BY DAN

Sometimes it’s not hard to spot a Sticky Smokescreen.

You know the story. Ricky Stuart loves to mix up his team lists. Name a guy in one position in full knowledge that he won’t play there on the weekend. Sometimes it’s done on Tuesday, sometimes it’s as late as the final team named an hour before the game. Last weekend when Adam Cook was named at centre for Seb Kris no one was under the impression that he was going to play there, as talented a footballer as he is. He was a fullback when he first played for the Milk, a halfback on return. It was more about working out what the mix of Kaeo Weekes, Adam Cook and Ethan Strange would be.

Spotting a smokescreen is more art than science and that feels appropriate for a method for assessing the majesty that is Sticky’s mind. One man’s smokescreen is another’s team list, as proper as the King in all his pomp. I’ve never quite understood the insistence on them but I guess when we’re talking about winning by finding marginal gains (or as Tony D’Amato would say, collecting the inches) this is about as marginal as it gets. Maybe you get a team to game plan for Adam Cook at centre, maybe you don’t. It doesn’t hurt to try I guess.

Looking at the team list named for Sunday’s clash against the Knights it’s hard not to think a smokescreen is coming. For starters Matt Timoko is named. I’ve no doubt the club will tell you that they’re going to give him every opportunity to dislocate his shoulder for a third time prove his fitness. But with a week before the bye, the Raiders getting all the troops back post bye, and you know, duty of care, one would think the club is unlikely to risk Matty T this weekend. That’s even if he’s coming back this season – the range of time off for injuries like his goes from 1 week to season ender.

It’s also not hard to see Seb Kris lurking at 18th man. He dropped out last minute with an injury in the previous round. I don’t know if that was an ‘injury’ to cover a dropping or the genuine article. Assuming the later it’s not hard to think that he’ll come in, and Matty T will come out. We flagged as much as a likely outcome earlier in the week.

Another intriguing ‘lurker’ in the extended bench is James Schiller. His form, at least with the ball in hand, has been impressive in NSW Cup. As recent as a fortnight ago he was busy making the Parra defenders look like traffic cones as he stormed his way 70 odd metres for a try. Stick has been pretty clear about not playing Schiller to this point (at least in terms of his actions in picking a side), but without Timoko that backline will lack a certain punch (no, not like that Corey). Perhaps they choose James Schiller the home run hitter ahead of ‘Bert ‘I love hard work’ Hopoate? I wouldn’t be surprised.

Finally Simi Sasagi has been named in the 17. I would actually love for him to get a bit of burn. He would provide coverage across the edge forwards, perhaps minutes at 13, and also ensure Canberra can handle issues with their outside backs should there be issues with HIAs, either from last week or new to hand. But last week the team had Jordan Martin in the 17. All season they’ve played three ‘bigs’ off the bench. I’m to expect that this is the week they’re going to downsize? When Emre Guler is sitting there in jersey 20?

Look, let’s call a spade a spade here. In a sense we are being crazy. What sane person would assume all these changes for no reason, except someone that had seen Sticky do exactly that in the past. That’s all that drives this. He does pointless and extravagant things so future team lists induce fanatical trigonometry to try and work out what this mad man is going to do. I guess from Sticky’s perspective if we’re doing it, then maybe the opposition coaches are too.

And I guess that’s the point.

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