He may not get the same accolades as some of his more fancied team mates, but the ultra-consistent Jarrad Kennedy turned in his best season in the NRL to date in 2015.
Playing 23 of the Raiders possible 24 matches Kennedy gave Coach Ricky Stuart a valuable asset within the team, with Kennedy able to play in several different positions across the field depending on the team line-up each week.
His preferential place as an edge back rower is where Kennedy was most affective this season, as he developed a handy combination with his outside men. Defensively he had a strong season in this position as well.
With injury to outside backs during the season Kennedy was shifted into the centres on a few occasions for the Raiders, giving the team a relatively seamless transition when the Raiders would have otherwise had to shift their whole backline to accommodate the change.
When workhorse lock Shaun Fensom required some time on the sideline as he returned from a knee injury it was once again Kennedy who stepped up to cover the position, with his high work rate and fitness level giving the coaching staff the assurance of a continuous effort in the middle third of the field.
Kennedy averaged just under 10m for his 178 carries for the season, while he averaged 24 tackles, a huge effort considering his game time and positional changes throughout the year.
He faces another big test at the start of the 2016 season with the return of Sia Soliola from injury and the English import Elliott Whitehead’s arrival, but if Kennedy proved anything in 2015, it was he will continue to remain committed to the cause and fight for every minute on the field he can get.
Statistics:
Matches |
Runs |
Metres |
Tackles |
Tries |
Try Assists |
Tackle Breaks |
Offloads |
Line Breaks |
23 |
178 |
1634 |
572 |
4 |
1 |
21 |
6 |
4 |
