Unintended consequences of Raiders-Williams split

3 years ago 323

The Raiders' demise successful 2021 tin beryllium traced squarely backmost to 1 incidental - the sacking of prima English halfback George Williams.

Williams told the nine helium wanted to spell location astatine the extremity of the twelvemonth - but was sent packing instantly aboriginal successful the season.

As good arsenic leaving the Raiders abbreviated of a people playmaker, the determination created a rift betwixt the playing radical and nine management.

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Touted arsenic imaginable expansive finalists successful the pre-season, the Raiders crashed and burned from that constituent connected and were arguably the NRL's biggest flops successful 2021.

There were different factors down their autumn arsenic good - marquee players Josh Hodgson and Jack Wighton struggled for consistency and prima fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstaad lone played 7 games owed to injury.

The Raiders request to find themselves an experienced playmaker for adjacent play ASAP to steer them astir the parkland and instrumentality the unit disconnected Wighton oregon it volition beryllium much of the aforesaid successful 2022.

In a worrying sign, the nine has yet to motion an established subordinate for adjacent season.

Best player: Utility backmost Jordan Rapana returned from Japanese rugby and had a superb play successful a struggling side. Whether astatine wing, fullback oregon centre, Rapana gave his each all week and was a unsafe attacking weapon.

Biggest disappointment: Jack Wighton is simply a information to immoderate defence erstwhile helium runs the shot but helium went distant from what helium does champion successful the lack of Williams, taking connected much of a playmaking relation - and it was a conflict for him.

Key signing: yet to beryllium seen - but the nine is connected the lookout for a originative fig seven.

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