BY DAN

The Corey Horsburgh saga (is it too early to call it that) moves into its second week, with the Raiders and Red seeming as far apart as when the matter first emerged last week.

The Daily Telegraph (well, Buzz Rothfield) is reporting that Horsburgh is “all but set” on a move away from the Raiders. The Dragons have been identified as the location he’ll be going (they and the Bulldogs seem to have bottomless caps at the moment). It’s also reported the Raiders aren’t going to stand in his way, with the Canberra Times telling us he’s been given permission to leave.

It is seemingly more and more likely we are seeing the sad end to what was a promising career with the Milk. Horse has been a favourite of these pages since he burst on to the scene. He mixes strong running and good passing with unending defensive effort and big minutes. He’s the exact kind of player that would balance their middle rotation now, and into the future.

Last week we wrote that Canberra should refuse to release Horsburgh. Our pitch was that Corey has a set of skills that they need, and while his year has been unquestionably frustrating our belief is that his 2023 is more representative of who he is. There is no doubt that’s a risk but giving away talent every time it gets frustrated feels like an unsustainable approach for the Milk.

As Coach Stuart has said the Raiders are allowed to have more than one good player at each position. A situation where anyone a place below where they want to be in the depth chart simply gets to walk away is a bad culture to build. Josh Papalii and Joe Tapine have both felt the wrath of the selector’s pen at different points in their careers. Corey Horsburgh is not them.

But as much as I want to keep him this effort to blow him out of Canberra has been successful. Essentially we’ve heard from Corey’s management three times that he wants out. First in the original leak to the Sydney Morning Herald. Then we had his management’s quotes at the end of last week which in the guise of saying ‘we’re all working together’ basically suggest a relationship breakdown was to blame, trying to both sides a situation that I’m almost certain is not seen that way by Stuart.And now we have Buzz reporting Corey is set on leaving, with the Times confirming the Raiders aren’t stopping him.

The only other assessment is that the Raiders leaked this information (along with similar info about Danny Levi). In the end who’s telling the story doesn’t matter. All roads lead to Rome. Or Kogarah. Same thing.

It takes a stubborn organisation, confident in its ability to turn his frown upside down, to refuse, lest it end up with a chief stone-kicker instead of a prop. In a professional league having players that don’t behave professional when times are good is tough enough. Having one doubling down when the hill gets steep is a big risk. Keeping Horsburgh requires a belief they can not only mend the bridge (a big ask, given the number of high profile falling-outs Stuart has had in his time) but also help Horse find some semblance of what made him great in 2023. It seems now that they are not willing to make that bet. Five years of ups-and-downs is apparently enough.

I’m not saying Stuart is blameless in this. He definitely appears to have a ‘my way or make sure you get a feed at Sutton Forrest’ vibe. He’s always seemed to have a short fuse and a rigid way of working. But it’s also clear that he sees a quality player in Horsburgh and has been incredibly patient with him. At the beginning of the year he tried to coddle Corey into doing his job. He’s done nothing but praise him in public during his time at the club. Perhaps he now sees that approach as a failure.

If that didn’t work and he moved to more brusque tactics I think it’s somewhat understandable if evidently not working out. He wants Red to be the best player he can be. He wants him to train in the offseason like a professional. He wants him to not punch dudes in NSW Cup games because he got wound up.

There always seems an inflection point with Stick and players and it seems we’ve hit it. Horsburgh is choosing out and his manager is making sure it happens. Canberra appears to have given in. This is only more complicated by the fact he’s the most likely ‘in’ for the injured Morgan Smithies. What a mess.

It’s a shame. He should be a great Raider. I hope he still will be.

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