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5. Ricky Stuart

How sticky is Sticky?

Ricky might have to start making some big decisions soon. The Raiders have got rid of the big boppers and seem to be transitioning from a power team to a more mobile unit.

Can they adapt quickly?

Their entire game will need to change, they have a new look spine and are experimenting with a fullback shifting to a half, (the opposite of what's happening at the Dragons).

Stuart has had issues in the halves and it looks like they might be set to continue, just like Brown's experiment with Kalyn Ponga shifting to the 6 jersey, the shift of Jack Wighton and how him and Aidan Sezer work as halves will be vital for how Ricky's Raiders go this year.

They have a gun 9 but just like Parra they have basically a new spine that will need to come together quickly or they might start feeling the heat in Canberra early.

The Raiders feel like they're on the slide, their halves will be under enormous pressure and I think Ricky will be too.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 19: Raiders coach Ricky Stuart watches on during the round 23 NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the Sydney Roosters at GIO Stadium on August 19, 2018 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
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10 COMMENTS

  1. Lol…are you running out of things to write about ZT? Hasn’t this article already been done? I can remember an article much the same as this only a couple months ago…

  2. Hmmmm certainly not a blog from a bias tigers fan.
    I think you can add your coach to the list. He went well with a star studded bunnies squad. Let’s see how he goes with an average tigers squad.

  3. Nathan Brown might be first to go if the Knights donโ€™t start well. Heโ€™s already on notice that he needs to deliver a return to a winning culture or heโ€™s not going to be in charge of the team heโ€™s built. I think his strength is rebuilding a clubs roster ,but he isnโ€™t a great strategist or motivator.

  4. The amount of coaches the Tigers have burnt through over the last decade I can’t see then turfing another one soon. I think he’s a lot safer than some.

  5. Stuart has been the luckiest coach in the NRL for the past decade.
    He has only made the Finals once in the last 10 seasons. Only year was back in 2016 where the Raiders should have made the GF no thanks to butter fingers Ed Lee. I honestly believe if the Raiders did make the 2016 GF they wouldโ€™ve beaten the Sharks they did twice in 2016 already.

  6. Yeah Stuart has to be on shaky ground, the Raiders don’t look like there’s much upside there either. The Wighton switch seems like a move just try something different, but it feels a little like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

  7. I appreciate your comment.
    Yeah there’s a few ways you could rank them.
    I tried to put them in order of who I think has the most expectation.

    With the latest fiasco going on at Penrith, I think I nailed Cleary at no 1 ๐Ÿ˜‰

Comments are closed.