In the pre-season it looked as though the Raiders would be serious title contenders. They had the roster, the coach and a big home ground advantage.
Fast forward 11 rounds and this is a club in crisis.
They sit 11th with just four wins and have just lost their halfback, and Ricky Stuart spends more time delivering ridiculous excuses in press conferences than he does anything else.
Not to mention their captain stepping down and recently admitting perhaps he needs to move on.
Simply put, they need to make some signings to re-launch in 2022.
They're not in a re-build as they still have a side capable of doing great damage, but they need a sprinkling of players to re-energize the squad.
Below are five players I believe they SHOULD target. These are just personal opinions and I have no information as to whether they're talking to players past what has made the papers.
That said, I have tried to keep it realistic. For instance, I'm not suggesting they can go out and lure Cameron Smith out of retirement.
Let us know in the comments below who you think the Green Machine need to target.
5. Matt Ikuvalu
Jordan Rapana is 31, while Bailey Simonsson hasn't lived up to the expectation just yet. Semi Valemei looks a prospect but is still raw. I believe the Raiders should look at another option at wing.
Daniel Tupou is available and would slot right in, however Ikuvalu guarantees you plenty of tries without breaking the bank. At very least he adds pressure to the two first-choice wing options.
Ikuvalu has 17 tries in 29 appearances and at only 27 has plenty of footy ahead of him. Again, in a side looking for the final pieces, he presents great value.
Stuart may want a bigger name if he displaces his current stocks but Ikuvalu isn't going to come in and demand big money or demand to be selected every week. Solid squad signing in a position that has been an issue in 2021.
