BY DAN

Sadness entered the hearts of Raiders fans everywhere when reports emerged from England that Zac Woolford was being shopped there.

Woolford has been the Milk’s most complete and reliable hooker since he joined the club. His elevation to the top line side in both 2022 and 2023 coincided with the best period of play by the club in each season. He was at the helm of an attack in 2022 that averaged 27 points with him in the side, and 14 without. In 2023 the Raiders attack floundered while he watched from the sidelines, and while it was hardly stellar with him involved, it was better. His career win percentage as a hooker (63.9%) is third in the competition, only behind Mitch Kenny (79.5%) and Brandon Smith (74.3%). Danny Levi’s is 24% for reference (shouts to Harry @TheScorsizzler for that stat).

In the Raiders top 30 for next season he is already the most complete hooker. His passing and creativity was the best out of he, Danny Levi or Tom Starling, something the Milk have desperately needed since Josh Hodgson left the club. He added deception and width to an attack that couldn’t manufacture it. Without him Canberra’s middles have been hamstrung by Starling’s imperfect passing and Levi’s lack of a creative game. In short until Adrian Trevilyan is ready to be an every game hooker, Zac Woolford is the Raiders best option at 9 (in our opinion of course). This is not to say he’s a perfect rake. There are areas of his game that could improve. But that’s the case with almost every Raider, and it’s disingenuous to argue that Woolford has been anything but a net positive for the club.

Which is makes it frustrating and confusing that this reporting suggests he is on the outer with the club. This seemed to (oddly) be the case after 2022, when despite his brilliant debut season he found himself on the outer after the club signed Danny Levi. Levi spent 2023 on the injured list. It’s equally confusing now that Woolford would find himself again down the depth chart of available nine’s. That he may depart is galling, particularly given the paucity of quality rakes across the competition.

Regardless of our views though this reporting suggests that the Raiders put Levi and Starling ahead of Woolford. Understanding this position takes a bit of work. Levi reportedly made improvements playing in England, but the small sample size of his health last season make it hard to tell if those changes have translated. Tom Starling is a one-note player (what a fucking note though), and we’ve been disappointed that his passing and creativity in the hooker role hasn’t developed since Josh Hodgson was pushed out for him. But what he offers is evidently valued by the club higher than Woolford’s quality service and deception.

Making sense of these preliminary reports is hard. That Woolford is being shopped begs the question ‘by whom?’ If it’s by his own management it may be out of frustration with his place in the depth chart. If that’s the case there’s little to be done but marvel at whatever Stuart sees in Levi and shake our heads at his lack of love for Zac. At some point he’s gotten sick of proving he’s the best hooker in the top 30. He wants to be trusted and he wants career certainty. That’s understandable. He can get that in England, even if I think it’s selling him short as a footballer.

There’s also a good chance it’s just his management due diligence in recognition that he’s currently without a deal for 2025 and is testing the waters. I think this is the most likely scenario. But it still speaks to the level of priority his services are given by the club.

If it’s the Raiders that are shopping this raises two intriguing possibilities. Perhaps they’ve decided our other love, Adrian Trevilyan, is ready to play a bigger role than his current supplemental contract suggests. Trevilyan has all the talent in the world, and can be the ‘total’ rake the Milk have been missing. The other possibility is that the Raiders, with a fully stacked top 30 have reached agreement to bring someone in (a big name backrower? Ethan Sanders?) and need the space. The combination of the above factors culminate with something exciting for Raiders fans like the a little reward after the horror of Woolford leaving. I would like this to be the case. I think i’m probably being optimistic.

For now the reports are just shopping has occurred. The source of these, as it normally is, is passive and hidden. It makes it hard to assess validity, so all we can do is acknowledge the reporting exists. It may never eventuate to more than talking – it may just be a shot across the bow so to speak, or discussions by the club that became more of a story than it should be. We’ll keep a close eye to see where it ends. I hope it doesn’t end with Zac leaving.

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