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The arrival of former Dally M Medallist Matt Orford will add composure to David Furner's talented but "mentally soft" NRL team, Canberra great Gary Belcher believes.
Orford on Monday signed a one-year NRL deal with the Raiders after being released by UK Super League club Bradford Bulls, who he spent the 2010 season with.
The 32-year-old halfback is a late addition to a Raiders line-up who will be without captain and star playmaker Terry Campese for the first few months of the NRL 2011 season.
Belcher, a Fox Sports commentator who played 148 first-grade games with the Raiders from 1986 to 1993, tipped the former Manly No.7 to stabilise a young Raiders side who have not yet found the consistency required to go deep into the NRL finals.
"I think it's a great move to get Matt Orford, he's a quality player," Belcher told foxsports.com.au.
"The Raiders have got some great young outside backs, when you take (Jarrod) Croker, (Daniel (Vidot) and Josh (Dugan) ... they certainly need some experience there and someone to direct them around the park.
"(But) one of their problems has been when they have needed to hold onto a good lead, they lose their way.
"It's probably not unfair to say they're a bit mentally soft, they need to improve in that department, and hopefully Matt Orford can help there."
Orford is expected to begin training with his fourth NRL club immediately, as the Raiders look to build on a promising 2010 season in which they finished seventh before being eliminated by Wests Tigers in the second week of the finals.
The success of 2010 and a promising list of recruits including Orford, Brett White and Blake Ferguson sees the Raiders shape up as a formidable prospect in 2011.
Orford, a premiership winner with Manly in 2008, the same year he claimed the Dally M Medal, will work behind a powerful forward pack headlined by New South Wales Blues forwards Dave Shillington, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and White.
Belcher said he doubted the Raiders would have signed the 32-year-old if captain Campese had not been injured, but backed the decision given the Raiders have also lost fringe half Marc Herbert to Orford's old club Bradford.
"I think he's initially there as cover ... but as most clubs realise if you have trouble in your halves you're not going to have a great season, and I think most clubs need to have a back-up half," the former Kangaroos and Queensland fullback said.
Belcher tipped Orford to partner up with Josh McCrone, a young ballplayer whose performances have mirrored the inconsistency of the Green Machine for the past few seasons.
"I think Josh McCrone has a fair bit to offer - but he's got a fair bit still to learn," he said.
"He (McCrone) kind of gets stifled when he's worried about playing halfback all the time ... so it might work really nicely there if McCrone goes out to six."
Orford, who was also courted by Parramatta for 2011, made his NRL debut with Northern Eagles in 2000, before enjoying NRL stints with Melbourne Storm (2001-2005) and the Sea Eagles (2006-2009).
Orford on Monday signed a one-year NRL deal with the Raiders after being released by UK Super League club Bradford Bulls, who he spent the 2010 season with.
The 32-year-old halfback is a late addition to a Raiders line-up who will be without captain and star playmaker Terry Campese for the first few months of the NRL 2011 season.
Belcher, a Fox Sports commentator who played 148 first-grade games with the Raiders from 1986 to 1993, tipped the former Manly No.7 to stabilise a young Raiders side who have not yet found the consistency required to go deep into the NRL finals.
"I think it's a great move to get Matt Orford, he's a quality player," Belcher told foxsports.com.au.
"The Raiders have got some great young outside backs, when you take (Jarrod) Croker, (Daniel (Vidot) and Josh (Dugan) ... they certainly need some experience there and someone to direct them around the park.
"(But) one of their problems has been when they have needed to hold onto a good lead, they lose their way.
"It's probably not unfair to say they're a bit mentally soft, they need to improve in that department, and hopefully Matt Orford can help there."
Orford is expected to begin training with his fourth NRL club immediately, as the Raiders look to build on a promising 2010 season in which they finished seventh before being eliminated by Wests Tigers in the second week of the finals.
The success of 2010 and a promising list of recruits including Orford, Brett White and Blake Ferguson sees the Raiders shape up as a formidable prospect in 2011.
Orford, a premiership winner with Manly in 2008, the same year he claimed the Dally M Medal, will work behind a powerful forward pack headlined by New South Wales Blues forwards Dave Shillington, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and White.
Belcher said he doubted the Raiders would have signed the 32-year-old if captain Campese had not been injured, but backed the decision given the Raiders have also lost fringe half Marc Herbert to Orford's old club Bradford.
"I think he's initially there as cover ... but as most clubs realise if you have trouble in your halves you're not going to have a great season, and I think most clubs need to have a back-up half," the former Kangaroos and Queensland fullback said.
Belcher tipped Orford to partner up with Josh McCrone, a young ballplayer whose performances have mirrored the inconsistency of the Green Machine for the past few seasons.
"I think Josh McCrone has a fair bit to offer - but he's got a fair bit still to learn," he said.
"He (McCrone) kind of gets stifled when he's worried about playing halfback all the time ... so it might work really nicely there if McCrone goes out to six."
Orford, who was also courted by Parramatta for 2011, made his NRL debut with Northern Eagles in 2000, before enjoying NRL stints with Melbourne Storm (2001-2005) and the Sea Eagles (2006-2009).
