Canberra’s most significant signing for 2022 may well be the man who helped Ariarne Titmus to Olympic glory in Tokyo.
The Raiders’ new Head of Performance Jeremy Hickmans has one of the most impressive resumes in Australian sport.
Hickmans helped the Broncos (2005) and Dragons (2010) to premiership glory alongside Wayne Bennett and also worked in the national netball league, in Women’s AFL – and with Swimming Australia at the Olympics.
“I’ve moved around the last few years but have always loved rugby league,” Hickmans told Wide World of Sports.
“I worked with (Raiders’ recruitment chief) Peter Mulholland at Newcastle and it (coming at Canberra) all came about when we were having a chat recently.
“I started earlier this week and can’t wait for the players to come back to training soon and get to work with them.”
Hickmans has a big job at the Raiders in 2022 after the club’s massive fall from grace last season.
Canberra was one of the big disappointments of 2021 and their second-half fadeouts were a recurring nightmare for coach Ricky Stuart and the Raiders’ faithful.
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But Hickmans is not one to point fingers or look to hand out blame.
“They are professional sportsmen and as such everyone is disappointed by what happened last season,” he said.
“It’s a common trait when a club is successful for a long time and then has a poor year.
“The only message I got is that there is a need for a change and that is what I am hoping to provide.
“The vibe I am getting in the place from the staff is very positive and when you have had a bad year, it can often be motivation to do better the next season.”
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