By Jamie Nye

Battle to replace Fantuz and Bagg begins on day one of training camp

Jun 6, 2011 | 6:56 AM

The Saskatchewan Roughriders edition of the Canadian Air Force is looking for new members. Stars of the corps of the 2010 group of Canadian receivers won't be catching footballs this season, which leaves the team with job openings.

You'd have to live under a rock in Saskatchewan if you didn't know two key non-import receivers are not going to be in the lineup this season for two very different reasons.

Andy Fantuz is off the NFL, whenever they decide to play football, and Rob Bagg will start the year on the nine-game injured list after re-injuring his right knee a week before training camp.

That means current members of the Force, Chris Getzlaf and Jason Clermont, are looking for there fellow non-imports, Obed Cetoute and Jordan Sisco to step up and carry the torch, all though the shoes they have to fill may be a few sizes too big.

Fantuz was the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian in 2010 and Rob Bagg was gunning for his first 1,000 yard season before his season ending injury in the middle of October.

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Just take it from the man who distributes the football on how hard it will be to replace the two receivers, “(Andy) was a beast at receiver, so it's going to take a group effort to replace a guy like that. Also Robbie, a lot of people don't give Rob (Bagg) the credit that he deserves, he was one of the best receivers on our team so we definitely miss him too,” explained quarterback Darian Durant after his first practice without two of his favourite targets.

Durant conceded that he told teammate Weston Dressler that he missed his 'boy' out there, in Andy Fantuz, but knows they have to move on and try to get better without the receiver.

This is Obed Cetoute's fourth season in the CFL and second in Saskatchewan but he feels like he can't go into camp thinking he has to be Andy Fantuz or Rob Bagg to make the team, “They each have their own style and I have my own style so the main thing to me is just being productive for the team, so wherever they put me at I have to productive.”

“We're never going to replace Andy Fantuz or Bagg, it's just going to be a new guy stepping in and doing what he does as a football player,” stated Jordan Sisco after his first day of training camp, “I don't think anyone is worried about replacing them and being Fantuz or Bagg, (the team) is just going to pick the best guy.”

The team says they may go with two starting Canadian receivers, rather than the three or four they could put on the football field at one time last year, which gives the edge to veteran Riders Chris Getzlaf and Jason Clermont. The most important thing for the new receivers, whether they be an import or non-import, is trying to develop the chemistry with the quarterback.

After day one of training camp, receivers coach Bob Dyce pointed out that Cary Koch, Terrence Nunn and Efrem Hill stood out.

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