The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be finishing off training camp with their usual Green and White game Saturday
The game-like scrimmage allows fans to get an early glimpse of the team, but more importantly it gives players on the bubble the chance to crack the roster.
Head Coach Craig Dickenson says the game will hopefully give the coaching staff the information they need in order to make their final roster.
“We know for the most part the veterans that are going to make this team, and I think every team is in the same boat. What we’re hoping to see is separation between those guys that are really close,” said Dickenson. “We just need more information right now; we’ve been practicing for three weeks now and everything’s too close to call. You need something, either a scrimmage, or a pre-season game to show us who our depths going to be, and who those guys are that we keep from the new guys.”
Dickenson says it also allows the coaches to shake off some of the game day rust after not playing in almost two years.
“It gives us a dry run at the game day operations, and it gives us as coaches the chance to get back into the groove a little bit,” said Dickenson. “For me personally, it gives me the chance to start working on game management, managing that clock and getting a feel for the game. I think it’s going to be important for not just players, but for coaches to have a good day.”
With there being no preseason games on the CFL schedule this year, Dickenson says picking players will be tougher with the limited sample size.
“There’s certain players that when the lights are on in a game-like atmosphere, they just excel, and those are the situations you’re not going to see this year,” said Dickenson. ‘I think you’re going to make a possible mistake on a guy because there’s not that preseason that allows you to separate the guys that are very close, so you just have to do the best you can, makes our jobs a little tougher.”
Dickenson says one bonus about this season is the expanded practice roster which makes sure more players who deserve a spot get one.
The Green and White game goes Saturday afternoon at 3:00 pm.
