NRL 2022 Coaching clipboard sessions: Ricky Stuart on Canberra Raiders’ tough questions

He may have played only two games last season but Ricky Stuart was so impressed by Xavier Savage’s impact that he’s thrown him into the battle for one of the most important positions on the field.

It was a case of so close, yet so far away for the Canberra Raiders in 2021. The Green machine finished the season with the same amount of points as the eighth-placed Titans - but had to settle for 10th position with an inferior for-and-against. The departure of halfback George Williams has paved the way for the Raiders to sign organising halfback Jamal Fogarty from the Gold Coast while Nick Cotric is back in green after a stint at Canterbury. Fogarty’s combination with star five-eighth Jack Wighton, who struggled to find his best form in 2021, will be crucial for the Raiders.

Coach Ricky Stuart tells DAVID RICCIO why Canberra will improve in 2022, how Fogarty has settled in and why the club made the decision to sign Adam Elliott from the Bulldogs.

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DR: Ricky, the most significant change for the Raiders in 2022 is you have a new halfback in Jamal Fogarty from the Gold Coast. How has he settled in and what attracted you to him?

RS: “From day one, he’s fit straight into our program and the players. He has set himself up in Canberra with his children at school, he’s been a pleasure to work with.

DR: His job will be to run the team and let Jack Wighton play his natural running game, I would assume Ricky?

RS: “That’s something we’re still working on.’’

DR: Talking to the Titans staff, they described Jamal as a terrific on-field communicator. Have you found that also?

RS: “He’s a really good talker and that is exactly what is needed as a half. He played a game of golf with Andrew Bishop (Raiders welfare manager) the other day and he made a comment that Jamal talks on his backswing - so by that, he doesn’t mind a chat.”

After cutting ties with George Williams in 2021, the Raiders have high hopes for Jamal Fogarty in 2022. Picture: Jason O'Brien

DR: Just on Wighton, what one thing do you want to see from him in 2022?

RS: “I just want him to have fun and enjoy his footy.’’

DR: It was a big call by the club to bring in Adam Elliott given his off-field discrepancies. But I understand the club did a lot of homework on him before making the call to sign him.

RS: “Yeah, we did. We took a lot into consideration. We are a club that stands strong on our values and standards, but we’re also a club that will give people an opportunity of redemption as well. Adam knows it’s his last crack. Getting him closer to his family (from Bega) is also quite a significant positive for him. “

DR: Will you use him as an edge backrower or as a middle forward?

RS: “He’s got the ability to both, so he could spend some time in either position.’’

Stuart says Adam Elliott is on his last chance in the NRL at Canberra.

DR: Losing Bailey Simonsson to the Eels and picking up Nick Cotric from the Bulldogs, do you feel comfortable that’s the right move for the club and the two players?

RS: “What’s occurred is a positive for both boys. Bailey’s girlfriend lives and works in Sydney and they are obviously very close, so that certainly helps his personal relationship and he’s got a really good opportunity to play first grade at a good, strong club. With Nick, he’s coming home.

DR: You firmly believe getting back to Canberra will reinvigorate his football?

RS: “I’d like to think he can get back to where he was (as a NSW Origin representative). He had an unlucky season with injury at the Dogs and I think he’d feel very fortunate to be able to come back home to try and find the form of when he was an international and Origin winger.

Stuart says young gun Xavier Savage is a chance of starting the season at fullback.

DR: Teenage rookie Xavier Savage was a shining light in just the two games that he played 2021. Is he battling with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad for the fullback position?

RS: “He’s got the ability to play fullback and wing. But, yes, he will be in the battle for the fullback spot. I’ve said throughout my coaching career you need competition in spots to bring the best out in players.”

DR: Did Xavier’s performances surprise you?

RS: “No, he didn’t surprise me. He’s certainly got talent. He’s just a young boy who has to learn how to train, learn what it takes to be an NRL player and to play consistently. It’s about building his mindset and building his physicality.

DR: Your captain Jarrod Croker has undergone stem-cell surgery on his knee. How’s his progression and when will we see him back in the NRL?

RS: “We’ve given Jarrod all the time he needs in getting his body back to peak condition to compete at an NRL level and playing to his standards. At this stage, he’s aiming to be fit for round one.’’

DR: Finally Ricky, the Raiders missed out on playing finals footy in 2021. How confident are you of rectifying that in 2022?

RS: “We’re too good a football team for us to repeat last year and we’ll turn it around.’’

Originally published as NRL 2022 Coaching clipboard sessions: Ricky Stuart on Canberra Raiders’ tough questions