uncertain 2005

[SOULS 04]

i have never ever been so neutral at the start of a year.

im usually looking at the raiders side very biasly and predicting a top 4 finish but this year im so uncertain.

again i think we have the potential to finish right up with the best but with such a huge turnover of good players how on earth are we going to gel.

i think our biggest l9oss is probably mclinden... i think he was the reason 2004 went the way it did..... he was so inconsistant this year but when he decided to turn up and play we were winning games.... who is gonna step up to take that role.... a more consistant one hopefully.

Carney seems to be a top organiser but i dont know anything about his speed or how likeley he is to make a break on his own. that was macs strong point was when he ran the football.

is jason smith going to work as a five eight does he still have speed and strenght enough to bust through hole and then find support?

how our halves gel this year could make all the difference caus i believe we have the talent in the outside back in frawley, mogg, graham and chalk... not many others seem to but i also rate nathan smith and a few others coming through.

2005 is full of so many questions and im so intrigued and curious as to how its gonna turn out. i dont think we'll get the spoon i believe the tigers and the rabbits will be fighting for that but i do think every other team in the comp has the potential to beat us... in saying that i also think we have the potential to beat them.

so many questions
cant wait for the answers

GO THE RAIDERS

 

[woodgers]

I think everyone is with you Souls. The best part if you can call it that, is that we are all in the same boat and all in this together. It is us vs the world kind of stuff.

I often get asked at work why I am so keen and why do I support and continually get excited to watch rubbish like the Faders. I say the same thing everytime. If I stick with my side through thick and thin, through all the bad times then I will appreciate it more when they win it. There are one or two that claim to be 'fans' but seriously what feeling will they get when the Raiders win their next premiership? Nothing like the week long bender us guys will be on with the lads!

I love this club and the uncertainty is making the new season even more exciting than the previous one where I expected big things.

 

[frank]

I can't understand what all the fuss is about.

The 2005 team doesn't look any worse or any better than it has in the last 5 or 6 years. 2003 showed that we can be contenders with a team full of so called 'nobodies'.
2004 was a dismal disappointment, changes had to be made and they have been.

Woodgers hits the nail on the head when he says it's us against the world. Since 1982, with the exception of a couple of years in the early 90s, Canberra have never been expected to do well. The prevailing attitude on these forums and indeed everywhere else is indicitave of the general public's view of the Raiders.

I really think we've got a strong team this year. I think we can mix it with the best of them.
It really is laughable seeing all the pre season experts placing teams like Parramatta, Cronulla, Wests, Newcastle, New Zealand and even St George ahead of the Raiders in their predictions this year. These teams played some disgraceful football last year but they are still championed by all and sundry. When you're a Raiders fan, you just shrug it off and deal with it.

Chins up for the new season, lads. Get behind the mighty Raiders and look at the glass half full. I know the players are confident and raring to go, the fans should be too.

GO RAIDERS!!!

 

[Tokyo_Raider]

I'll be the voice of dissent. Love the team and all, but I think we're one meaty prop and one experienced half short of winning many games.

As painful as this is to say, I seriously doubt that we'll make the 8 this year (but wow, I hope I'm wrong!).

 

[aussies1st]

I feel i season depends on 2 players and hopefully the rest will fall into place. This is our Coach and the selections he makes. If he does what he did last year we are bound to lose, Carney has to start not withers. 2nd one is Carney himself (assuming he is picked). He may not have the speed but if he can get his kicking game anywhere near the other good halfbacks we are in with a shot especially with our back line.
To go with this a good forward pack and we should have one hell of a team.

 

[Boing Boing]

Well, a good set of backs and a good set of forwards usually will secure a few wins

I don't know what to think, but I'm excited because it couldnt get any worse than 2004, dissapointment wise. I dont have any expectations this year.

 

[SOULS 04]

im up for this us vs the world thing

bring on the 05 season

screw em all and GO THE RAIDERS

 

[legend]

If we have an enthusiastic side with players willing to go the extra mile, we may get away with the close games we invariably lose 99% of the time. We have so many dud losses each year to sides like the Tigers and Manly, then we come out and whip the Broncos.

Last year, a few players didn't give a shit about the fortunes of the club, most notably Joel Monaghan and Brad Drew but with competition for positions this year, you would like to think every player will give their all to keep their place in the top 17.

Guys like Ale, Rothery and the Howell brothers need to put the pressure ont he starters to perform and Elliott needs to make everyone accountable for their actions by selecting on merit, not favourtism as it was with Brad Drew.

Still, our season hinges on the form of Ryan O'Hara.

 

[frank]

Guys like Ale, Rothery and the Howell brothers need to put the pressure ont he starters to perform and Elliott needs to make everyone accountable for their actions by selecting on merit, not favourtism as it was with Brad Drew.

That's a good point.
I think this year there will be a new enthusiasm at the Raiders. In a lot of the 2004 games you could read blokes like O'Hara's mind, he and the rest of the forwards had done all the hard work to get up the scoring end and then Messrs Drew and McLinden would make a meal of it. You could see the forwards thinking 'why do we f**king bother?'.

The combination of the young fellas competing for positions with the old heads not tolerating any complacency will hopefully turn our fortunes around.

 

[legend]

Ian Hindmarsh is another bloke who needs to work a lot harder for hispay cheque. Last year bar one or two games, he was extremely disappointing IMO. Needs to have a real dig in 2005.

 

[woodgers]

The worst part of our play for the past 2 years has been our Kicking game. It is abysmal at best. We get no penetration or field position. If our halves get that aspect sorted or improved dramatically then I will be over the moon. Rhino, Hodgo and the other forwards must be tired of carting the ball out of their own red zone all the time because Drew, Macca or Woolford. They either kicked to the fullback or winger on the full or got no distance or direction. I hope Adamson takes on the long kicking duties, he can roost a footy. I don't even care if he kicks it dead often, as long as we get down that end and gain territory. Also we can set a defensive line and start from scratch down that end.

Rhino must be hungry to do well. He is now pretty much the leader of the forward pack. Our forwards will hold their own as will the backs. The kicking game is the single most important aspect to be improved. Territory is the key to victories and helps the forwards out dramatically. Imagine having to defend in your own half all day and then having to turn and make hit ups 20 out from your own line. That turning and getting onside is enough to tire out even the fittest forward.

 

[thickos]

Really excellent point woodgers about the kicking game. With Marty and Drew gone surely it has to improve - watching them kick was like someone trying to kick a wet lettuce. So many times, especially against the good teams, did the ball end up in the fullback's arms. It just puts us behind the 8-ball.

I hope Woolford scales back his kicking duties except in the red zone. He gets no distance and is far less effective. Todd Carney has a super kicking game from what I've seen in PL and Campo has a huge boot on him too. Remember his debut vs the Panthers? He put up a bomb anyone would be proud of, and Wesser spilt it. I hope he gets a lot of firsts time this season.

Haven't seen much of Jason Smith kick but hopefully he adds a bit of creativity.

 

[Raider_69]

Jason Smith has an execellent short kicking game
id like to see Carney, Camp and Adamson doing the long kicking with Smith and Carney controlling the short game

 

[belindarae]

The bit that gets me is how totally we have been written off for 2005. That could be a huge advantage, if no team sees us as a contender, but we have the confidence, we could do some serious damage.

To be honest we were unlucky last year. There was huge problems with inconsistency and injury that plagued us all season. If we can get some stability in the halves, and have a combo that works (something that we have not had in some time) the team could complete itself quite well. We have good depth in the forwards, and some very talented backs.

A lot of you have made the point that it is a youngish team, and thats great, if we keep up the enthusiasm we could be world beaters. Just look at last season and the number of young guys who scored tries on their first ever touch of the ball in first grade. Not to mention Marshall Chalke's debut.

I think we could be the suprise pack this year.

B.

 

[legend]

You make your own luck IMO and some poor coaching decisions combined with some shocking on field decisions cost us games we should have won.

The Melbourne game was a disaster after holding a commanding half time lead.

How many times did we let teams back into the contest only to see us squander a lead in the last fifteen minutes? The game against Penrith in round two was another example. The Warriors at Ericcson was another.

 

[thickos]

Plus losses at Manly and Campbelltown. Win those two and the three legend mentioned and we finish on 36 - 4th place.

Its all about winning the ones you are meant to and not letting games slip. #-o

 

[Raider Ultra]

Urgh, that Manly match, that would have to go down as one of the Raiders worst ever matches, matched only by that shambles at Manuka.

 

[The Way I See It]

I believe that McLindon was the attacking weapon for the raiders,an individual player that could make something out of nothing and Wiki was the inspirational forward for the rest of the pack.
the interesting point will be when they need a player to do some magic or a huge tackle.
Can withers live up to last year or will he be another drew?
Can croker make that special play or is he too old?
Will graham intercept more than not?
I don't have to mention woolford cause he always puts in that dash up the middle and creates room for the forwards and backs.
The raiders are a mystery this year but don't be surprised if they beat teams like the bulldogs and broncos

 

[LUKEY]

We are in for the most exciting year in years I reckon this season. The fact that we are finally going to see some new young talent play this year will best part. Carney and Compo are so dangerouse together in the halves and hopfully the play their together this year with smith at Lock as He is a little slowernow and has been playing lock in england for the last couple of years.
We will make the finals just, I think but I cant see us winning the comp yet. But in the next few years after the players have fully gelled and the younger ones have more experiance and have learnt from the older players look out as will be giving the comp a shake.
Our futer looks so good and this year will be great to watch. Beware of NRL's biggest sleeping giant! :lol:

 

[greeneyed]

The bit that gets me is how totally we have been written off for 2005. That could be a huge advantage, if no team sees us as a contender, but we have the confidence, we could do some serious damage.

To be honest we were unlucky last year. There was huge problems with inconsistency and injury that plagued us all season. If we can get some stability in the halves, and have a combo that works (something that we have not had in some time) the team could complete itself quite well. We have good depth in the forwards, and some very talented backs.

A lot of you have made the point that it is a youngish team, and thats great, if we keep up the enthusiasm we could be world beaters. Just look at last season and the number of young guys who scored tries on their first ever touch of the ball in first grade. Not to mention Marshall Chalke's debut.

I think we could be the suprise pack this year.

B.

Unlucky? I don't think so. Poor selections from the coach. Appalling tactics and game plans. Poor player performances. Lucky to get into the 8 in my opinion.