It’s hardly the ideal preparation.
The Raiders have dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the past 72 hours.
The mid-week axing of coach David Furner has rocked the club as they prepare for perhaps the most important game of their season on Sunday afternoon.
But it’s a historical trend that seems to bring the best out of a club that have lost their coach mid-season.
Following the dismissal of Cowboys coach Neil Henry last month, North Queensland have yet dropped a game and the Sea Eagles insist they aren’t about to become the latest victim of an opposition’s coaching dilemmas.
“It can probably go two ways,” lock forward Glenn Stewart said. “They can get right up for the game or maybe they are not interested, and we are not preparing for that so we will be ready for a battle.
“Look at the Cowboys how they are going. It seems to bring the best out of sides and they want to prove everybody wrong.”
As Canberra sit on the cusp of the eight having lost their previous three matches, the Sea Eagles are wary of a fired up Raiders outfit who, at times, can be unpredictable and hard to contain when on song.
Manly hooker Matt Ballin conceded that Furner’s discharge from the nation’s capital wasn’t going to have an affect on his side’s mentality. The Sea Eagles will move to ensure they stay in touch with the Storm in third position with a win on Sunday.
But while the Sea Eagles are preparing as per normal, Ballin admits he is cautious of the Raiders and believes losing their coach could ignite a prompt return to form as they look to impress interim coach Andrew Dunemann.
“We haven’t changed out mindset. We have to be very good when we go down there and they are hard to beat at home. That’s basically what we are sticking with,” Ballin said.
“Loosing their coach is a good motivation and they’ll want to play well and make a good impact for their new coach.”
Despite the circumstances in Canberra, former Raider Brenton Lawrence is adamant his new side will stay focused after emphasising the importance of getting out to a good start as finals footy approaches.
“Could be anything really. I’m not too sure what to expect from the Raiders but either way I’m sure they will band together and come out strong but we’ve been coming out strong in every game we’ve played as well,” Lawrence said.
Source: http://www.seaeagles.com.au/news-display/Sea-Eagles-wary-of-Raiders-reaction/82657
Topic: Sea Eagles wary of Raiders' reaction
