Eye on the prize
Call the Canberra Raiders many things, just don't refer to them as over-achievers.
If anything according to coach Neil Henry, the man largely responsible for this team's remarkable form reversal there's still room for under-achievement in 2008.
''By our judgement we're playing good footy, which we expected to do, but I wouldn't say we've over-achieved. By whose judgement?'' Henry said.
''We're playing to our ability and getting results. Maybe other sides are under-achieving, you could look at it that way.
''We've only over-achieved on other people's expectations and that's not saying too much when plenty of people were tipping us for the wooden spoon.
''If we lose our last two games we'll either finish seventh or eighth or miss the finals and that would be disappointing, probably under-achieving in some people's eyes given where we've got ourselves to at the moment.''
Henry, who has burst clear of the pack as favourite for Dally M coach of the year honours, doesn't want to hear talk of his team ''defying the odds'' or ''fighting above its weight'' in 2008.
Silencing the knockers acts as no motivation whatsoever for Henry and his troops in the national capital.
It's much more about doing it for each other, proving their capabilities to those in-house.
Henry is not the type of coach to get on his high horse and soak up the added attention the club has received recently as a result of winning six of its past seven games.
He's far more comfortable in his office at club headquarters trying to plot against the side his Raiders are facing at their next challenge.
Tonight Henry and his Raiders will attempt to keep alive their chances of earning a home final for the first time since 2003.
That's right, a possible top-four finish, not that Henry wants anything to do with that kind of talk.
''I don't think it's a realistic goal for us,'' he said. ''We could say we want to win the comp as well but you just can't think that far ahead.
''We're not a team that can think top four. If you're a Melbourne or a Manly, who were up there last year and had pretty similar rosters this year, you could probably get away with setting goals of getting a home semi, but not us.''
Returning to Townsville
Henry signed a five-year deal to rejoin the Cowboys from next season in a decision that shocked many.
But tonight his eyes will be firmly on the 13 green jerseys on the field, not the other half of the paddock.
''It's a rarity, five-year contracts, but if you're not getting the job done in three you'd probably exit it anyway, whether you're forced or whatever,'' he said of his impending move. ''You're under pressure straight away because it's a results-driven profession.''
Henry wasn't looking forward to returning to Townsville for tonight's game.
''I wouldn't say I enjoy going back,'' he said. ''I know the place and I'll know some familiar faces but I'll enjoy it more if we're boarding the plane Sunday morning with the two competition points.''
Off-field controversies
It's been one of those years for the Raiders.
Firstly there was Henry's decision to leave the club with a year of his contract remaining.
Then Bronx Goodwin and eventually Todd Carney had the team in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after more off-field incidents.
But the Raiders have proven they can deal with such distractions and still be a force on the field.
''It's part of being a professional footballer,'' Henry said.
''A lot of it was media speculation anyway and you can't do anything about that. What you can do is go out and play some football. It showed that sometimes the media doesn't distract you from your focus.''
Henry described his decision to leave Canberra as one of the most challenging times he had faced as a coach.
''Yeah it was tough,'' he said. ''It was a hard decision to make but I was honest the whole way through.
''I expected to cop a fair bit of criticism from fans. There was backlash, of course there was, the fans are parochial and passionate about their club, and as a coach you're not immune to criticism.''
Raiders' finals chances
While a top-four finish is still possible, it's probably more realistic Canberra will finish the home-and-away season in fifth or sixth position.
As long as it avoids finishing seventh or eighth and hence wouldn't have to play Melbourne or more than likely Manly in the first week of the play-offs Henry believed the Raiders were a genuine chance of playing deep into September.
''We've been competitive against all sides and you never know once you get to the finals,'' he said.
''If we keep the momentum going for another few weeks, certainly having momentum going into the finals is better than scraping into the eight having been higher up initially and trying to pick up again.''
The Raiders need to win both their remaining two games and hope the Broncos and Roosters lose one of their last two matches, to sneak into the top four.
''If we can get into a position where we might get two chances, we'll have a fair crack at it,'' the coach said.
''Hopefully we don't get any more injuries.''
The media
Henry accepts the media has a role to play in rugby league, but that doesn't mean he agrees with everything that goes to print, or the approach some journalists take to get stories.
''It amazes me how the media works sometimes,'' he said.
''There's the journos who have an opinion and who write opinion pieces, which I prefer, then there's the gossip journalism where they're looking mainly for a negative angle on how the game is going or what players are up to,'' he said.
''Unfortunately negatives or controversies tend to sell more papers. It annoys you sometimes but by and large it's generally positive.''
The Raiders have had plenty of publicity this year, both good and bad.
Henry hoped further on-field success in the next month will lead to more headlines for the Raiders, for all the right reasons.
The state of the game
Since Sonny Bill Williams's defection to French rugby, plenty of opinions have been thrown around on how rugby league in Australia is faring.
Henry is of the belief there's little wrong and is adamant the future looks rosy.
''Crowds are up, ratings are up, you can't compete with ratings for State of Origin,'' he said.
''David Gallop is right. It is a worry about the money on offer coming from overseas but you can't compete with it. We can't get into a situation where we can match those dollars.''
Henry said good luck to those players who wanted to play a foreign game in a foreign country for extra cash, but doesn't think the NRL needs to alter its ways too much.
''In my humble opinion we can't afford to increase the salary cap,'' he said.
''Our game is an exciting product and will continue to be a spectacle to watch.''
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/lo ... 58348.aspx
i like it..
