Raiders continue to grow for the future
May 16th 2008 09:32
Shillington will prove more than valuable for the Raiders next season
Canberra have continued their rebuilding phase by signing Sydney Roosters prop David Shillington for four years.
Due to salary cap restraints, Shillington felt it was time to move on after seven years at Bondi Junction.
While the Roosters will rue the likes of Tupou and Shillington leaving the club, The Raiders are now building nicely for 2009.
The Roosters forward is just once piece of a very large puzzle that Canberra are looking to complete for next season.
With David Furner taking over Neil Henry's post starting next season, big renovations are being made at a club where some of rugby league's finest made their names.
Although there is no Ricky Stuart, Mal Meninga or Laurie Daley, the Raiders are slowly but surely fighting their way back from finals obscurity.
They have the most inexperienced roster of all the 16 NRL teams and have been wooden spoon favourites at the beginning of each season since 2006.
Although they have surprised many by avoiding that dreaded honour, a club with the rich history of the Raiders will not stay in the wilderness for long.
There is talent brewing in the nations capital and it won't be long before we see the green machine back to where they were a decade ago.
Canberra have been by far the unluckiest team in season 2008 with so many injuries striking senior players.
To make things worse, most of these setbacks always seem to be season ending.
In the end the Raiders are virtually down to the bones of their player roster hence their poor results in recent seasons.
These are hard times for a famous and pride club but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
At full strength the Raiders have been known to cause severe problems to any opposition. On their day, they can be very lethal and there have been times this season that they have looked superb.
Raiders half and messiah Todd Carney is in good form so far this season and he has shown enough to suggest that he his representative material in the not too distant future.
Only time will mend any insecurities that the Raiders have left and when everything is complete, Canberra will have a rugby league side that will dominate once again.
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