Raiders trio speak out

Canberra forwards David Shillington, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Bronson Harrison have spoken about their experiences in 2010 and the upcoming NRL season.

The trio all enjoyed superb seasons with the Raiders last year and were integral in helping the club reach the second round of the finals in 2010.

Shillington and Learoyd-Lahrs made appearances for Queensland and New South Wales respectively in the State of Origin Series as well as gaining caps for Australia in the Four Nations tournament.

Harrison meanwhile, was part of an all-conquering New Zealand squad that lifted the tournament trophy by beating the Kangaroos in the final.

“I came off the back of last year’s four nations with a calf tear and it hampered my pre-season so I’m already ahead of where I was this time last year,” Harrison said.

“The focus for me is to make sure I’m back to 100 per cent match fitness by kick-off and I’ve made sure I’ve kept in shape.”

Learoyd-Lahrs says he loved the experience gained while playing for his country.

“After a taste of international footy last year I’d love to get another shot and hopefully the same goes for NSW provided I can get picked,” Learoyd-Lahrs said.

“The first thing though is making sure I get my fitness and strength back to where it needs to be and obviously play well for the Raiders at the start of the season. If I can do that the other stuff will follow.”

David Shillington capped off a memorable season when he was named international prop of the year late in 2010 and he said for him 2011 is about continuing further at club level.

“It left a bitter taste in my mouth after the semi-final loss to the Tigers last year and I’d love to get the opportunity again this year to go further,” Shillington said.

“We know we’ve got the squad to get to where we need to be and hopefully its going to be a successful year.”