With the postseason now out of the Saskatchewan Roughrider’s control entering the final three weeks of the league’s regular season, many in Riderville have begun assessing the changes that need to be done in order for the green and white to not face a similar fate in the future.
Some have called for a change in leadership, including the team’s coaching staff after the Roughriders have emerged with a 6-10 record in 2022.
Head coach Craig Dickenson knows that he will have to face the music if his team is unable to make it into the postseason.
It was one of the things he discussed with Michael Ball on his weekly appearance on the SportsCage.
“Have I done as good of job as I hoped, no cause ultimately my job is to get that team to play above and beyond to what they think they’re capable of and the reality of it, we haven’t, we’ve underachieved this year.”
Even though things haven’t gone as planned this season in Saskatchewan, Dickenson is hopeful his resume of work with the Roughriders is enough to earn him another chance as head coach in 2023.
“I believe you earn your keep on a day to day basis, I’ve been around Craig (Reynolds) and Jeremy (O’Day) enough over the last four years that hopefully they see the work that we’ve put in as a staff, the comrade in the locker room, they’ve for the most part a pretty good group of men, not a lot of out of the field stuff, we’ve had a blip here and there, but for the most part they’re gentlemen and they’re good community people and the season didn’t go as planned. ”
Dickenson added that he is hoping the Rider decision makers believe that the coaching staff did every in their power to reverse their current five game losing streak.
The Riders head coach believes confidence is a big concern in the final two weeks of the season following a tough loss to Hamilton last Friday.
“That’s why I don’t like to say must win if I don’t have to, if you don’t win a must win game, what does that mean.”
With the Riders now facing a pair of must win games against the Stampeders, he believes his team must find a way to overcome the errors that they have committed on the field.
“We’re just making the same mistakes everybody else is making, we’re not just not good enough to overcome those mistakes right now. ”
Dickenson will be back on Monday’s edition of the SportsCage as the Riders prepare for the final home game of the season when they host the Stampeders next Saturday.
Fans can call or text in questions for the Riders head coach’s appearance on the SportsCage.
620 CKRM will have the final Roughrider home game of the year with the opening kickoff at 5:00.
