BY DAN

The Canberra Raiders announced recently that they would be keeping Albert Hopoate for another two years.

It’s part of a process of putting together their future squads. With the vast majority of the top 30 either on the market or outright off contract over the next six months the Raiders have a unique opportunity to remake their squad in their perceived image of success. To that end Jordan Rapana and Emre Guler have been confirmed to have extended their time at the club, Hudson Young has all-but-signed for a substantial deal, and negotiations continue with Corey Horsburgh. Brad Schneider has been identified as a recruitment priority, a part of the overall search for Jack Wighton’s replacement.

Hopoate is a small segment of this strategy. In situations like this teams and fans can get myopically focused on the big fish. Names like Young and Horsburgh, or whoever the name is that takes over at six next season can be cornerstones of a franchise. But regardless of the level of status or pay the key goal of this process is to find players that provide maximum value for minimal cost. You can do that by paying a star big money and having them produce even beyond that; or you can make sure you get the most out of the small pay packets in your roster. Ideally both; these two aren’t conflicting. It’s all part of talent identification, development and deployment.

While obviously no star Hopoate is a prime example of outplaying his contract. He came to Canberra in what we called a “typical Peter Mulholland play”:

Find a distressed talent that another team is giving up on and bank on Sticky’s structures and the beautiful Canberra climate to ensure he reaches his potential. It’s smart management, and something the Raiders have made a speciality of over the years.

Here

Since then it’s been nothing but gravy. While when he arrived there had been a perception (one we shared) of him as a budding star, a punt on what might be, what has emerged is something less sexy but far more tangibly beneficial. Hopoate has shown an unshakeable work ethic. In 11 appearances this season he’s had less than 150m on the ground once, averaging enough to find himself in the top 10 wingers in the competition. He has five games with five or more tackle breaks, all driven by a willingness and ability to do the most difficult work in yardage. In fact the only player that breaks more tackles in this team is the Matt Timoko. It’s been so effective that he’s moved ahead of Nic Cotric in the depth chart, something that was unthinkable to start the year.

Presuming that Canberra aren’t paying big money for Hopoate (though no doubt less than the minimum deal he came to the club on) it’s an efficient way to fill out the squad. Wingers are a weird position in terms of cost. The skills are critical but easily replicable. You must have them and also cannot overpay for them, lest it restricts your options in other areas. The Raiders rely as much as any team on the yardage of its back three. It gets them up the field and spells their middles at critical times. Effectiveness here is why Hopoate is ahead of Cotric and others on the depth chart. As much comes from fitness, effort and attitude as from any sort of natural athleticism. Hopoate has embodied that in his ascension to the top line team. It wasn’t the reputation he came to the club with (which instead was all about unrealised potential as this excellent piece from ABC’s Nick Campton points out) but its evident in how he now operates.

It’s the kind of thing that can lead to people making assumptions about his upside, one that I myself have made incorrectly about other players (like Jordan Rapana). Being willing to do the work others won’t (or aren’t able to) shouldn’t be looked down. That because he’s willing to subsume his ego to the benefits of the squad that he’s not capable of more expansive play. He certainly showed he had that ability before he came to town. Since then he’s become more focused on the meat and potatoes of top line footy than the more expressive areas. That’s earned him an every day place in the side. He’s giving Canberra exactly what they need. One shouldn’t fault that. Especially when that’s my assumption of why someone like Xavier Savage who keeps watching Hopoate in first grade. He’s already proven himself a quality first grader and there’s plenty of time to see if this 22 year old even more to offer.

At least two more years to be precise.

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