Riders await final roster ahead of season opener
Three weeks of Saskatchewan Roughrider training camp came to an end Thursday afternoon, but tough decisions are still to be made when it comes to the team roster.
“We watched some guys very closely this last week, especially those two padded practice days, we wanted to see if anybody flashed and a few guys did make an impression and we’ll see how we go,” said head coach Craig Dickenson.
He said trimming the roster will be difficult, especially when it comes to receiver, offensive line and quarterback positions.
“They’ve got some tough decisions. I mean, we’ve got a lot of really great guys on the team from the offensive line room, quarterbacks, running backs, all the way on defence,” said offensive lineman Evan Johnson. “We’re gonna be a really good team, really competitive. We’re gonna play fast, hard.”
Quarterback Cody Fajardo said he has received the bad news call before, and he sympathizes with the players on the bubble.
“It’s a very stressful time to be one of those bubble guys and I don’t wish that on my worst enemy,” said Fajardo.
“It’s just you want to be a football player and you’ve worked so hard to get there and then, unfortunately, you get that call and it’s tough to stomach sometimes.”
Even with the pressure of cuts looming in the air, the players are feeling relief after weeks of hard work.
“It feels real good…we worked really good as a team, put a lot of good work on the field, so it feels nice to finally have it all finished up,” said running back Kienan LaFrance.
The decisions on cuts will be made Thursday night, and then coaches will go through the process of filling the team’s practice roster.
The Riders will hit the gridiron for practice on Monday to prep for their home opener against the BC Lions on Aug. 6.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.