BY DAN

Recent team-list Tuesdays have been notable for Canberra as indicators for the future. As we covered here the ongoing absence of Trey Mooney has been one aspect of this. But as important was as absence on another team-list. Parramatta’s refusal to name Ethan Sanders in the place of the injured Mitchell Moses has been the best indicator we have so far that he’ll be joining Canberra for 2025.

The ongoing uncertainty about Ethan Sanders’ future has been nerve-wracking for Raiders fans that want him to come to the club. His brilliant left boot and ‘lead-half’ style is a perfect match for Ethan Strange over the longer term (you see one is a runner and the other an organi…look it’s complicated), a role he’d be learning from the surprisingly old Jamal Fogarty. He’s shown his potential both in junior representative footy, like being second best on ground to Strange in the u19s Origin game last year. He’s now proving his worth in Cup footy for Parramatta and looking every bit the future star (emphasis on future – like Chevy Stewart for the Milk he’s had moments of imperfection. But that’s the game when you’re *checks notes* 11 12 19).

The Raiders have been unequivocally interested for some time and nearly made a deal to send Harley Smith-Shields to the Eels last season as a player swap. This was kyboshed by Parramatta because they hate freedom. Then a new collective agreement was signed with the Players’ Association (solidarity and good work) which meant that players on the supplemental list (what we used to, and occasionally still, call ‘developmental players’) couldn’t be signed by new clubs until after round six (or apparently until they’ve played five games in the season which I guess is bit of semantics). In case you’re wondering that’s basically *now*.

This put a hold on everything and inspired a few ‘the Eels might keep him’ takes from people keen to either see that or people trying to make sure whoever gets him comes with cash and opportunities. Don Furner, wisely, made comments suggesting a general support for the rule and a recognition that it could allow the Eels to keep him. This was smart because suggesting otherwise would mean the Raiders had a deal secured prior the previous signing date (1 November 2023) and sanction from the league.

Since then the only thing we’ve had to go on was Sanders’ own pointed comments of enjoying being at Parramatta *this year*, a choice of words about timing as loaded as the pockets of an actor walking into Ford’s Theatre in 1865. He would be there this year and was learning a lot. After that, dot dot dot.

So when Mitch Moses went down all eyes turned to the Parramatta team list. Naming Sanders’ would be indicative of one of two things. Either the club saw him as the current primary backup to Moses, or were willing to put the miles into him to make sure he was. Instead they shifted coming star Blaize ‘I trucked Tommy T and everyone lost their goddamn minds’ Talagi to five-eighth, and Dylan Brown to half. It didn’t go so well. Next in line was Dejarn Asi. It’s a far cry from the Eels trying to convince Sanders to stay.

Explanations were floated in the media. The scuttlebutt that is NRL360 offered a range of explanations from he’s gone, to he’s not ready physically, to he was promised ‘next’ last season and instead has received not that. A more conventional exposition would be that Parramatta doesn’t see the point of putting minutes into someone that’s leaving anyway. Occam’s razor and all that.

It’s not definitive. Lord knows all that is right now is a signature on a piece of paper. But it is indicative of where he sits with the Eels. If they were definitely keeping him they would have signed him by now. If they thought they were in with a chance then they might play him now. If they thought he was leaving they definitely wouldn’t. You might say they might not think he’s better or more ready than Talangi or Asi right now but that’s just more push to Canberra’s pull. That team-list is basically the Eels proving that the reason that Sanders is leaving – there are quicker and better opportunities elsewhere. In short, other people value you more than us. This has now all but been confirmed by Fox Sports, who reported a deal is likely as early as next week, basically as soon as it can be.

It’s a tale we know the other side of with Trey Mooney continually watching first grade. When you have a lot of talent at one position then it creates blockages that push people elsewhere. It’s good for the game more broadly and in Sanders’ case would benefit the Raiders over the longer term. Sanders could join as the prime backup to Jamal Fogarty and be expected to take over for the 2027 season at the latest, pending development and potential and hopes and dreams and all that gear. Sanders, Strange, Stewart. For a team that most have suggested lacks quality in its current spine it’s a helluva platform to work from.

It’s a long term plan and a good one. The clock has officially started ticking on whether this deal will get done. But from what we can see, including Parramatta’s recent playing lists, the signs a looking good.

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