The Raiders will improve in 2016 but only if they get creative

MATTHEW JOHNS SCOUTING REPORT: I’m certain the Raiders will improve but improvement doesn’t necessarily equate to finals football. The key to how well they do lies in the creative spine.

LIKE the Parramatta Eels, I’m certain the Raiders will improve. But quite a number of teams which missed last year’s finals will improve to varying degrees.

Improvement doesn’t necessarily equate to finals football. You can see Ricky Stuart enjoys coaching this team. He has a good mix of youth and experience, and his players are tough, honest and defend with plenty of energy.

The pack is formidable. Young front-rower Shannon Boyd is one of the biggest men in the NRL, while Paul Vaughan is big, fast and looks to be a representative player.

The Raiders have one of their best squads yet.

Frank-Paul Nuuausala gave them plenty of punch last year and Josh Papalii got back to his damaging best when fit.

Add new and experienced buy Jeff Lima to that pack and it’s clear they are going to be a handful through the centre of the field. I wonder, though, if the size of the Raiders’ pack will disadvantage them because of the interchange reduction and the fact games will speed up? Time will tell.

The key to how significant their improvement will be lies in the creative spine.

Jack Wighton is a huge talent and it’s time for him to have the type of season which transforms players of great potential into superstars. A big year from him at fullback is vital.

Ricky has a trio of halves, Sam Williams, Blake Austin and new buy Aidan Sezer.

Austin had a huge 2015 and will be either in the No.6 or No.7, depending on who Ricky goes with, Sezer or Williams.

Aidan Sezer will be key to Raiders success this year.

Sezer plays a similar game to Austin, while Williams is more of an organiser.

I get the feeling Ricky will go with Austin and Sezer as his first choice.

At dummy-half, the Raiders have plenty of choices as well in Englishman Josh Hodgson, livewire Kurt Baptiste, and good pick-up Adam Clydesdale from Newcastle.

This is a good side but in my opinion one which is still 12 months and a class player away from the finals.

Aidan Sezer will be key to Raiders success this year.

BEST 13

1 Jack Wighton 2 Edrick Lee 3 Jarrod Croker 4 Joey Leilua 5 Sisa Waqa 6 Blake Austin 7 Aidan Sezer 8 Frank-Paul Nuuausala 9 Josh Hodgson 10 Paul Vaughan 11 Josh Papalii 12 Sia Soliola 13 Shaun Fensom. Interchange: 14 Kurt Baptiste 15 Elliott Whitehead 16 Jarrad Kennedy 17 Shannon Boyd

INS

Aidan Sezer (Gold Coast Titans), Elliot Whitehead (Catalan Dragons), Adam Clydsdale (Newcastle Knights), Jeff Lima (Catalans Dragons), Zac Santo (Cowboys)

OUTS

David Shillington (Gold Coast Titans), Andrew Heffernan (Penrith Panthers), Mark Nicholls (Melbourne Storm), Joel Edwards (Wests Tigers), Dane Tilse (Hull KR), Bill Tupou (Wakefield), Mitchell Cornish (Parramatta Eels), Kyle O’Donnell (retirement), Josh McCrone (St George Illawarra Dragons), Jeremy Hawkins (Melbourne Storm), Jack Ahearn (Redcliffe Dolphins), Mitchell Cronin (Wynnum Manly), Glen Buttriss (Mounties)

DRAW

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Originally published as The Raiders will improve in 2016 but only if they get creative