Canberra Raiders confirm departures of Oldfield and Niko

[greeneyed]

Canberra Raiders farewell departing players

The Canberra Raiders would like to thank the seven players who have departed throughout and at the conclusion of the 2020 season for their contribution towards the club.

John Bateman, Nick Cotric, Michael Oldfield and Andre Niko are all departing the club, while Luke Bateman, Jack Murchie and JJ Collins all departed midway through the season.

Read more: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2020/11 ... g-players/

VIDEO: Departing players highlights: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2020/11 ... yers-2020/

Canberra Raiders farewell departing duo, Michael Oldfield and Andre Niko: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... /?cs=14239

[Raidersteve]

Disappointed to see Oldfield leave but he will likely get a better opportunity elsewhere. He is too good to be left in reserves for most of his career but there are younger prospects with higher potential ceilings ahead of him.

[greeneyed]

He's played 54 games in 10 seasons across five different clubs. He's obviously a really good guy, and obviously does a lot of great things off field, but it is pretty clear he is a depth/State Cup player. Clearly, that's a whole lot better than a lot of rugby league players. I doubt that's going to change at the Eels, but I wish him the best in what he does there.

[-PJ-]

I like Oldbeard.

[greeneyed]

I think everybody likes him.

[bonehead]

speed and fragility, summed up in that great try in the corner vs warriors where he won the game and busted his shoulder

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[Bay53]

He's played 54 games in 10 seasons across five different clubs. He's obviously a really good guy, and obviously does a lot of great things off field, but it is pretty clear he is a depth/State Cup player. Clearly, that's a whole lot better than a lot of rugby league players. I doubt that's going to change at the Eels, but I wish him the best in what he does there.

Couldn’t agree more. He was probably a bit unlucky at the Raiders in that when there was a spot for him he was often injured himself.

I can’t see how he is going to go from the level he is at to being a regular first grader at Parra.

But he is a fantastic guy that every club loves having around.

[Roger Kenworthy]

Funny to think a player like Billy Tupou earned so much more of a consistent opportunity than Oldfield ever managed. He managed 53 games over his first three years at the Warriors.

[bonehead]

Funny to think a player like Billy Tupou earned so much more of a consistent opportunity than Oldfield ever managed. He managed 53 games over his first three years at the Warriors.

Billy T wasn't made of glass.

It's also a show of how far we've come as a team that a player of Oldfield's quality was never a first 13 pick.

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[greeneyed]

Former Canberra Raiders back Michael Oldfield signs one year deal with Parramatta Eels

Michael Oldfield held out hope of remaining with the Canberra Raiders until the last moment, which was why he was disappointed he didn't get the chance to say goodbye to a lot of people at the club. He's now signed a one year deal with the Eels.

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... /?cs=14239

Michael Oldfield has agreed to a one-year deal with the Parramatta Eels: https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2020/ ... nrl-squad/

[afgtnk]

There goes the only guy in the squad with any sort of top-end speed. Good luck and all the best Oldy.

[BadnMean]

There goes the only guy in the squad with any sort of top-end speed. Good luck and all the best Oldy.

Not quite true.

I noticed the origin GPS speeds up the other day and the only one quicker than the 35.something SImo has been clocked at was JAC at 36.something.

[greeneyed]

Speed doesn’t matter if you’re not regularly in the team.

[-PJ-]

Speed doesn’t matter if you’re not regularly in the team.

Yeah but he’s first to training..

[Botman]

Speed doesn’t matter if you’re not regularly in the team.

sadly so
as they say, the best ability is availabilty. Oldy was mostly very good for us when called on but we kind of need someone a bit more relaible than he's capable of being at this stage. Which im sad about because i like him as a bloke and as a footballer

[afgtnk]

There goes the only guy in the squad with any sort of top-end speed. Good luck and all the best Oldy.

Not quite true.

I noticed the origin GPS speeds up the other day and the only one quicker than the 35.something SImo has been clocked at was JAC at 36.something.

Addo-Carr's been clocked at 38.5 before: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/05/24/add ... -revealed/

I'm always a bit sceptical about when and how they release these GPS figures. For functional purposes, it'd be best to release the highest speeds hit at certain intervals (10m, 20, 30, etc), or at least tell us how far into a sprint these guys are hitting their top speed. That's where a guy like JAC would shine across them all, whereas you'd only find a guy like Ed Lee in the latter intervals. It's JAC speed consistency across the different marks that makes him so dangerous.

If you've got a guy ranking highly overall, but only able to hit that top speed when he's more than 30 odd metres into his stride, it becomes mostly redundant in the context of an NRL game. That's where I think guys like Simo come in, because in the few times I've seen him really get to stride out over distance (which are rare occurrences, relatively) he is quite fast, but over short phases he doesn't catch anyone's eye.

[BadnMean]

Right analysis- the figures are very spotty. And of questionable value (Shane Whereat) of speed vs gamesense of how to utilise speed.

But all those are sidelines to the point that Oldy is not the only guy in our squad who has topline speed. Simo is our quickest by some objective measures, Jack by some others (chase down of Turbo- but most fans ignore no one runs the Olympic 100m Final carrying the footy).

[Northern Raider]

Yeah, not much between Oldy and Simo for top speed. Not sure where Valemi sits by comparison. Maybe a step behind. Timoko bit more of a speed/power combo. Can't say what his top end is like.

[bonehead]

as affatagga said, show me 0-40m speeds as well as tops, I'll bet me last sheckle all clubs focus on 0-40m times in training evaluation.

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[greeneyed]

Speed doesn’t matter if you’re not regularly in the team.

sadly so
as they say, the best ability is availabilty. Oldy was mostly very good for us when called on but we kind of need someone a bit more relaible than he's capable of being at this stage. Which im sad about because i like him as a bloke and as a footballer

Agree with all that, especially the bit about being a good guy and a good player. But I wasn’t only referring to injury. He’s not in our top back five if everyone is fit, we have better young players coming up. He’s a depth player at most clubs and as the story outlines, that’s the role he’s been recruited to at the Eels.

[nachopants]

I must say I'm a bit worried that our issue this year was a total lack of depth in our outside backs, and that's what we're letting go?

[greeneyed]

I must say I'm a bit worried that our issue this year was a total lack of depth in our outside backs, and that's what we're letting go?

Young players coming through, and players with higher thresholds. Use them or you lose them.

[BadnMean]

Yeah, not much between Oldy and Simo for top speed. Not sure where Valemi sits by comparison. Maybe a step behind. Timoko bit more of a speed/power combo. Can't say what his top end is like.

Valemi had a gallop in his stride when he really stretched out over distance I saw one game. That will hold top speed back, but it is fixable. Either an off season with a good sprint coach or if it is related to that knee brace he wears, just natural recovery could see Semi find that extra gear.

[BadnMean]

I must say I'm a bit worried that our issue this year was a total lack of depth in our outside backs, and that's what we're letting go?

I'd actually say we have enough depth in outside backs now- with HSS, Timoko and Valemi and Simonsen all looking in with a shot at becoming proper FG players + CNK, Rapana and Croker in the solid experience category + Scott as a wildcard and Aekin backup FB- I'd say the only question mark is on high end quality rather than depth.

I'be banged on about it enough to bore people I'm sure. But I'm worried we'll be all "honest toiler" and no strikepower next season.

Not many teams win a comp without some big weapons in the back 5 (yes, I'd put Papenhuyzen, Vunivalu and even Olam in that category now, even if they also have weaknesses). 2015 Cowboys maybe exception.

[nachopants]

I'be banged on about it enough to bore people I'm sure. But I'm worried we'll be all "honest toiler" and no strikepower next season.

This is what concerns me. HSS and Timoko are still very small.

Simonsen has been with us a while now but still doesn't have the brute strength/leg-drive of Cotric. Scott has the same issue.

Croker, I think we've said enough. Rapana isn't a centre, etc.

I dunno, I'm so worried about it compared to the brute strength and leg drive of the Sivos, Crichtons, Staggs, Morris twins, etc, of the comp.

I mean seriously? We're replacing nearly all of our back line with guys barely 6 foot?

Where does our strike come from?

[Leebola]

I'be banged on about it enough to bore people I'm sure. But I'm worried we'll be all "honest toiler" and no strikepower next season.

This is what concerns me. HSS and Timoko are still very small.

Simonsen has been with us a while now but still doesn't have the brute strength/leg-drive of Cotric. Scott has the same issue.

Croker, I think we've said enough. Rapana isn't a centre, etc.

I dunno, I'm so worried about it compared to the brute strength and leg drive of the Sivos, Crichtons, Staggs, Morris twins, etc, of the comp.

I mean seriously? We're replacing nearly all of our back line with guys barely 6 foot?

Where does our strike come from?

Timoko and HSS are six-foot and 95kg+. Scott and Simonsson are both 6'2"+ and 90 kg+. None are older than 23. I think an off-season strapped to the squat rack for all of these boys, scoffing the tuna and rice, and we are laughing.

[nachopants]

Agree, as long as they're building bulk this off season we'll be okay.