Kidwell, Marcus Bai, Matt Geyer, Matt Orford, Robbie Kearns, Cameron Smith, Kirk Reynoldson, Peter Robinson, Stephen Kearney (c), Glen Turner. Subs: Danny Williams, Matt King, Nathan Friend, Mitchell Sargent, Ryan Hoffman (one to be omitted).

it struck me that our starting 13 for this round, and the starting 13 for that match, are extremely similar. the forward pack is exactly the same. the only differences are the 5/8 (monaghan for toots), and the winger (lolesi for gafa, or robertson, whoever it will be).
their team is markedly different, starting with slater likely to be out. then there is moala, bai, robinson, reynoldson who are all out, and glen turner is now on the bench.
maybe this is what elliott is doing with his team selections? trying to re-create what we had last year? anyway, the scoreline was nice to us that night, i think we were beaten much more easily than it lets on.

 

[Raider Azz]

Slater the winner between Shifofske/Slater?? Get outta here!! I would pick Shif over Slater any day of the week!!!

 

[greeneyed]

Brad Drew had form in 2001. How will that help us in 2004?

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Didn't Terry Martin play 5/8 in that final?

 

[thickos]

Yes there was a last minute change for that semi. Elliott wanted him to play a 'Croker-style' game.

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Didn't work from memory.

 

[I Bleed Green]

From today's CT:

Woolford prepared to weather the Storm, despite injury
Rugby league By Peter Fitzgerald
Friday, 13 August 2004

Raiders captain Simon Woolford is prepared to risk further damage to his injured groin if it means playing against the Melbourne Storm in Canberra on Sunday.

Woolford, who played his 200th match in his side's 20-14 loss to the Knights last Saturday night, has been unable to train with the Raiders all week but is convinced he will be running out onto Canberra Stadium in this weekend's do- or-die clash.

The hooker first injured his groin on July 24, when playing against the Warriors but said it has never been as sore as it has this week.

For the past three weeks, the injury has flared up immediately after matches and for "a day or two" later, but has always healed enough for him to train and then play.

This week, however, Woolford hasn't been so lucky.

An MRI scan early in the week and continual injections to try and heal the injury have forced him to watch his teammates on the training paddock from the sideline this week.

"I think [the injury] is [worth risking]," Woolford said.

"We're in a situation now where we need to win and for us to do well and win these type of games, we need all hands on deck. So as long as I'm somewhere near right, I'll be playing."

Although ideally not preferring to put his groin at high risk, Woolford is aware just how important Sunday's match is.

If the Raiders win they are all but guaranteed a position in the National Rugby League finals series but, if they lose, then season 2004 is as good as over.

"We need guys out there who have experience to lead some of the younger guys in matches like this," he said. "We've got a couple of tough weeks ahead of us but they're games we know that if we play good enough, we are capable of winning."

If Woolford is ruled out of the match at the last minute, coach Matt Elliott has Brad Drew as a back-up.

Drew is part of a five-man extended bench named by the coach on Tuesday, which will be culled to four today.

While obviously hopeful his captain is fit to take on the Storm, Elliott disagreed with Woolford's play-at-all-cost attitude.

"We certainly would like to have him available and will give him every opportunity to do that but, if he's not able to contribute to the team, I certainly won't be playing him," Elliott said.

If Drew is required, Elliott is confident the departing Raider has enough match fitness under his belt to successfully duel with State Of Origin hooker, Cameron Smith.

"[Drew] has had a couple of really good, hard, outstanding games in Premier League and I think he's now ready to contribute like he has in the past," Elliott said. "Drew is a player with great awareness and a player who I've got a lot of admiration for the way he goes about his game."

Winger Michael Robertson may be a late inclusion into the starting line-up after proving his fitness to selectors yesterday.

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