BY DAN

The Canberra Times is reporting a deal is being finalised for St George Illawarra centre, former under 19’s Blues State of Origin star and emerging talent Savelio Tamale on a two year deal. It’s now been confirmed by the club.

Tamale, as we noted here, has lightening quick feet, able to move in both a north-south sense, but also an east-west one, with equal dynamism. He looks quite the athlete, and comes with a pre-prepared nickname. Presumably he’s around to offer depth to a position that feels a bit light with the definite departure of James Schiller, and bit more certainty to the outside backs more broadly. This group could theoretically lose Jordan Rapana and Nic Cotric alongside Schiller, and that’s after they’d already seen Harley Smith-Shields and Brandon Morkos depart recently.

While it’s exciting the Raiders have acquired another talent that could become a star, it’s what was revealed in the reporting of this that has interested me. For starters this makes four deals recently that have been rumoured and come to fruition. After a period of time where all suggestions the Milk were about to sign someone were met with a sceptically raised eyebrow, perhaps there’s a new truth emerging. Obviously it doesn’t apply to ‘name-brand’ players, but being a burgeoning powerhouse of young talent, perhaps it’s time to treat these kind of rumours more seriously. Or don’t. Sounds like a lot of effort.

What’s also interesting is that the Canberra Times reported Tamale’s signature only leaves one roster spot for next year. This tells me a few things. Firstly Tamale is a top 30 signature, meaning the Raiders don’t just see him as a prospect, but rather as someone ready to play now. That makes sense for someone signed as a potential centre option. If they’d signed him as a supplemental list player (i.e. a development contract) they could have still played him from round one, but then they wouldn’t have signed him. Catch 22 and all that.

Canberra have to take the leap to pick other teams’ talent they think are worth the spot and the money. Tamale has been identified as such by the club. Given how they’ve gone with young talent lately, that’s a pleasing vote of confidence.

The report also says it would mean that the Raiders would only have one spot left on their roster for next season

It would mean Canberra only had one spot left on their roster for next season – although they were still keeping their eyes open for any outside backs or backrowers who get shaken loose due to salary cap pressure.

Now that’s a curious statement because from what I can tell (cobbling together zero tackle lists and combining that with fingers, toes, and some help from your mum. She’s very patient) the Raiders have 23 players from their current squad on the books for next year, 24 with Hohepa Puru picking up his option (including Corey Harawira-Naera). Add to that Ethan Sanders, Myles Martin, Matty Nicholson and Tamale and you get 28….I think. Is the club saying something has happened with either Nic Cotric, Jordan Rapana, Peter Hola or Zac Woolford that it hasn’t told us about (that’s unintentionally an order of ‘likely to re-sign’ too)? Or maybe I can’t count. I speculate, you decide.

I do not consider this definitive and welcome any takes you might have on what this list looks like. The next time I’m certain of what the Raiders top 30 will be for next year will be when the club announces it later this year (likely early in the ‘new’ season – i.e. November). But regardless, it does suggest that Canberra’s flexibility for next season is quickly being eaten up. That’s not a bad thing; I’m certain the Raiders will keep a light on to pick up a distressed asset should one present itself as a possibility. But unless Harry Grant sees the light and decides to move to Canberra, this seems to mostly be the unit they have for next year.

Such speculation will be resolved in the passage of time. For now let’s embrace that Canberra has found another elite talent to mould into a star.

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