BY DAN

The Canberra Raiders team list included a captain returning to the position he’s held for years, and a reversion to the round one lineup at centre forced by head injury. In a sense this shouldn’t be controversial; yet it is.

Some aspects of this controversy are a good thing, drawn from the swell of goodwill around the early season performance. Elliott Whitehead returns to starting backrower in the place of Zac Hosking. The former Knight/Bronco/Panther has been exemplary as starting backrower becoming Canberra’s new Mr Reliable, able to do pretty much everything the Raiders need. We’ve covered just how good here, but the short version is Zac Hosking is like Poochie, and we’re all asking ‘where’s Poochie?’

He’s on the bench. Whitehead’s return to the starting line up is recognition. Of his status as captain, within the team, and of what he’s given to the club over many years. I can understand that. I think with the amount of change the club has seen in recent, and Whitehead’s standing in the locker-room, Sticky is making an assessment to the stability and emotional tenor of the playing group.

I’ve noted before that I think it’s likely that Whitehead will play 20 or so minutes on the edge then transition to the middle rotation. My thinking here is that the club is seeking to manage the workloads of both Whitehead and Hosking. Zac slowed down last year after his first season as a starting player, eventually being dropped from Penrith’s side. Whitehead is no longer best used playing 80 on an edge. The solution appears to be a bit of mix-and-match. I’m not so worried as to whether Whitehead can manage twenty minutes a game on the edge, and twenty minutes in the middle. I am worried about the opportunity cost that comes with Hosking not being fully utilised.

The other source of is the reversion of the round one winger/centre pairing of Albert Hopoate and Nic Cotric. Again controversy comes from the strong performances of James Schiller, this time in NSW Cup footy and in the pre-season trials. This is exciting not just because of the aggregate of the efforts but also because of nature of improvement in a player many have been keen to see reach his potential if not since he started, then definitely sine he played a bit of rugby league football down the wing to beat the Storm. His efforts this season might have been enough to force his way in had the club not performed so well otherwise.

I would see this less as a choice between Schiller and Hopoate and more between Schiller and Nic Cotric. Hopoate’s hard carries are clearly exactly what Coach Stuart is after in his backline right now, and the team-leading 36 runs and solid defence at centre and wing are enough to keep him in the good graces. Cotric has been less robust, but as he is in the last year of a contract, the club has to make a decision on his future soon. Perhaps there’s a part of them that wants one last look to see if the latest boot in the pants did the trick.

The decision I have the least ability to explain is the absence of Corey Horsburgh. He’s available (contrary to NRL.com’s vibes) but is being brought back through NSW Cup footy. While I can understand that they are wary of expecting Corey to be up-to-speed with the rest of the club, it’s not like he’s been sitting on his behind with an injury. He should be as raring to go as the rest of the club were in round one. Rusty sure, but not tired. He’s proven to be a better performer than many players on the bench (I mean, he’s a rep player), was critical to the side last year, and should be able to form a hard-working bone-rattling tandem with Morgan Smithies only in history by the Bash Brothers. Sticky has been free with his compliments of Horsburgh anytime he’s spoken of his recently. So I have to admit I’m stumped as to what he’s doing stuck this side of the ditch.

The only explanation I can fathom is that this fitness is an issue. I remember a Vox Pop produced by the club recently when Horsburgh revealed he was a bit overweight (if I can find it again I’ll chuck it here). It could be that the club has been unhappy with his offseason and is making him prove his ability to get through the 60-70 minutes of first grade footy before they let him loose in the top line. Perhaps there’s an injury in the off-season we haven’t been told about. It’s confounding to say the least.

But for the most part this team speaks to a squad that it is strong with players pushing for time at almost every position. It’s a good thing, even if one doesn’t agree with the outcomes most of us expected. I’d say trust Sticky but trust and transparency go hand in hand, so we’ll wait to see what he has to say. At the very least if things don’t get this weekend at least there will be plenty of options for change.

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