BY DAN

Ricky Stuart has announced that Jordan Rapana will be returning for Magic Round, likely at fullback, according to the Canberra Times.

At first glance it feels like short-term thinking. Abandoning a chance to get more minutes into the young star-to-be in exchange for leaning, yet again, on the old stager doing a job for the club. Hoping the cobble together wins, scrape into the sugar-hit of the finals instead of looking to the future. It might make a person worry that Sticky’s professed dual-horizons are being merged into short-term gain.

And to be fair this is an understandable position to have. We (the club, the commentariat, handsome numpties with blogs) have made such a big deal of this year being a development year, of Chevy Stewart being the future, that it can seem like this is being abandoned when it’s not followed with disciplined fidelity.

But I’m not convinced this is what’s occurring. We’ve known this was coming in a sense. Both Stuart and NSW Cup Coach Brock Shepperd flagged this likelihood in the pre-season, and noted that development takes time and leads to back-and-forth between Cup and first grade. Ethan Strange is the exception that proves the rule. Three games up followed by a period down is consistent with how they’d spoken about bringing through young players. Patience with young players is important but it can take on many forms. It may be forgiving errors or moments in a game but it can also mean having time for them to work their way to their best rather than throwing them in the deep end and hoping it works out.

In this specific circumstance it makes sense. Indeed this seems to be a situation of mutual benefit; recognition of the profits of not putting more weight on Stewart’s shoulders than he’s ready for, while putting the Raiders best immediate option at a critical position. While Stewart has improved each week in first grade, many of the things he needs to learn (such as how to use his gifts to manage physically amongst fully-grown adults) can be improved in Cup footy. In addition he’ll get his hands on the ball a heap more, in a system that is thriving at the moment under NSW Cup coach Brock Shepperd. It’s good for him. For now.

This, of course, is the main concern. While there’s no reason to keep Chevy in first grade *now* there will be a point that he’ll hit a roof in that league. I suspect the plan had been to get him into first grade at some points after the third bye in round 19 to see how things are progressing. While it’s looking more and more like Jordy will go around again next year, I’m sure the club would be keen to have Stewart there on a regular basis next season. So while he doesn’t need to be first choice now, he does need to play more.

For the Raiders having Rapana back at fullback makes sense in the short-to-medium term. Jordan is a critical attacking weapon, capable of operating at first receiver (particularly on short sides) and creating where others are unable. For a team that has five line-breaks in three weeks, bringing back the player most likely to create one (Rapana’s 0.6 line break assists per game leads the club and his 1.0 line breaks a game is second) is a boon. Jordy’s physical ability to stay with the position is a question, and his kick returns aren’t always the best because he’s so cooked from all the extra work he does. But right now he’s the best option. Hopefully that won’t be the case for long.

The irony here is that Rapana’s return will reduce the pressure on Strange and Weekes to be everything in the Canberra attack. So even in closing one development pathway (temporarily), Coach Stuart is burnishing the growth in two others. It’s the key thing about development. Inexperience with inexperience has often been a fast track to imperfect outcomes (just ask your *ahem* first time). Strange has flourished alongside Rapa and Fogarty. The Raiders can’t avoid bringing young players through, but allowing them to do so with roles that facilitate growth rather than demand perfection is a much more sustainable approach.

So while Stewart will be temporarily wiling away his time in reggies, I’m sure his promotion won’t be far from the hearts and minds of the coaching staff. This is but a temporary set back. Stewart’s talent is obvious. His performance is solid. He’s learning harder lessons faster and proving capable of overcoming the challenges he’s faced. He’ll be back in first grade again soon, and both he, and the Raiders, will be better for it.

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