Round 20 BIG LEAGUE 2019 17
the NRL this season, gaining plenty of media
attention along the way.
“It’s quite flattering,” he says.
“I try not to dwell on that sort of stuff.
It can get a bit wishy-washy because one day
they’re praising you and the next they’re on
your back. I try not to look at it too much.”CAPITAL CONNECTION
Raiders veteran Sia Soliola says living in
Canberra has its advantages when it comes to
playing in the NRL. As well as being isolated
from other teams and the Sydney media, it’s
the perfect place for players to bond together.
“We’ve always had a good group and the
Canberra lifestyle really caters to that, being
a one-club town,” Soliola tells Big League.
“You have to be a part of it to fully
understand the culture of our club. It’s a really
good place and a great club to be a part of.”
The Raiders are a tight-knit group who
spend plenty of time together – both at home
and on the road. When they’re in the nation’s
capital, they hang out all the time – from FIFA
sessions to rounds of golf and even catching
up for brunch – but when they’re away, the
bonding goes to another level.
“When we’re at home we do a lot, but
when we have trips away – that’s when we
really see the magic happen,” he says.
“It’s really good to bond together and
that shows on the field. When we do trips away,
we really bind together in a positive way.
“We enjoy getting away together. We have
the opportunity to really bunker down. We’re
all moving towards a common goal.”
Take the past fortnight for example.
The squad road-tripped to western Sydney
on Saturday for their clash with Penrith
and stayed in Rooty Hill for the weekend
before jetting off to Auckland on Monday
for a week in New Zealand.
“I’ve been looking forward to this trip for
a while, not just to play my old team, but to
get away with the boys,” Nicoll-Klokstad says.
“I was sort of bantering with them saying
‘man, I’m going to spend every minute of
every day with you boys’. I love getting away
with the team and I think that’s why we’re
doing really well.”
Being close away from footy has led to
plenty of success on the field – especially
in defence, according to Nicoll-Klokstad.
Last season the Raiders conceded an
average of 22.5 points per week, while this
year they’ve reduced that number to 14.78.
“One hundred percent it helps [being close].
Those efforts on the field don’t happen unless
you want to work for your mates,” he says.By MICHAEL
BLOK
@michaelblok