BY DAN

I don’t want Corey Horsburgh to leave the Canberra Raiders.

Update: he’s reportedly staying!

I recognise that is, at times, somewhat of a polarising position. Many, fairly, see the lack of effort in the off-season, the suspension on suspensions, and the attitude that could frankly use a bit of work, and wonder if he’s worth the investment. They, again fairly, note that investment could go elsewhere for more certain rewards, and that perhaps whatever dividend Big Red is going to deliver for the Milk has reached its zenith.

But Canberra is at its best when Horsburgh is playing first grade. Everything that has been asked of Morgan Smithies this year – minutes, metres, middle passing – is something Horsburgh delivers but better. Red is a stronger runner, far more capable of generating the speed to get to the tram tracks and run at halves with the power to drag middle defenders for copious post-contact metres. His defence is constant, and there’s no coincidence his return to first grade has correlated with the best defence the club has played all year. And his passing is substantially better than Smithies, allowing much easier width through the middle third of the field. He was a key link in both Hudson Young breaks, a quicker set of hands and decision-making than his English team mate.

Oh, and apparently he’s dynamo with an ability to kick-and-retain the ball not seen since Phil Blake trod the green grass of rugby league.

(Kids, Phil Blake rocked. Look him up).

He’ll also would be a critical part of Canberra’s future pack should he accept the role. We’ve seen how Hudson Young continues to embrace and thrive as key cog in the machine. If only Horse felt the same way.

Coach Stuart recognises this. He told the press conference after the game that

He’s a very skillful player. He’s played one origin. He’s played a grand final for us. I’ve got no doubt about his football talent.

And

I want Corey at the club. And Corey knows the way I need him at the club.

And

It’s not a personal issue with Corey and I. I tell Red what he needs to hear. All the boys want Red playing beside them when he’s playing like he is today.

That last bit seems to be the main source of contention with Horsburgh. It’s not the first time he’s reached this point with Stuart. Corey has himself confirmed that after being lent to the Bulldogs in 2021 he considered not coming back. Everything we know about Stuart is that at best he’s a straight-talker. He can be brusque and blunt with players. Some appreciate the honesty and can use it to get better. Josh Papalii and Jamal Fogarty have both talked how important this was in improving their own games. Others need a hug and an arm around the shoulder. I’ve also thought the key was making sure you knew when to do what. I’m not sure Stuart shares that philosophy, but hopefully there’s been some reflection as to whether this is the best approach.

The problem with pushing is that there’s always a pull. This seems to be coming from the Tigers, who have been clear they think Corey is their man. It even got so far that Royce Hunt, previously Corey’s son antagonist and new Tigers recruit, was publicly campaigning him to come to Campbelltown. As he told the Sydney Morning Herald:

I spoke to their recruitment guy and (the Tigers) are keen on Big Red. He’s a good guy and would be a great buy

Fox League seems to think they’re a good shot, with graphics in TV content over the weekend suggesting he was a good as gone to the Tigers by including him as a likely recruit. There’s a bunch of things flowing into that. Sometimes it’s just vibes that turn out to be disconnected from reality, like when Fox prematurely retired Papa after last season. Sometimes it’s based on something passed through from an agent, a journalist, a producer who heard a thing or just needed to fill out the space. It’s hard to know what to take from that.

It’s better to deal in certainties. Corey is still contracted with the Raiders until 2027 so they’d need to be really certain the bridges are crispy burned not just singed. What has happened over the last three games, cresting with Horsburgh’s heroics to end the season may have settled Corey into staying with his mates. After the game he told Fox Sports he was just enjoying playing with his mates again. It was hardly an endorsement of staying but it equally wasn’t a goodbye.

There’s a matter of how much the Raiders would pay on his contract. I suspect Red’s coin is currently at its highest in Canberra, and they’d have to pay a surprisingly large amount for him to get what he wants. To paraphrase Australia’s foremost rugby league fashionista, that’d be saxa salt in the wound. It’s one thing to lose a representative forward. It’s another to pay for the privilege.

Regardless the Raiders don’t seem about to stand in his way, at least from Stuart’s comments. He was clear that the ball is in Corey court, which means that if he decides to go it won’t be a matter of if Canberra pays but how much. It’s hard to hold the line if the outcome is guaranteed.

If a decision has been made then the Raiders don’t know about it yet. I’m still hopeful that Corey will recognise that his best interest stay in Canberra. One would hope that the fact the only club interested in him is coming off their third wooden spoon, isn’t willing to match his wage, and has the organisational stability of an elephant on a tightrope (balancing…step by step on a piece of string) is enough to make him wonder if he could offer more.

It probably has already, hence the effort to get back into the top line for the Milk. The upsetting thing is that if I could bet that Corey Horsburgh was going to have a career year in 2025 I would do it, regardless of where he ends up. Canberra should be pulling out every stop to keep him, but it feels like the water under the bridge has been flowing too hard for too long. Leaving the Raiders closer to his best will be more satisfying for Corey and more frustrating for us.

But I still hope he doesn’t.

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