Withers Gone

[Raidersrawesome]

Just read ( been at work all day ) that withers off to the ESL for 3 years, he has signed on with the Wales team, he will join Chalk there.
I wish him all the best , he is one tough bugger and probably in career best form before he was injured.

Apparently we have 1.5m to spend now.

 

[Timbo]

Wow, didn't see this coming.

I guess with Butt in good form, Flanno on the way, and Waddell going gangbusters he was always going to struggle.

Farewell Linc, I wish you'd spent more time in green. Gutsy player and great defender. Shame your final season was killed by injury.

 

[RaiderRhino]

Must say I'm gutted. He has long been my favorite player, on and off the field. Never the best player in the team but always gave his best ,always found time for a chat, give a autograph or pose for a photo with the kids.I remember one afternoon at Parramatta we'd been smashed , his finger in a splint , limping badley he stopped to sign my young blokes footy card while apologising for the teams effort.
THANKS LINCLON

 

[Cryptic]

Urg... I really was hoping he would at least see out the final year of his contract... We really need the depth and he could have covered a bunch of positions... For example half...

 

[Macko8]

good move.
the butt and flanno will be our two main hookers in 09.

 

[Timbo]

Speculation is Josh McCrone will be back from Penrith next year.

I think in our top 25 we'll have:

Hooker
1-Flannagan
2-Buttriss
3-Waddell

Halves
1-Campese
2-Herbert
3-McCrone
4-M.Picker/M.Smith

They will be the backups. And as great a player as Linc is, I think maybe he's made this decision for the good of the team, we have great young players coming through in both of his chosen positions, and he's not going to stand in their way.

Still, I would have loved to have seen him stick around for one more season, wearing #17 off the bench. I guess that's where Glenny Buttriss will be next season now, and if Linc had stayed, Butt would have spent most of next season at Logan.

 

[shear_joy9]

I'm dissapointed he's leaving.
he's been one of my favourite players while he's been here.

best of luck overseas linc.

 

[shear_joy9]

Hooker
1-Flannagan
2-Buttriss
3-Waddell

I'd put Buttriss ahead of flannagan.
he's had a much better season than him.

 

[Timbo]

Management has spent so much on Flanno, that he's virtually garunteed of the #9 next year, even if its just in the beginning.

Butt has great utility skill aswell, he can cover 5/8 or centre in a pinch, so I'd have no problem with he being our Mr. Fix It off the bench.

 

[Bay56]

Cya

 

[Chachi]

I hope he goes well over there.

IMO it's a shame he's gone as he never had the opportunity to play a decent amount of footy in his best position with us, but I can understand why the move was made to release him.

Our management must surely have a plan up their sleeve to release a player like Withers given that Carney, Hinchcliffe and Dobson are all gone. I'm not sure Josh McCrone is the answer to our halves conundrum Timbo (not that Withers is, but we now seem to be a bit thin in experience and injury prone in the 1,6,7,9 positions).

 

[dubby]

Gutsy, tough little bugger who gave his all. A local lad who was passionate about the Raiders and Canberra.

I wish he could have left under better circumstances (injured) and I will always respect Linc for his aggression and fighting attitude. Lets not forget he played 100 games straight or something.

 

[Bay56]

whatever

 

[Timbo]

I hope he goes well over there.

IMO it's a shame he's gone as he never had the opportunity to play a decent amount of footy in his best position with us, but I can understand why the move was made to release him.

Our management must surely have a plan up their sleeve to release a player like Withers given that Carney, Hinchcliffe and Dobson are all gone. I'm not sure Josh McCrone is the answer to our halves conundrum Timbo (not that Withers is, but we now seem to be a bit thin in experience and injury prone in the 1,6,7,9 positions).

I agree, McCrone is probably not the solution, however, I see him being 2nd reserve half, with Campese and Herbert starters and Picker or Smith first reserve.

He is by all accounts going very well for Windsor in the NSW cup so he'll be a handy backup if nothing else.

 

[legend]

Surely we could make an offer to Michael Monaghan and Matt King and have a kick arse backline for next year???

Imagine:

Milne
Purtell
Monaghan
King
Graham/Carney
Campese
Monaghan

Has me salivating already!

 

[Timbo]

Great looking backline, doubt it'll happen.

We'll just end up elevating Waddell, Dugan, Vidot, Croker, Smith, Picker, Thompson and Fensom to first grade and then we'll be out of money.

 

[Raidersrawesome]

Not sold on King , he would cost heaps and I dont really rate him , never have even when he made the rep teams. Surely we could poach somebody we know how much value is held in contracts.

 

[Mal Meninga]

The rumour is we're after Matt Gidley.

 

[Raider_69]

Not sold on King , he would cost heaps and I dont really rate him , never have even when he made the rep teams. Surely we could poach somebody we know how much value is held in contracts.

I dont know what Matt King you were watching but the one i was watching was a fairly handy player and carved us up on a number of occasions. Big, tall, fast, strong, great fend... sounds like a great replacement at centre for Best... He'd be #1 target if i were the club, we've got dollars, throw them at him

 

[shear_joy9]

The rumour is we're after Matt Gidley.

where did that come from?

he signed a 1-year contract extension with St Helen's only a few weeks ago