Toughest preseason ever 2024

[Azza]

Whatever.

[Northern Raider]

Maddest Monday yet.

[-PJ-]

Geez Azza you got in early.

So..preseason.

It’ll be tough. Probably the toughest pre season ever.

[gangrenous]

I’ll accept the second toughest preseason ever if they spend some time practicing setting for field goals…

[Botman]

I've got great **** news for this coming pre season

We didnt win a trial game last year and we made the finals. So i'd just like like to pay my respects to that silly narrative. This is big win for small sample size, and correlation not equalling causation.

Rest In Peace, the "Pre Season Wins Matter!" discourse. You will not be missed.

[Off]

Won't be long.

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[gangrenous]

We didnt win a trial game last year and we made the finals.

Did we though? Or did we arseplant into them?

[Botman]

We didnt win a trial game last year and we made the finals.

Did we though? Or did we arseplant into them?

It brings me no joy to confirm that we did in fact play finals footy.
By hook or crook, we did. Losing our trial games did not in fact stop us from making the 8.

And ill tollerate that nonsense from you no more, old friend.

However i can confirm i am very much here for 2024 being the toughest pre-season ever.

[Azza]

Won't be long.

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I bet that’s what she said

This is already shaping up as one of the best preseason threads ever

[-TW-]

Hopefully they enjoyed their beverages at a local establishment today, wash the stink of this season off and come back November 1 raring to go

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[bonehead]

can we lock or delete this thread? The official toughest preseason ever thread begins funnily enough on the 1st day of preseason not mad Monday.
As the OP author I retain the right

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[-TW-]

Bonehead moves retention rights to "Toughest preseason ever" thread

Any objections?

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[Azza]

Bonehead moves retention rights to "Toughest preseason ever" thread

Any objections?

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Who?

[gangrenous]

I inject!

[Off]

So when does this tripe start to roll out?

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[Coastalraider]

I inject!

Probably best to stick to Val’s baggies.

[PNGRaider37]

Odds on Savage and Chevy to "battle it out" for the fullback spot and create "competition for places"?

[bonehead]

So when does this tripe start to roll out?

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5 weeks away

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[RedRaider]

Ricky won't take pre-season preparation seriously. He never has. Only that the NRL has mandated that each side must play 2 trial matches he would not be a part of it. Remember his days of one trial when 20+ players were used. The evidence of poor preparation was not just the two loses in pre-season in 2023, it was losing 4 of our first 5 matches in the 2023 competition. (Although the match against the Cowboys in the tropics was a fine effort from the players). We started behind the 8 ball until some level of match fitness kicked in. I don't like giving away competition points due to preparation, which is something the Raiders have control of.

[Hong Kong Raider]

Ricky won't take pre-season preparation seriously. He never has. Only that the NRL has mandated that each side must play 2 trial matches he would not be a part of it. Remember his days of one trial when 20+ players were used. The evidence of poor preparation was not just the two loses in pre-season in 2023, it was losing 4 of our first 5 matches in the 2023 competition. (Although the match against the Cowboys in the tropics was a fine effort from the players). We started behind the 8 ball until some level of match fitness kicked in. I don't like giving away competition points due to preparation, which is something the Raiders have control of.

This is on the coach, the coaching and conditioning staff. We didn't start well last year either. By round 14, we were 11th on the table and lost 5 in a row.

With the competition getting closer and each team can beat each other on their day (e.g. Wests over Penrith this year, Wests over Cowboys, Canterbury over Melbourne), not having a good start could mean missing the 8 or top 4.

[The Nickman]

It feels like we never start a season well, we always come in completely undercooked and take an almost mutiny by the fan base before things turn around.

I’m sure there’s recent seasons that buck that trend, but that’s the vibe I get.

[gangrenous]

Yep, agree with the last few posts. Ricky’s plan seems to be start slow and gradually build into the season and peak at finals.

I’ve said it before, but that’s not how I see the top coaches structure a season. They seem to try to come out hard, have a lull around mid-season and origin, then ramp up once more for finals.

[The Nickman]

Craig Bellamy, who everyone except Seiffert will loudly applaud as one of the greatest coaches of all time, never ever in any of years coaching the Storm has come out of pre-season with his team undercooked and looking like a shambles in Round 1.

In fact, the exact opposite.

[Hong Kong Raider]

Just hope we don't play in Nth Qld or Brisbane in the first few rounds !

Ricky will blame climate change for losing the 2 points next.

[Dr Zaius]

This preseasn needs more Two-Dads

[Dr Zaius]

Just hope we don't play in Nth Qld or Brisbane in the first few rounds !

Ricky will blame climate change for losing the 2 points next.

As night follows day, we'll play at least 2 of the Broncos, Titans, cows or dolphins, in Queensland during the day in the first few rounds

[RedRaider]

Ricky won't take pre-season preparation seriously. He never has. Only that the NRL has mandated that each side must play 2 trial matches he would not be a part of it. Remember his days of one trial when 20+ players were used. The evidence of poor preparation was not just the two loses in pre-season in 2023, it was losing 4 of our first 5 matches in the 2023 competition. (Although the match against the Cowboys in the tropics was a fine effort from the players). We started behind the 8 ball until some level of match fitness kicked in. I don't like giving away competition points due to preparation, which is something the Raiders have control of.

This is on the coach, the coaching and conditioning staff. We didn't start well last year either. By round 14, we were 11th on the table and lost 5 in a row.

With the competition getting closer and each team can beat each other on their day (e.g. Wests over Penrith this year, Wests over Cowboys, Canterbury over Melbourne), not having a good start could mean missing the 8 or top 4.

HKR, Ricky's 'preparation plan' would have had some sense in bygone days to try to stop late season burn out. But in season 2023 there are three byes for time to rest and recuperate. The Raider byes were well timed and spaced being in Rounds 8, 16 and 20. This was a known factor prior to the season beginning. If the intention of the 'preparation' was to stop 'burn out' in the late season, well the results were not good for this theory. The Raiders lost 6 of our last 8 games - all loses against other Top 8 sides.

Here's hoping the Raiders coaching and conditioning staff will have learned and be primed to begin Round 1 in 2024 at a better level than 2023. It will be a tough start due to key players (Hors and Kris) being unavailable due to suspension and Papa an unknown. There is also the question of who fills the 5/8 and full back role to begin the new season. It ain't easy being green.

[greeneyed]

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart opens door for generation next

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is focusing on the next gen. Ethan Strange, Chevy Stewart, Xavier Savage and Kaeo Weekes all have the opportunity to put their hands up for the Green Machine's No.1 and No.6 jerseys.

"Over the next 12 months we're going to be transitioning into a new era," Stuart said. "We'll be losing 1000 games of NRL experience with Jarrod and Jack leaving this year, Elliott and Jordan being their last season in '24.

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

[RedRaider]

I don't know that Sticky will start the season with FG rookies in the 1 and 6. This gives me some hope that Xav will have an opportunity to get back into the 1 with Strange in 6. We will still be without HorsPower to start the season but Kris may be available now and hopefully if so, he is picked at left center.

Xav, Rapa, Timoko, Kris, Cotric, Strange, Fog, Mooney, Young, EW, Ata, Woolford, Taps - Starling, Papa, Guler, Puru.

[greeneyed]

Reading between the lines of the full comments. Stuart describes 2024 as the “last season” for Whitehead and Rapana without qualification… so no new final deals envisaged, appropriately.

Acknowledges there’ll be inconsistencies as young players develop. Tick. Different mind set. Mentions Savage had an awful year with injury and “disruptions off field”. Not sure what the disruptions bit means… but anyway, is in the picture. Hoping Stewart gets a taste of firsts next year is not suggesting Round 1. Ethan Strange sounds likely for No. 6 in Round 1. Still only hoping Weekes is signed. Performance in off season training decides who gets first opportunity.

[LimeGreenMachine]

It's not that we have much choice we have recruited sweet nothing.
It will be good to have the young guys get given a go but we wasted parts of this season not doing more towards that.

[Botman]

If the plan is for strange to be the 6, and short of signing someone between now and then I support that… it is imperative that he be the right half, and fog is switched to left
Especially if the club remains confident Sanders is coming.

[Bluesbrother]

It's a pretty exciting squad on potential. Hopefully the toughest preseason ever can galvanise the young blokes. The only concern I have is injuries and lack of experienced depth. It could work really well but they could also crumble and the season be a train wreck if injuries strike. Hopefully that can be offset by our experienced forward pack to mitigate too many blow outs.

[Raider47]

Reading between the lines of the full comments. Stuart describes 2024 as the “last season” for Whitehead and Rapana without qualification… so no new final deals envisaged, appropriately.

Acknowledges there’ll be inconsistencies as young players develop. Tick. Different mind set. Mentions Savage had an awful year with injury and “disruptions off field”. Not sure what the disruptions bit means… but anyway, is in the picture. Hoping Stewart gets a taste of firsts next year is not suggesting Round 1. Ethan Strange sounds likely for No. 6 in Round 1. Still only hoping Weekes is signed. Performance in off season training decides who gets first opportunity.

This sounds in line with what I have heard re:Savage. A few things off the field, compounded by injury. Is bizarre how we went all off him after 2022, so there must have been something more to it.

I'm guessing pre season will see a three way battle between Savage, Stewart and Weekes for fullback in Round 1 and I genuinely think they are all at a 33% chance as it stands.

Strange to be our 6.

I think I'm most concerned abour our 9. Maybe not in isolation, however when there is so much inexperience elsewhere in the spine we need our older head 9 to be dominant. No one is blowing the house down. My anticipation is Kiwi international Danny Levi will be at dummy half come Round 1 2024.

[Dusty]

Ethan Strange was training hard (cardio) with a few mates at the local park in Bateau Bay today


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