S.B.W_Jnr
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'Dogs' 95 spirit' needed to lift Raiders
Wednesday, August 9, 2006 - 6:47 PM
Veteran Canberra five-eighth Jason Smith has spoken to his teammates about the exodus of experienced players at the end of the season, likening it to the situation faced by the Bulldogs when they won their 1995 premiership.
The Raiders will lose over 1000 games worth of first grade experience at season's end when Smith (North Queensland), captain Clinton Schifcofske (Queensland Reds), forward Michael Hodgson (Gold Coast), centre Adam Mogg (Les Catalans), hooker Simon Woolford and possibly lock Jason Croker (Les Catalans) all leave the club.
Smith was one of four high-profile Bulldogs who left for Parramatta to remain loyal to the Australian Rugby League in 1996 during the Super League war.
Raiders half Todd Carney said the 34-year-old had addressed the players in an attempt to find some positives in the exodus.
"Smithy spoke about it the other week, about the time when the Bulldogs won the grand final.
"A lot of players were leaving and new blokes were coming and that year they went on to win the grand final.
"That's just in the back of our minds, what Smithy said."
Smith, Jarrod McCracken, Jim Dymock and Dean Pay all left for the Eels after the Dogs' unlikely grand final victory over Manly from sixth position.
It must seem like ancient history for 20-year-old Carney, who is contracted to the Raiders until the end of 2008.
He said with coach Matthew Elliott also leaving for Penrith, the players who are staying in the national capital are out to impress incoming coach Neil Henry.
"A lot of young players are trying to impress now because there's a new coach coming, and stepping up to senior roles next year with senior players leaving.
"I think that's the big thing in the back of my mind too, I've got to perform in the next three rounds of the original season and go into the semi-finals and just play good football and work for next year."
Carney said the Raiders were pleased to have proved so many people wrong in 2006 and were kicking themselves over a loss to South Sydney sandwiched between wins over big guns St George Illawarra and, last weekend, Brisbane.
"We're just happy we've proved the critics wrong, I guess," he said.
"We were expected to contest the wooden spoon with Souths.
"We've proved that we've made the eight, we've got to stay in there now and we've beaten the Dragons, beaten the Broncos, stuck it to Melbourne in the second half so semi-final football is not out of our reach.
"If we'd beaten Souths we could have been fifth."
http://www.nrl.com.au/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/2437/Default.aspx
Wednesday, August 9, 2006 - 6:47 PM
Veteran Canberra five-eighth Jason Smith has spoken to his teammates about the exodus of experienced players at the end of the season, likening it to the situation faced by the Bulldogs when they won their 1995 premiership.
The Raiders will lose over 1000 games worth of first grade experience at season's end when Smith (North Queensland), captain Clinton Schifcofske (Queensland Reds), forward Michael Hodgson (Gold Coast), centre Adam Mogg (Les Catalans), hooker Simon Woolford and possibly lock Jason Croker (Les Catalans) all leave the club.
Smith was one of four high-profile Bulldogs who left for Parramatta to remain loyal to the Australian Rugby League in 1996 during the Super League war.
Raiders half Todd Carney said the 34-year-old had addressed the players in an attempt to find some positives in the exodus.
"Smithy spoke about it the other week, about the time when the Bulldogs won the grand final.
"A lot of players were leaving and new blokes were coming and that year they went on to win the grand final.
"That's just in the back of our minds, what Smithy said."
Smith, Jarrod McCracken, Jim Dymock and Dean Pay all left for the Eels after the Dogs' unlikely grand final victory over Manly from sixth position.
It must seem like ancient history for 20-year-old Carney, who is contracted to the Raiders until the end of 2008.
He said with coach Matthew Elliott also leaving for Penrith, the players who are staying in the national capital are out to impress incoming coach Neil Henry.
"A lot of young players are trying to impress now because there's a new coach coming, and stepping up to senior roles next year with senior players leaving.
"I think that's the big thing in the back of my mind too, I've got to perform in the next three rounds of the original season and go into the semi-finals and just play good football and work for next year."
Carney said the Raiders were pleased to have proved so many people wrong in 2006 and were kicking themselves over a loss to South Sydney sandwiched between wins over big guns St George Illawarra and, last weekend, Brisbane.
"We're just happy we've proved the critics wrong, I guess," he said.
"We were expected to contest the wooden spoon with Souths.
"We've proved that we've made the eight, we've got to stay in there now and we've beaten the Dragons, beaten the Broncos, stuck it to Melbourne in the second half so semi-final football is not out of our reach.
"If we'd beaten Souths we could have been fifth."
http://www.nrl.com.au/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/2437/Default.aspx
