The rumblings started late last year but now its been all but confirmed that Trent Barrett wants to end his stint in Super League and head back home to the NRL for what is being called one last season.
Why anyone would want to sign Barrett for just one year is beyond me, but there are a number of stupid clubs in the NRL so you can’t count these things out.
Barrett has been linked with a return to the St George/Illawarra Tampons (See what I mean about stupid clubs!) and the Cronulla Sharks, but one of the more interesting thoughts is that he may end up playing for the Canberra Raiders.
I think if Barrett comes back, he’ll play for more than one season. He’s had a couple of easy years over in the UK to fatten up his bank account and he’ll enjoy being back in a true competition against the games best.
There are a number of very long winded links being used to connect Barrett to various clubs, however it seems that with former coach Ian Millward possibly heading to Canberra as an assistant coach (No NRL club wants him as a head coach!) and with some of Barretts family living close to Canberra, he could end up in Raider green next year.
It would be good for the club if they were able to attract Barrett. They have struggled to attract any quality players to the national capital and have had to rely on signing youngsters, or players released by other clubs because of off field problems.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Raiders. They were one of my favorite teams growing up and their 1994 Grand Final win is one of my favorite Grand Finals.
They have a good base down there with some good young players, they just need to get one or two good additions and they would be a rotten side for anyone to face.
They also have a loyal fan base as well.
Lets face it, the weather in Canberra is shit, the club has been gutted and ripped apart. They have had seasons where they have played extremely boring football, they have been unable to sign anyone that would excite a fan for years, their jersey and logo has been changed and yet the Raiders fans keep tunring up.
In fact, any time the Raiders even look like playing in a good game, they turn up in very good numbers no matter what the weather is like.
So I have my fingers crossed that Barrett heads to the A.C.T. It would be a great boost for the club and hopefully be a sign that the dark days of the Matthew Elliott era are officially over.
