Raiders player signing speculation 2022

[greeneyed]

NRL clubs who could look to sign James Bentley

The Raiders seem to know better than most how to nurture their Super League imports, with the likes of Josh Hodgson, John Bateman and Elliott Whitehead all proving big successes for the green machine. Bentley and Whitehead would be a formidable second-row pairing, and Bentley would have a lot of freedom to express himself with a fellow Super League alumni on the other side to help him into the Australian game.

Read more: https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/three-cl ... ley-62577/

This article is amusing in a number of ways.

[bonehead]

if you're buying from leeds you're buying Morgan Gannon

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[Finchy]

”The Raiders seem to know better than most how to nurture their Super League imports”

John Bateman, George Williams homesick and had big fall outs with the coach/CEO, left the club after 18 months.

Harry Rushton, homesick, left the club in 18 months.

Jordan Turner, couldn’t crack firsts and left after 12 months.

Ryan Sutton, had issues with the coach/non selection, left the club.

Josh Hodgson, early days were good, more recently plagued by serious injuries and falling outs with the coach resulting in handing over the captaincy and leaving the club.

Not sure we are that good at “nurturing” our Super League imports....

[greeneyed]

That was one thought that struck me. Not to mention the fact that Hudson Young is our first chosen second rower.

[BadnMean]

”The Raiders seem to know better than most how to nurture their Super League imports”

John Bateman, George Williams homesick and had big fall outs with the coach/CEO, left the club after 18 months.

Harry Rushton, homesick, left the club in 18 months.

Jordan Turner, couldn’t crack firsts and left after 12 months.

Ryan Sutton, had issues with the coach/non selection, left the club.

Josh Hodgson, early days were good, more recently plagued by serious injuries and falling outs with the coach resulting in handing over the captaincy and leaving the club.

Not sure we are that good at “nurturing” our Super League imports....

I'd class Sutton as a success. The guy played 4 seasons, 60 or 70 FG games. That's plenty of footy, a major part of a career. Not everyone becomes a one club player. What more do you want from a bloke or the club?- he played his best, improved every year and got to the point in his career where other clubs could offer him more money, based on his success here and we weren't willing to match it for a 3rd/4th prop. We did a great job nurturing him to that point in his career and fair play to him too if he needs to take the extra money.

Whitehead, Hodgo were runaway successes beyond our wildest expectations at the time of purchase and rebuilt the club into a force. fantastic signings for the club and they ended up wealthy men as a result. Success all round.

Turner just wasn't any good. It happens. Nothing to do with him being English or not nurtured.

Bateman is a curious one. We got the very best footy out of him. He paid him peanuts his first year, which caused all the agitation when he found out how much lower he was on compared to others. Then it was shennanigans with no trust between anyone. The club was prepared to upgrade him but he got too greedy- as seen by the complete lack of interest in his ask from other clubs at the time.

GWilly is on the club/Ricky and GWilly's misreading of the situation shared. I don't think he realised there were zero f's left for that kind of ultimatum after Bateman's antics. I think he triggered Ricky there.

Not sure what happened with Rushton. Probably peeved he couldn't get ahead of Guler/CHN given his early season form and their relatively flat performances. Probably on us that one, it happened right off the back of that broken jaw which may have been the last straw.

COVID also the massive game changer in the GWilly/Bateman sagas. Esy to forget it changed the situation from one where they could get home at the end of the year to reconnect + relatively easily/affordably fly family out here during the season to stay in contact to one where all of a sudden they are facing 2 years without seeing their family.

That's not what they signed up for- it's a huge shift. Particularly in life stages like GWilly when they were looking to start a family. I'm not sure it's possibly for club to compensate/do anything during covid, when they couldn't guarantee travel which will make a partner want to have her first child when she's 10 000 miles away from her own family/grandparents etc.

Our track record pre covid was pretty stellar. Since then- spotty. But those RL players are just a symptom of what happenned all around the world to expat communities. I was living in Singapore when it struck and within a year or 2, us and literally tens, if not hundreds of thousands of other expats from SG alone had gone home for very similar reasons to those NRL guys. My employer there which was based on expats/oversees clients lost 20%-25% staff/clients in that period.

Pretty hard to pin fault on those forces on the Raiders. It was a worldwide pattern of behaviour/migration, not necessarily a failing on the clubs part.

[Finchy]

I wasn’t arguing that any of those players weren’t successful here (except Turner) or that their homesickness was unreasonable.

My issue was with the claim that we know how to “nurture” English players better than most. I don’t think we do.

We may sign more Poms than other clubs, but I don’t think that means we can nurture them better than any other club.

[BadnMean]

Fair enough.

[dubby]

Ryan Sutton, had issues with the coach/non selection, left the club.

Sutton left because his partner is in Sydney.

[Finchy]

Ryan Sutton, had issues with the coach/non selection, left the club.

Sutton left because his partner is in Sydney.

I’m not arguing that he left the club BECAUSE of issues with the coach or non selection, I’m saying he had those issues AND has left the club.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 8bca004551

[julian87]

Agree on Sutton being a success. Wasn’t a huge deal and he’s a solid first grader. Good business to not match Canterbury’s offer though as you’d rather lose him than any of the other middles, including Mariota and Mooney.

I sort of hope for them that they’ve done their homework though. He’s tough and a great defender but quite below par in terms of making metres.

[Finchy]

Again, I’m not arguing that Sutton wasn’t successful. I’m pointing out the club isn’t some guru on “nurturing” English players, and like most of the others, he had some issues with the coach and selection decisions. It’s not a critique of his skill level or contributions as a player

[Raiderfan2233]

We should sign Nene Mcdonald?????

[greeneyed]

No we shouldn’t.

[Raiderfan2233]

No we shouldn’t.

Y??? He’d be good for depth

[greeneyed]

No we shouldn’t.

Y??? He’d be good for depth

We’ve already got 30 in the top 30, and they’re going to have to be top notch to push another player out.

[Seiffert82]

We should sign Nene Mcdonald?????

I'd suggest the return of Smith-Shields and the progress of Timoko and Kris would make signing someone like McDonald a luxury. He'd be an overpaid depth player for the outside backs, whereas what we actually need is more depth in the back row.

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[Matt]

No we shouldn’t.

Y??? He’d be good for depth

A late 20s outside back who has played 7 NRL games in 3 yrs, AND is off to Leeds next yr.

[-TW-]

No we shouldn’t.

Y??? He’d be good for depth

A late 20s outside back who has played 7 NRL games in 3 yrs, AND is off to Leeds next yr.

And isn't actually that good

This is John Folau all over again

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[MrPosh]

NRL clubs who could look to sign James Bentley

The Raiders seem to know better than most how to nurture their Super League imports, with the likes of Josh Hodgson, John Bateman and Elliott Whitehead all proving big successes for the green machine. Bentley and Whitehead would be a formidable second-row pairing, and Bentley would have a lot of freedom to express himself with a fellow Super League alumni on the other side to help him into the Australian game.

Read more: https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/three-cl ... ley-62577/

This article is amusing in a number of ways.

It's not a serious website - it just makes stuff up for hits.

This forum would do great with Bentley at the club because there would always be something to talk about.

He's a seriously talented player, but I'd say behaviour wise, he's somewhere beyond thug into the realms of psychopath.

[deanoman]

NRL clubs who could look to sign James Bentley

The Raiders seem to know better than most how to nurture their Super League imports, with the likes of Josh Hodgson, John Bateman and Elliott Whitehead all proving big successes for the green machine. Bentley and Whitehead would be a formidable second-row pairing, and Bentley would have a lot of freedom to express himself with a fellow Super League alumni on the other side to help him into the Australian game.

Read more: https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/three-cl ... ley-62577/

This article is amusing in a number of ways.

It's not a serious website - it just makes stuff up for hits.

This forum would do great with Bentley at the club because there would always be something to talk about.

He's a seriously talented player, but I'd say behaviour wise, he's somewhere beyond thug into the realms of psychopath.

[greeneyed]

If every NRL club could steal one player: Canberra Raiders

The Raiders' biggest issue, without a doubt in the world, is the lock forward position. They need a ball-playing, big-minute, tackling machine to not only wear the jersey, but increase the depth available right across the club's engine room. It could be the one key issue that is going to, at this stage, keep them away from a premiership run.

While Isaah Yeo brings plenty to the side, and Brandon Smith is a tempting option, neither would alter the fortunes of the side to the same extent that Cameron Murray would, so he is clearly the best option when it comes to stealing a player for Ricky Stuart's green machine.

Read more: https://www.zerotackle.com/if-every-nrl ... rs-125917/

The answer is a hooker or halfback.

[Botman]

Yeah with great respect to this Pryde fella, im going to take a good long hard pass on Murray and take Nathan Cleary thanks!

[BJ]

Yeah with great respect to this Pryde fella, im going to take a good long hard pass on Murray and take Nathan Cleary thanks!

Yep, spot on. Closely followed by Grant, Manu, Hunt.

Anyone with a good passing game and decision making.

Hell, Cherry Evans or Ricky himself would improve our on field footy smarts no end.

[BadnMean]

Reasonable enough. Almost no one even on here has been shouting that halfback is our highest recruitment priority or biggest squad hole (in fact, I think I was one of the very very few to voice it).

Our biggest recruitment hole is lock slash edge depending on how we use people. Seconded by the group who think all our hookers are pants (not me, I'm team Wolf).

He can't write an article where every club needs to steal Cleary.

[Botman]

Yeah that’s fair
You gotta file copy and make content and it’s a good subject matter. But it’s not getting past the editor when every team is stealing one of Cleary, Tedesco or Grant

If I were him, I’d have stated explicitly no spine players. Force yourself to get a little bit out of the box

[Raiders Lim!]

If every NRL club could steal one player: Canberra Raiders

The Raiders' biggest issue, without a doubt in the world, is the lock forward position. They need a ball-playing, big-minute, tackling machine to not only wear the jersey, but increase the depth available right across the club's engine room. It could be the one key issue that is going to, at this stage, keep them away from a premiership run.

While Isaah Yeo brings plenty to the side, and Brandon Smith is a tempting option, neither would alter the fortunes of the side to the same extent that Cameron Murray would, so he is clearly the best option when it comes to stealing a player for Ricky Stuart's green machine.

Read more: https://www.zerotackle.com/if-every-nrl ... rs-125917/

The answer is a hooker or halfback.

Does this read like every poster that has asked us to move Wighton to 13?

[Matt]

Yeah that’s fair
You gotta file copy and make content and it’s a good subject matter. But it’s not getting past the editor when every team is stealing one of Cleary, Tedesco or Grant

If I were him, I’d have stated explicitly no spine players. Force yourself to get a little bit out of the box

100% agree.
But I think we need an edge before a 13 too. We have middles on the roster. Ok, not Murray or Yeo, but I think a Whitehead and CHN/Mooney combo will be fine. We need a Kikau, Papali'i or *cough* *cough* Fifita type guy to partner Young.

[Billy Walker]

Jack Wighton in a position to join the likes of Daley, Meninga, Croker and Tongue as a one-club player with the Raiders

When Jack Wighton signed a five-year deal with the Canberra Raiders in 2020, an option in his favour for the 2023 and 2024 seasons included his contract. He has already taken up the option for 2023, which only leaves the option for 2024 to be decided. There is the possibility that the Raiders will sign him to a new extended deal thus eliminating the 2024 option. If that happens, Wighton is destined to become a one-club player

Read more: https://the-riotact.com/jack-wighton-in ... ers/622178

[RichmondRaider]

My mate reckons he saw Aidan Tolman in braddon... He looking to for off-field work?

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[BJ]

My mate reckons he saw Aidan Tolman in braddon... He looking to for off-field work?

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Every second 30ish stocky blonde guy looks like Aiden Tolman. Just like every old guy with a white beard looks like Kenny Rogers.

[FuiFui BradBrad]

My mate reckons he saw Aidan Tolman in braddon... He looking to for off-field work?

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Every second 30ish stocky blonde guy looks like Aiden Tolman. Just like every old guy with a white beard looks like Kenny Rogers.

One of the things I hate about the off-season is not seeing that Kenny Rogers lookalike in the coaching box next to Stick. The man is dreamy.