Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
Saturday was the deadline for CFL teams to make their final roster cuts before the beginning of the 2013 regular season. The Tiger-Cats parted way with nine players on Saturday, with nine more being designated to the practice roster, and several others designated as injured. Head Coach Kent Austin held a short practice on Sunday, and spoke to the media about the cuts afterwards.
“It’s never easy making these cuts,” he said. “You’re talking about players’ lives and careers, and if you have any heart in the matter it’s not easy to deliver that news, but it has to be done.”
Quarterback Henry Burris had great things to say about the squad that Austin has selected, praising the team’s depth all the way down to the practice roster.
“Our second string units we believe could be starting anywhere else in this league, and the fact that they’re here, we’re very lucky to have them” he said.
“We cut a lot of talented players, and that goes to show the depth we have here on this team.”
But now that cuts have been made, the focus in Hamilton shifts to this Friday, and to the first game of the 2013 regular season, when the Tiger-Cats will travel to the Rogers Centre to take on the Argonauts.
As the defending Grey Cup champions, the Argonauts will certainly pose a challenge for opening night, but veteran linebacker Jamall Johnson believes that his team will be up to the challenge.
“I like the direction this team is headed,” he said. “The coaching staff has given all of us the tools we need to succeed, and I think we have a lot of challenge on not only this defence, but on this team as a whole. We’re looking forward to the Toronto game.”
Burris was also excited about beginning the regular season this week against the Argos.
“Toronto are the Grey Cup Champions, they’re our rival in the East just down the street, and we dropped a couple heartbreakers to them last year,” said Burris. “Yeah, we’ll be looking forward to Friday.”
With the roster mostly finalized for the regular season, the Tiger-Cats must now look forward in order to begin the 2013 on the right foot. If the preseason was any indication, the Ticats look to be competitive this season, and a win against the 2012 Grey Cup Champions on opening night would certainly open some eyes around the league.
“In Toronto’s mind, they’re going to come out there and try to prove that what we did in preseason was a fluke, that they still have supremacy in this division,” said Burris. “Right now we want to change that. This is a huge game.”
