Raiders’ big guns to playCANBERRA Raiders coach David Furner insists his players are sick and tired of slogging it out at training – they’re ready to play.
Speaking to The Daily Advertiser yesterday, Furner said the Raiders are chomping at the bit to take the field for its first NRL trial game against Melbourne Storm in Albury on February 11.
“I think at this point the players really look forward to the trials, they’re probably sick of being hammered on the field for nothing,” he said yesterday.
“Even though they’ve only been out of the game for three or four months I think they forget what the contact side of it feels like.
“They start to look forward to opening up the season and getting into it every week.
“(Trials) are what I call a necessary evil.
“They show you what you’ve put into a pre-season and you can see it unfold.”
With less than a fortnight to go until the round one preview bout with Storm at Lavington Sportsground, Furner has started compiling the squad.
After playing only eight minutes of last season, Raiders hero Terry Campese is set to make his highly anticipated return to the field on the night.
Furner said he will make the decision whether to back up All Stars Josh Dugan, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Travis Waddell and Joel Thompson following the game at Skilled Park on Saturday night.
“We’ll be getting our main players down there, the only concern being guys that play the All Stars game the week before.
“But Campese, Dugan, Learoyd-Lahrs, Bronson Harrison, Josh McCrone, Joel Thompson – those are the sorts of players that spectators can expect to see,” he said.
The Raiders will follow up with its second and final trial game against Canterbury Bulldogs in Wagga at Equex Park on February 18. Furner said the trials will go a long way to ensuring the Raiders enjoy an improved NRL season after narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon last year.
“What I do know is that we’ll have a well drilled side where we’re getting as much out of games as possible and hopefully we make it through healthy and well,” he said.
“I think injuries are a part of the game, it’s the nature of it, but last year we probably had more than a lot of other clubs in key positions. But in saying that you also have to look at the opportunities given to the likes of Sam Williams and Josh Papalii who probably wouldn’t have pushed for first grade otherwise.”
Source: The Daily Advertiser
Topic: Raiders’ Set To Unleash Big Guns On Storm In Albury Trail
