The biggest w@nk of the last 10 years...people talking up the raiders

[Pedge1971]

They got bumped by the Tiges last year in a game they could well have won. All their young blokes will be a year older and wiser for the final experience. They have gained a red hot winger who knows how to find the line and an experienced half to add to a fairly decent spine.

I think they'll go well.

 

[Raiderdave]

Let me start by saying I have nothing against the Raiders as a club at all

But I can't believe how excited everyone has been getting over the raiders chances this year

Am I the only one that doesn't see it?

I struggle to see where they will be better then last year (on paper anyway), they've lost Campo for a fair portion of the season and bought an ageing halfback that is hit and miss

I'm happy to lay them this year. Maybe scrape in the bottom of the 8 but absolutely no way they will top 4

Cheers,
moffo

ummmm

ooookkkaaaayyyyy :sarcasm::sarcasm::crazy::crazy::crazy:

 

[Firey_Dragon]

They are a top 4 side IF Orford fires, which is a big if. However they do have the forward pack that will make his job much easier and plenty of quality backs. I don't understand how anyone can say they'll be up there with so much conviction, they have an incredibly young side across the park and many players with very limited big game or finals experience. It's a very talented squad without question, but they also have some pretty big question marks over them as well. It's all very dependent on how they cope without Campese (I don't rate him all that highly anyway) but he's an integral part of that team.

I think they'll finish somewhere between 6th and 3rd, but I think it'll take another year for them to really make a mark on the finals series.

In any case, they're a damn exciting team to watch. The size of their forward pack can work against them at times though.

 

[Greenbits]

So they are an exciting team to watch, and Campese is integral to the team such that their fortunes rest on how he returns. But you don't rate him. What a bizarre statement.

 

[gregstar]

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?t=149459

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Moffo - the anti psychic.

 

[Firey_Dragon]

So they are an exciting team to watch, and Campese is integral to the team such that their fortunes rest on how he returns. But you don't rate him. What a bizarre statement.

He's inconsistent and frequently goes missing when the pressure is on. He can also be a spark for the attack, and alot of their success or failure rests on his hands. I didn't really think it was that hard to understand.

Chris Sandow is an integral part of Souths success or failure, but I certainly don't rate him.

 

[kia ora storm]

Agree with Moff's views on Orford...his kicking game is average but ther forward pack is bloody strong and this will win a lot of games.

 

[legend]

As inconsistent as Campo can be, he certainly shows up when Saints are in town. ;-)

He had a very poor start to the season but once he started running at the line, then he was on fire.

 

[Firey_Dragon]

As inconsistent as Campo can be, he certainly shows up when Saints are in town. ;-)

He had a very poor start to the season but once he started running at the line, then he was on fire.

It probably has alot more to do with Canberra's pack steam-rolling ours quite a few times in recent years.

 

[Dazraider]

I cant see us top 4 as well but chance to make the 8 as long as we can frigin tackle in our red zone as thats been so terrible last year as nearly every time a team got in our red zone they scored.
we need Campo with Orford for the experience and just hope its not too late when both take the field together but you never know maybe McCrone and Williams or Picker will come out of the blocks on fire(im wishing).
So as long as we can tackle we should be top 8 and if not then we will struggle to make the 8 and maybe just scrape in again like previous years.

 

[Drax]

With that pack the Raiders can produce consistent footy and Orford and Dugan off the back of that Pack could be lethal. I can see them in the top 8.

 

[Newcastle Cow]

I think their "best pack" is over hyped.

Yep they have the best front row rotation in Shillo, TLL and White. I also rate Harrision and think Fensom can be something good. However everyone else in their pack is deadset sh*t.

Their pack is "overhyped" yet you rate five of them?

The reasons they are being so hyped are reasonably obvious. Big monster pack, exciting skillfull backs (though admittedly inexperienced) and for the first time in agesa solid organisational halfback. Orford never was, and certainly wont be now, a superstar but with that team around him he won't need to be. He'll just have to control things solidly.

I'd expect them to push for top four but I wouldn't be putting the house on it. Injuries, second-year syndromes, how well Campese retruns etc will all be factors. As another poster pointed out, they're also short a bit in the quality hooker department.

 

[Greenbits]

He's inconsistent and frequently goes missing when the pressure is on. He can also be a spark for the attack, and alot of their success or failure rests on his hands. I didn't really think it was that hard to understand.

Chris Sandow is an integral part of Souths success or failure, but I certainly don't rate him.

Fair enough. I'll give you he can go missing, but he rarely plays badly. On his day, Campo can destroy a team single handedly. Can't really say that about Sandow. His inconsitancy probably stems from having to play both half and 5/8 until McCrone found his feet last year. I would have thought on the basis of his solid defence and his proven ability to be a match winner he deserves some sort of rating.

 

[Firey_Dragon]

Fair enough. I'll give you he can go missing, but he rarely plays badly. On his day, Campo can destroy a team single handedly. Can't really say that about Sandow. His inconsitancy probably stems from having to play both half and 5/8 until McCrone found his feet last year. I would have thought on the basis of his solid defence and his proven ability to be a match winner he deserves some sort of rating.

Perhaps we have different interpretations of "rate". I don't think Campese is a consistent go-to guy that will win you games. He has flashes of brilliance without question, but I'm still yet to see him put together one consistent season and he's been in the business for a while now.

He may very rarely "play badly" but I've seen him butcher plenty of tries with his short kicking game or losing his cool when it counted. The raiders play well as a unit when the 2nd phase play is working, Campese is a large part of that however the biggest influence on that team is the forward pack and the ability for everyone to do freakish offloads and always having support runners.

I don't think Campese is in the top 5 five-eights in the game, I just don't think he's the type of player that can build pressure constantly and wear down a team, his plays either work or they don't and then he can be found wanting. Which is largely why I don't think he warrants the praise he receives. Plus he has zero control over his ability to keep his mouth shut which is not something you want from a senior player.

 

[skeepe]

Their pack is "overhyped" yet you rate five of them?

The reasons they are being so hyped are reasonably obvious. Big monster pack, exciting skillfull backs (though admittedly inexperienced) and for the first time in agesa solid organisational halfback. Orford never was, and certainly wont be now, a superstar but with that team around him he won't need to be. He'll just have to control things solidly.

I'd expect them to push for top four but I wouldn't be putting the house on it. Injuries, second-year syndromes, how well Campese retruns etc will all be factors. As another poster pointed out, they're also short a bit in the quality hooker department.

Second-year syndromes? The only player entering his second year of NRL is Shaun Fensom, everyone else debuted in 2009 or earlier.

 

[Newcastle Cow]

Second-year syndromes? The only player entering his second year of NRL is Shaun Fensom, everyone else debuted in 2009 or earlier.

I'm sure you're right. I'm just saying that the guys in your backline are mostly young & inexpereinced. They've got huge potential but you can't call them stars or even consistently good players just yet. Like many people the Raiders are sort my 'second team' and I'm tipping they will have a good year.

 

[Mr. Snrub]

As a raiders fan, I'm confident we'll make the top 8. I don't think we'll be top 4 this year, but if we make top 8, we won't be there just to make up the numbers.

 

[Paullyboy]

Based on experience and a lack of Campo I fear we'll get off to a bad start. The Raiders always have been a cold-weather team (for obvious reasons) and we always struggle in the opening, warmer months - that will be further accentuated this year with our forward pack being so massive.

Having said this, I genuinely believe that this is the year we can go all the way.

The Raiders should have beaten the Tigers in the semi last year, an injury to Campo was a killer blow half way through the game, and even still we should have pushed it to golden point if not for the shock missed penalty goal by Croker. If we had of won that game, only the Dragons could have stopped us - and our record against them is very well documented.

So to answer the original posters question as to why the Raiders are rated so highly this year - because at the end of last season we were one of the best teams, and our team has gotten stronger since then. Put those two together and you'll work it out.

 

[legend]

Weren't the Raiders the only team all year to win eight games straight or something similar?

I have a bad feeling about the game against the Sharks. We are slow starters and traditionally play poorly against the Sharks at home.