BY DAN

The Canberra Raiders settled their leadership team for the upcoming season, naming Elliott Whitehead and Jamal Fogarty as captain and vice-captain respectively.

These changes are hardly revolutionary. One is the incumbent, having been captained since the chaos of 2021. The other has experience as a leader in previous stops (Fogarty captained the Titans before he came to Canberra) and is in a position that naturally requires him to have substantial input in the direction of the side, both on and off the field. We had actually predicted elevation of Fogarty to leadership before he’d even played a game for the club, so if we’d worked it out you know it stood out more than a plumber’s crack in a pumpkin patch.

Indeed Fogarty himself acknowledged it won’t actually change that much for him

my role doesn’t really change. I’ve still got to be the main talker on the team and if I can knuckle down and try and do my part hopefully we can have a better season.

Fog in the announcement press conference

Both Fogarty and Whitehead mentioned that a key consideration of Fogarty’s elevation is the fact he’s on the field for the full 80. That was interesting for two reasons. One it was used as a reason to rule out Joe Tapine from leadership, something coveted by the big man for some time, and displayed by him for much longer. If Whitehead does retire this year and Tapine isn’t elevated to the leadership group for next season it would be genuinely insane. I’d argue a role should have been found for Tapine already. You could make him a second vice-captain with Fogarty, keeping the numbers in the leadership group manageable while also providing a good transition plan going forward.

Fogarty also identified Hudson Young as a potential leadership option, which is great to hear. Young has come a long way in a short time with the Milk, from talented prospect to every-game starter to rep player, building season after season. Young should have a long future at the club, and with Corey Horsburgh is the oldest of the next generation of senior players. I hope the club sees what Jamal has seen as fosters a leadership pathway for Hudson.

The second thing it pointed out was that Sticky isn’t expecting Whitehead to play whole games anymore. Elliott doesn’t have the wheels he used to so that makes sense. The Raiders need a plan on the right edge beyond Whitehead’s ageing ability to turn back the clock at moments. Hosking was brought to the club to provide another option beyond Whitehead. But that he remains captain means it’s not a straight swap.

In the past Whitehead has sometimes started on the edge, and shifted to the middle as Corey Harawira-Naera came on. He could do the same with Hosking, essentially creating a job share at edge and middle rotation. Hosking’s presence allows that flexibility, meaning that Whitehead’s role can be managed to his, and the team’s, benefit. Fogarty’s elevation is a bit part of that but a significant one nonetheless.

I think it’s useful to see this as part of Coach Stuart’s tentative embrace of the uncertainty of the future. Stuart has been clear about the need for change, both generational and stylistic. It’s not something that comes easily to a man who has tried to squeeze as much success out of the silver generation as possible. And it feels like he’s keen to make the transition to ‘next’ an incremental rather than revolutionary process. Keeping Whitehead, elevating Fogarty, and not taking the next step with either Tapine or Young suggests the winds of change are more summer’s breeze than a hurricane.

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