Jamal Fogarty has opened up on being the new chief playmaker in Canberra, the players vying to replace Jack Wighton and his relationship with coach Ricky Stuart.
Wighton’s departure to the Rabbitohs has ushered in a new era at the Raiders, with recruit Kaeo Weekes and Ethan Strange bidding to join Fogarty in the halves.
In a wide-ranging interview with foxsports.com.au Fogarty lifted the lid on his new playmaker partners, the pressure of owning the team and the big moments and why his coach is misunderstood.
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PLAYERS IN LINE TO FILL WIGHTON VOID
Jack Wighton’s departure to Souths has left a huge hole with Kaeo Weekes and Ethan Strange battling it out for the No.6 jersey and Fogarty shared equal time with the pair in pre-season.
“This is the question on everyone’s lips and in the pre-season I have trained with multiple combinations,” Fogarty told foxsports.com.au.
“I have had a full week with Kaeo Weekes and then the next week it might be Ethan Strange and then the next week it is back to Kaeo, so it has really been mixed.
“Sticky has been doing that on purpose even with our hookers. We will have three different scrimmages and I will have three different dummyhalves and I will have Kaeo and Ethan chopping and changing at No.6.
“It is just about trying to find the combination that Sticky wants and at the end of the day by Round 1 it is up to Sticky who he thinks the best combination is.
“I don’t really have a preference. They are both different and they bring different strengths to our team. It just depends on what style of footy we want to play.”
Weekes at just 22 has played 12 games of NRL for Manly mainly at fullback, but Fogarty believes that could help him offer something different in the halves.
“Kaeo just has that raw speed,” Fogarty said.
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“He has got the fullback skill-set to go with it where he can use his pace and footwork to beat defenders and he has got a nice pass. He has actually got a nice little kicking game as well.”
Strange at 19 debuted for the Raiders last year, but has impressed in the trials and his running game and defence has caught Fogarty’s eye.
“Ethan has probably got a little bit more flair. He likes to step and try and beat defenders and use his running game as a strength.
“Ethan is very strong and that’s probably why he can’t relax. He has just got that awkward strength about him and he uses that with his footwork and his speed as well.
“He is a pretty solid and aggressive defender, where as Kaeo probably doesn’t have that bigger body to be aggressive and defends similar to me in staying connected to his edges to help him out.
“They are both very different, but they both have strengths that are going to benefit our team.
“It has been really enjoyable training alongside them. It makes my job a bit easier where I can just look after the middles and then they tell me what they want and when they want it.
“It helps that they are playing on the left edge with Hudson Young and Seb Kris outside them, so they have an edge that is going to look after them and help them through those periods.”
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BEING THE NEW MAIN MAN
Halfback is considered one of the most important positions in rugby league and Wighton’s departure means the keys to the Raiders team have been passed on to Fogarty.
While the mantle of main man doesn’t sit well with him, Fogarty by the same token isn’t shying away from the extra responsibility.
“It probably doesn’t sit very well with myself,” Fogarty said.
“We have got some wonderful players in our team, so I wouldn’t say I’m the biggest name or anything like that.
“But I think I need to use my experience because I have been here a couple of years. I have just got to be the voice of the spine and our hookers are going to play a big part in helping me out there with one of the younger fellas playing No.6.
“It is a challenge for myself to be consistently good at it and to make sure I am doing all the right things for myself, which is going to take a bit of pressure off our young five-eighth.”
In a bid to get himself ready to lead the team in 2024, Fogarty specifically asked coach Ricky Stuart to be harder on him at training in a bid to get the best out of himself for the team.
“I think I need to own the big moments,” Fogarty said.
“I need to ensure that when I’m kicking the ball I am putting us in a great position and doing that consistently week after week.
“I can’t do it good for one or two games and then go missing for a couple of games after.
“It is just about owning those bigger moments and taking control of the team and that is something I really pride myself on, so that is going to be the challenge for myself.
“I had a chat with Sticky in the pre-season and I said I need you to be a bit harsher on me at training and the things I am not doing so well I need you to jump on that and make sure I am trying to be consistently good at training.
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“If I can do it at training and I am getting a good combination with the halves and the spine and my edge, I think that is going to transfer to the games.
“It is a long season, but I would like to have a nice foundation at the start of the season I can build on.”
But rather than ranting and raving, Stuart’s influence has been on developing the finer points of Fogarty’s game with a mixture if insight and encouragement.
“At certain times I have felt the heat,” Fogarty said.
“He likes to tip me up on a couple of things here and there. I have been doing a lot of one-on-one videos with him and just trying to pick his brain and what he wants from me.
“He’s the head coach and he looks at football a lot different to what I look at, so that’s why I like him cutting my clips and showing me other things that I am missing.
“It is just about having that open relationship with him where we can ask questions and talk it out.”
THE REAL RICKY STUART
Ricky Stuart is one of the most polarising figures in rugby league, but Fogarty believes his fiery persona on game day comes down to his unrivalled passion for the game and care for his players.
“He rides us a little bit when he needs to, he kicks us up the bum and puts us on the straight and narrow,” Fogarty said.
“But when we are declined and a little bit fatigued he puts his arm around us and gives us a bit of a cuddle.
“He is someone that is just so caring. He cares about his players away from training. He checks up on them.
“You can tell when Sticky has had a good night’s sleep or he is having a good day because he comes in the morning being real cheeky and throws a few sledges around to the younger players, which makes them relax a bit.”
Fogarty revealed a moment with his family at training that sums up the side to Stuart most people on the outside looking in don’t see.
“He is very caring for example the other day I left my lunch at home and my wife and girls brought it into training and he goes over and says hello to them and makes them feel very welcome,” Fogarty said.
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“That is the Ricky Stuart that I see all the time. Someone that is caring and goes out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable and at home.
“And as a football coach he is just so passionate. That is probably the one word that describes him so well. He is passionate with everything we do.
“He is down on the sidelines. He is jumping up and down like a five-year-old kid in a chocolate shop.
“Then pre-game and post game he is always trying to get the best out of us and at training he is like that as well.
“To split him into two as a coach he is very passionate, but then as a human being I think he is very caring.”
There is no shortage of pressure on Fogarty to keep the Raiders in the finals hunt this season, but Stuart’s approach has been to relax, settle and empower his key man.
“There is a lot on my shoulders going into the season and we both know that,” Fogarty said.
“But if we can work together and share each other’s ideas and get on the same page early, then at least we know what is going to happen moving forward and how we want to play.
“That makes it a lot easier. He has got a vision for me this year in what we want it to look like, so that is a good place to start.”
RAIDERS FOR LIFE
Fogarty re-signed with the Raiders late last year with an extension that will take him through until the end of 2026 when he will be 33.
Whether or not this is his last contract in the NRL, Fogarty hopes to finish his career with the Green Machine.
“To be honest I don’t want to play for another NRL club,” Fogarty said.
“I love being here in Canberra. The boys have made me feel so welcome since I have been here.
“That probably came down to Jack Wighton. The first time I came down he introduced me and my family to his and we got on so well.
“Having him to be that person to introduce me to all the other boys and then learning about the place and the coaching staff.
“It is very easy going. I like that it is slow and steady. There is no traffic. Everywhere is 20 minutes to go and it is just nice and steady for us as a family.
“I love the people at our club and when you have got that you don’t want to leave it, so it is just about being happy with good people around me.
“I would definitely like to retire here. That is a goal of mine to play here as long as I can and if the body is no good and I have to retire, then I’d be happy to see my days out here at Canberra.”
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