Rebuilding the Green-Machine

[mitch]

Article about rebuilding the raiders from today's telegraph.I would really love to see some of the old blokes come back and help out the club in any way.

http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,22049,21481485-5006066,00.html

 

[dubby]

Awesome article. I've said this in the past; why dont the club use its many former great players, and there are a few, to their advantage?

We have the likes of Laurie, Lazzo, Badge, Boxhead just out of that article ready to help if asked! You can add the likes of Mal (the current QLD coach btw), Chicka Ferguson, Brett Mullins... the list is endless.

I applaud the former players for wanting to get back to the club and help it out. We need all the help we can get; it can't hurt to see former legends back in the club. I'm sure the likes of Zilly/Dobbo/Carney would get a buzz out of it and would listen intently to the likes of Loz and Mal

 

[RABK]

As an outsider but a massive admirer of the great Canberra side of 89-94 it always puzzled me why they (Canberra legends) all seemed to move along from anything to do with Canberra quickly after their careers ended. Like rats on a sinking ship. You don't even hear any of them speak fondly of their time in such a successful side, perhaps some egos clashed a fair bit.

Though a lot of them have gone onto very successful coaching and media careers, perhaps they just had ambitions off field in league and knew of the sydney conspiracy against canberra. ;-)

 

[Mal Meninga]

I'm not able to comment furthur... But i've read on another forum that the administrators during the SL days weren't interested.

 

[skeepe]

As an outsider but a massive admirer of the great Canberra side of 89-94 it always puzzled me why they (Canberra legends) all seemed to move along from anything to do with Canberra quickly after their careers ended. Like rats on a sinking ship. You don't even hear any of them speak fondly of their time in such a successful side, perhaps some egos clashed a fair bit.

Then you obviously haven't been paying much attention to what they have been saying.

Let's have a look at the players who "moved along from anything to do with Canberra quickly after their careers ended."

Mal Meninga - coached the Raiders after Tim Sheens left
Glen Lazarus - went on to play for Brisbane and Melbourne, before returning as a trainer with the Raiders once his playing career finished
Steve Walters - played for North Queensland and Newcastle before becoming a Raiders scout for the South East Queensland area
David Furner - played for Leeds before becoming Raiders Premier League coach, and now assistant coach
Dean Lance - coached the Raiders in the lower grades after finishing his career. Coached Adelaide Rams, and is now an assistant at Melbourne.
Craig Bellamy - coached the Raiders in the lower grades after finishing his career. Moved to Brisbane as an assistant to Wayne Bennett, now coaching at the Storm.

OK, not a good strike rate for you so far, what about others who could have come back?

Laurie Daley - became a Fox Sports commentator after his playing career ended, mostly a Sydney-based job. Also a Dragons consultant.
Ricky Stuart - shafted by the club for the final years of his career. Went on to coach at the club he ended his career at, before becoming first grade coach of the Roosters.
Brad Clyde - shafted by the club for the final years of his career. Walked straight into an off-field role with the Bulldogs, where he finished his career.

As for the rest, to my knowledge none of them stayed in league after their careers ended apart from Belcher who went to Brisbane. There was also talk of friction between some of the people at the club and some of the former legends, particularly over the handling of the Stuart/Clyde fiasco, and also the Kennedy/Pearson (Costin) saga. Whilst those people are now gone from the club, the fact that they were still there probably influenced a lot of our former legends in their decision not to return immediately, and though those people are now gone, as you said a lot of the former players have moved into other successful careers.

 

[Hallatia]

I know that every body else has already written off Canberra for this year, but I would not, I thik so long as they can renew faith in themselves they will be a surprise packet may even make the top 8, but then again I could see Raiders to win the premiership last year so perhaps I have too much faith in them

 

[VictorTheViking]

What happened with Kennedy/Costin? never heard of that

 

[thickos]

Great news, I really hope they get the old legends involved in the club in whatever capacity they want - they're winners and they will help instill that winning culture. Plus guys like Daley would be incredibly beneficial to all our young halves.

 

[Raider Azz]

What happened with Kennedy/Costin? never heard of that

tested positive to an in-house drugs test (was it in-house? i cant remember), kennedy had a sook and said someone put it in his drink. ended up leaving the club over it.

btw skeepe, belcher is currently a QLD scout for us.

 

[skeepe]

tested positive to an in-house drugs test (was it in-house? i cant remember), kennedy had a sook and said someone put it in his drink. ended up leaving the club over it.

btw skeepe, belcher is currently a QLD scout for us.

Ah righto.

The Kennedy/Costin thing turned people a little sour because, as is my understanding, the in-house test result was supposed to be kept confidential, but it was leaked to the media by the media manager at the time.

 

[mongoose]

I always got the feeling stuart and clyde left on bad terms with us, particularly stuart. He also seemed to have an extra passion to beat us when he was coach of the roosters. I think he feels betrayed by the club.

 

[dubby]

Stuart & Clyde were shafted by Kevin Neil. The same scumbag who led us to SL so we could afford to keep them. He was a turd who hurt alot of people with his approach to players. (Except Lozza)

BK was upset with Loz who was captain at the time. Loz confronted BK and they had words...BK left us for Newcastle.

 

[Mal Meninga]

What do you mean 'hurt people with his approach to players'?

I can't remember the exact situation, but weren't both Stuart and Clyde injured alot which forced the club to make a move with Finch coming through the club? Sad to see them not retire as Raiders though.

 

[hrundi99]

They couldn't afford to keep Stuart and the Macs, etc so they decided to go with the juniors.

 

[Mal's Milk]

Don't forget we let Stuart go with, from memory, still some time left on his HUGE Super League contract to go, not great business sense. He was laughing as he then got pretty handy money from the Dogs as well...

 

[Mick_63]

I can't think of a better time than now for some of the Raiders greatest to help out/voice their support.

 

[Freddo]

what the this is an old post over a year old

mods do something

 

[Hanscholo]

This club needs some marquee signings, a coach prepared to clean the joint out and it needs to rebuild its reputation or it wont keep or atttract anyone there other than cast offs in the future.

Im still puzzled as to how the current squad is seemingly identical to last years team, over acheiving is good but its not the basis for standing still when you were expected to finish last and didnt do that much better. All of the lower sides made an attempt in the off season or during last season to bolster the ranks. If the players arent coming through then you have to go to market.

Its the same reason we purchased Kennedy from you guys years ago. We needed some class in the forward pack and didnt have any, within a couple of years that bloke lead our side to a GF win and was clearly man of the match despite Johns getting the nod.

I think it starts by attracting a top proven coach with a good reputation, constantly going with lower grade coaches or former players doesnt do anything for your profile and is doomed to fail unless the coach is a freak and he has the right cattle coming through.

 

[Sydney_Raider]

I can't think of a better time than now for some of the Raiders greatest to help out/voice their support.

'

I have already said it a couple of times, bring back Ruben. Get him involved in an assistant coach capacity and also in charge of "Islander" recruitment. Might be able to get the players on the kava as well.

 

[Bay56]

Stuart & Clyde were shafted by Kevin Neil. The same scumbag who led us to SL so we could afford to keep them. He was a turd who hurt alot of people with his approach to players. (Except Lozza)

BK was upset with Loz who was captain at the time. Loz confronted BK and they had words...BK left us for Newcastle.

The facts at the time were that we needed the cash to keep the Mac Attack at the club ... at the time I supported it but with hindsight am now fully convinced it was probably a very definitve moment and probably turned our fortunes to what we are experiencing now.

Lozza was a good mate of Big Kev and I suspect did not appreciate how Neil was treated.