Ricky Stuart’s Raiders will need a miracle if they are going to challenge for a premiership in 2015.
Winning just 33 per cent of games in 2014, the struggling roster has since been gutted, fairing worse than any other in the off season trades.
Future superstar Anthony Milford, lightning quick Reece Robinson as well as top-shelf forwards Brett White and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs headline the exodus that also includes the ageing Terry Campese and young forward Lagi Setu.
Frank Paul Nuuausala should prove a handy acquisition along with Melbourne’s Sisa Waqa, but it remains to be seen how the Raiders will fill the gaping void left by young prodigy Milford.
Jack Wighton took over the custodian role in the back end of 2014 and didn’t harm his chances of taking up Milford’s number 1 jumper more permanently.
The club appears set to see a completely new halves combination for 2015, with Blake Austin brought in to cover Campese’s 6 and Sam Williams returning to the club where he made his debut back in 2011.
Stuart will be hoping this new pairing can provide some spark to a team that relied far too heavily on individual brilliance in 2014. Can these two be the miracle Canberra needs?
Zippy winger Edrick Lee, along with their top signing Waqa, will see plenty of speed outside, provided Lee remains injury free.
If so he is an option at both wing and centre – where their stocks are a little less ample.
Jarrod Croker will have enormous pressure on him as the newly ordained Captain and only legitimate centre in Canberra’s line up.
Canberra are always a challenge at home and will no doubt again claim some big scalps, particularly during the frosty winter months.
But I can’t see them stringing together enough quality performances to challenge the other teams this year.
Due to their well-publicised recruitment failures, if the Raiders are any chance of delivering a decent season they are going to need some of their young players to really stand up. A 13th place in the NYC cup however lends little credence to this outcome.
A bright spot on the radar for Raiders fans should be young Lachlan Croker, the 18-year-old nephew of Jason Croker.
Lachlan has already represented NSW in under 18s and been selected in the NSW Origin Pathways Camp. A halfback or five-eighth, Lachlan possesses a cool head, silky skills and a last name that should have the Raiders hopeful salivating.
2014 finish: 15th
2015 prediction: 16th
Ins:
Sisa Waqa – Storm
Sam Williams – Catalans Dragons
Blake Austin – Wests Tigers
Iosia Soliola – St Helens
Frank-Paul Nuuausala – Roosters
Josh Hodgson – Hull KR
Rhys Kennedy – StormOuts:
Anthony Milford – Broncos
Reece Robinson – Eels
Lagi Setu – Roosters
Terry Campese – Hull KR
Brett White – retired
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs – Storm
Sami Sauiluma – Sharks
Matt Allwood – Warriors
Matt McIlwrick – Roosters
Jay C
Roar Guru
Too cold to do anything else down there. :) Gotta keep warm somehow! Might as well make little baby Crokers!
Birdy
Guest
Green eyed Pete you have said what I hoped to hear, I come from Wollongong originally and moved to Qld for work. In my day Eden Monaro used to take in Canberra so I have an idea of the landscape, the trouble is we league supporters are very fickle in only coming in numbers when our team is winning , TV broadcast rights don't help at all with night games in mid winter for the raiders . Hopefully We will regain our rights after the next broadcast rights. The problem I have with Canberra is making sure you keep your team, one way to do that is by coming out in support regardless of their position on the ladder which in turn should 'help'to attract better players.
Greeneyed pete
Guest
The Crokers are from the Goulburn Area mate.Just like the Knights they represent a Greater area then the name surgests
Greeneyed pete
Guest
Birdy I'm a supporter of the green machine because i use to live in southern tablelands & they were my team . But i moved to the hunter for work , now i only see maybe 1 home game each year but watch them at Newcastle & about 3 games when they play in Sydney . We even went to Darwin to watch them play Parra.Canberra have large rural area in their following & lot of fans are like me and have had to move away .It would surprize you how many follows they have in Qld as well from the pre Broncos days. So crowd numbers are not a true reflection. Mind you 10,000 is about the most you can exspect the membership to be around. But they often get around that to home games ( if the game is put on at a reasonable time , not 7.30 pm in June or july).THEY SAY!!! Souths had 40,000 mebs last year.But they where flat out to get half that at most of their homes,even when they played other Sydney teams .So Birdy it's quality not quanity
Dorothy the Dinosaur
Guest
Don't know how accurate your comment is as everything I heard indicated that one thing Stuart was doing remarkably well last season was keeping the players upbeat.
Adrien
Guest
How many Crokers are living in ACT ??
Jay C
Roar Guru
I reckon if Stuart can get some consistency this year, even if it is consistently losing, you can put that down as a win. I don't mean being terrible, I just mean even if they don't win a lot of games, but perform consistently and admirably, you will see the fans trickle back.
scott
Guest
They live in a frozen wasteland and attending games carries a serious risk of pneumonia and/or frostbite.
Birdy
Guest
Jay C if the raiders have the same passion as their supporters on the roar they could be a good bet for this year. But to the supporters what's with the small crowds?
Jay C
Roar Guru
I reckon Setu will see game time this year at the Roosters. Which is a pretty big call because they are not short on a backrower.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Nothing would surprise me in this wonderful game Geoff. Plenty of teams have come firing out of the gates after a dud season. A couple of early wins, you build some confidence and the sky is the limit.
Jay C
Roar Guru
I would like to see a Cowboys/Raiders Grand final. Not sure why. Maybe just to stick it up Sydney. Not this year, because I will look stupid. But some time.
Jay C
Roar Guru
I think they need to look at what you were saying about the Roosters Muzz. Make the experience amazing that players don't ever want to leave. Chefs and whatnot.
Muzz
Guest
I disagree with you there Greg and have the Raiders as wooden spoon specials with Stuart resigning before his contract ends. There's only one way to go when your constantly making excuses rather than working hard on solutions.
Greg
Guest
If Ricky was in charge of Souths, the Roosters, Cowboys, or Manly I think he'd definitely be able to win another one. Can he do it within the next four years of his contract at Canberra? I doubt it. But I also doubt Bennett or Hasler could either. Ricky had success with the Roosters, took the Sharks to one game short of the Grand Final only to be eliminated by the Storm who were rorting the cap, did a good job getting respect back for NSW, then had a poor year with a poor squad at the Eels. He broke his contract to change clubs, something Des Hasler and more recently Wayne Bennett also did yet cop no flack like Ricky does. In terms of his press conferences, every coach blows up when they lose, Toovey's had a few specials, so have Bellamy and Hasler. He's taken over a Canberra squad in need of a rebuild and while I don't think they'll be challenging for a premiership anytime soon, I think they've got the best man who was available and the only way is up for the Raiders.
Manbush
Guest
Milford is the only loss, Robinson isn't first grade quality so wasn't re-signed, TLL always injured, White well past his best before retiring, Campo released as wasn't first grade standard and Setu really? Milford the only player that would've been in the top 17 this season,
Muzz
Guest
Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel for the Raiders, eJ?
Muzz
Guest
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Hey Muzz nah I wouldn't hire him as Manly coach. But that's only because the club tends to go better when an ex-player is at the helm. So that only leaves Cleary as a potential untried candidate.
Muzz
Guest
eJ - Hey mate, i'm not for a second down playing his achievements. If i was on a club board NOW 2015 and looking at his application, i would tend to focus on the last 2 seasons as the game has changed significantly.His win ratio for the last 2 seasons is approximately 30%. What's worse than those number are the excuses he constantly makes.His press conferences over the past 2 years would be enough for me to say 'thanks, but no thanks' Would you employ him as the Manly Coach?