Centres of attention: Clark’s absence leaves Riders with void to fill

For the first time in 10 seasons, Saskatchewan Roughriders fans will be looking at an offensive line that won’t have Dan Clark as its starting centre.

The Riders decided not to bring the veteran back this season after he missed the majority of last year with a broken leg.

Filling the void left by Clark’s departure will be tough to do, but Peter Godber and Logan Bandy will have to try to do just that.

The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Bandy, who’s entering his second CFL season with the Riders, was inserted into action in 2022 after Clark went down with his injury in the season opener.

Godber, meanwhile, is entering his fifth CFL season and his first with the Riders. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder, a former third-round pick of the B.C. Lions in 2018, signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent in the off-season.

Godber says when it comes to competing for a starting job, he’s just focused on himself right now.

“Dan Clark is a legend. I’m not comparing myself to Dan Clark, I’m Peter Godber, so I’m just focusing on being myself and being how I am,” Godber said after a training camp workout in Saskatoon.

Bandy says he’s looking forward to the competition at the position.

“There’s a battle every year. It doesn’t matter who is in front of you or beside you, but it’s really exciting having something to shoot for,” he explained.

While Bandy says it’s a little weird not seeing Clark in the locker room or on the field at training camp, he feels from what he has seen so far that others have been trying to help fill the void.

“He’s a big presence, so as soon as you lose a presence like that, you’re looking to fill it,” Bandy said. “We have a really good room and guys are stepping up into that leadership role, but it’s really not the same without Dan there.”

There will be a new centre in Riderville this summer and also a new quarterback.

Godber notes it’ll be nice to have Trevor Harris under centre as the club’s starting quarterback, especially after he saw first-hand what it was like to play with last year’s most outstanding Canadian, quarterback Nathan Rourke, in B.C.

“We had a veteran O-line there and then we had Nathan. Nathan was 23 to 24 years old, but it was like we had a 30-year-old quarterback,” Godber explained. “There’s a lot of similarities between Trevor and Nathan – great leaders and great guys.”

Godber feels his five years of experience in the CFL will help bring confidence to the offensive line.

While they’ll be fighting for a starting job, Bandy mentioned he’s excited to learn from another CFL veteran like Godber.

“He brings a different experience. For me, it’s kind of learning from Dan to learning from Peter,” Bandy said. “He’s seen a lot of different football from what Dan did, so for me, it’s just being a sponge and soaking up all that knowledge he’s sharing with me.”

Given how much change has taken place on the Riders’ offensive line, Bandy added he’s excited for the challenge.

“It’s a big change,” he stated. “(There’s) lots of turnover. We had a hard time last year, so it’s good to get back to work. This group is working hard and it’s good to see a group showing up and ready to perform every day.”

He also noted the players in the locker room aren’t focusing on what went wrong last year, when the Roughriders surrendered a league-high 77 sacks en route to a 6-12-0 record.

“I’m focusing on day by day,” Bandy said. “We’re not focusing on the media and last year was last year. This is a totally new year for us, so we’ve put that behind us.”