Ricky Stuart rings in the changes
Canberra Raiders coach has shaken up his team in the lead up to the Green Machine's clash with the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville on Saturday night.
Hooker Josh Hodgson (calf) and Bailey Simonsson (concussion) were ruled out of the side today through injury, while Josh Papalii was dropped to the bench and Joe Tapine and Sia Soliola were omitted from the top 17.
Tom Starling comes into the starting team at dummy half, while Sebastian Kris comes in on the wing. Ryan James and Emre Guler take over the role of starting props, while Ryan Sutton will start at lock.
After Canberra's loss to the Eels, Stuart made no secret of his unhappiness with the effort of "some individuals" in his team in his post match press conference.
At short notice, he brought forward this week's scheduled press conference to this afternoon, 15 minutes after the Round 7 line up was announced. He said he did that because there was considerable speculation around his post match comments.
"Obviously there's a lot of speculation in regards to my post match press conference," Stuart explained.
"I was asked if there would be changes, and I said Seb Kris would be in the 17. There's been a lot of speculation now over a number of changes. I'm better off to come out and talk about it, so there's not another 24 hours of waiting for me to talk about it and get it out on the table."
"Firstly, we're not the only team, and we won't be the last, to lose two games in a row."
"I've made a couple of changes and I won't be going into why. But I've made a couple of changes to try and pick up a bit of form, what we haven't got at the moment."
"We're not playing the style of football that we have become accustomed to. But it's also not uncommon. We probably started a little bit slower than we thought."
"This time last year we were very similar in regards to some of our results. But we picked up the piece and continued onto a strong season."
"There's no reason or rhyme that we won't do it again. We will. It's just a matter of just trying to find a little bit of form in players and forming a football team."
Today, Stuart was down playing the changes he'd made to this week's team - and concerns about his team's start to 2021. He says that through the season, he'll continue to change up his line up.
"I've said right from the start, I've got a strong squad and players will be used in a couple of instances. One is performance based, and two I'll be rolling players over to try and keep a fresh football team," he said.
"I'll roll players again next week because I've got a five day turnaround."
"I don't think it's any great news outside there's a couple of changes."
"Again, there'll be more changes right throughout the season, injury and/or performance based."
"It's just a matter of being very fortunate as a coach I can bring in some players that I'm very confident will do a good job this weekend."
"I haven't shown any great concern outside of being disappointed after a loss. It's not the first time I've been disappointed after a loss."
"It was just two losses in a row which makes me frustrated. But no more frustrated than the boys are. We know what we're capable of and we know that it's only around the corner before we get it back."
Stuart said that Bailey Simonsson had been in doubt after leaving the field with concussion in the loss to the Eels. He failed an HIA and did not return.
He said Hodgson had suffered a calf injury at training today. While Hodgson had a problem with a hip in the loss to the Panthers, Stuart said his co-captain has not been carrying an injury.
"Bailey was ruled out today by the doctor with an HIA," Stuart said.
"And unfortunately Josh Hodgson has a slight strain to a calf, lower calf, and that was done today at training. Early diagnosis is it will probably be two to three weeks."
He has done a calf before. We were doing a drill today where he was carrying a pad and running backwards and it's a slight strain to his right calf."
"It was one to weeks, but they're saying conservatively it'll be a two to three week injury. He'll come back hopefully for Round 9 or 10."
Stuart declined to elaborate on the feedback he'd given Joe Tapine, when dropping him to the reserves list.
"That's all personal. Like all the players that I've spoken to in regards to form and what I need out of them.," Stuart said.
"Joe Tapine has the ability to be one of the best middles in the game and he won't be sitting where he is for very long."
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad received some good news today about his neck injury. Specialists are advising he won't need surgery to correct a bulging disc. But he'll still be out for seven to eight weeks - with further scans due in a month. Ricky Stuart said that he won't be taking any risks with the star fullback.
"We'll give him time, it's a major injury. Whether it's a little bit longer than that, our medical people will make sure he's a 100 per cent fit and physically capable to come back and get back to where he's been," Stuart said.
Elliott Whitehead has been named co-captain in the absence of Hodgson - with the aim of having a voice of authority in the middle who can communicate with the referee.
A report for The Greenhouse.
VIDEO: Ricky Stuart talks team changes:
https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2021/04 ... m-changes/
VIDEO: Ryan Sutton: "I'll play anywhere I'm required":
https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2021/04 ... -required/
VIDEO: Elliott Whitehead: "We've had our review and we want to put it right":
https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2021/04 ... -it-right/
Joseph Tapine dropped as Josh Hodgson succumbs to calf strain:
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... /?cs=14239
Ricky Stuart swings the axe as Raiders suffer cruel injury blow:
https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league ... -c-2642544
