BY DAN

It was finally announced that Hohepa Puru would be leaving the Raiders. He’s decided to not take his option, and instead head to Cronulla to join his brother.

This has been a long time coming. Even the most foresight challenged individual could see that his delay in picking up his option was never a good sign. Recently the Canberra Times suggested the announcement would be made after the Milk’s NSW Cup season ended. That was only ever going to mean one thing.

Like so many that have departed recently he was a favorite of ours. We’d repeatedly noted how important his unique set of skills could have opened up the Milk’s playbook. His passing could have added critical width to an attack hampered by substandard passing from the ruck. His creativity with the ball would have added another facet to how Canberra attacked. His ability would have further allowed the Raiders to play with a pace they are so often forced to eschew. Workrate. Leadership. The list of things we saw in him was voluminous.

But alas the club didn’t see the same things. That’s fair. There’s millions of people more qualified to assess the potential of footy players than me. They’re evidently decided that Morgan Smithies and Corey Horsburgh are more of the mould they are going for at the position, with size being a bigger factor than skill. It does explain why Puru hadn’t played all season. Essentially the club don’t see him as the shape they wanted at the position.

To me this is a key indicator of a problem plaguing the first grade side at the moment. They’ve been so focused on finding ‘types’ of players to fit their system, they’ve failed to adjust their system to the players. It’s lead them down the garden path on players with limited football capabilities, and to double down on a way of playing that’s delivering diminishing returns on the field.

Puru didn’t have to be the player to build around (though he could have been) but he did represent the capacity to play a different way. Instead of bash bash dump they could have played a more total football, a more beautiful game. One that was not restricted by the poor passing of their rucks, or the lack of sideways mobility of their forwards. He could have been a bench utility that offered positional options instead of just having to rotate hookers because of the defensive weight of the position. But alas the Raiders have opted for the fairly mediocre road most traveled.

And this doesn’t even get into the leadership potential he offers. In a club bereft of cool heads and calm leaders, Puru was practically Obama at the ’04 convention. A breath of fresh air. The possibility of prosperity. But talking good and looking good and being good aren’t a guarantee in the world of elite sport.

In the club’s defence they may be leading into options like Zac Hosking or Matty Nicholson or even Hudson Young at 13. They may have other plans at nine, or made an overture to Puru without promising game time, only to be trumped by more cash or more certain opportunity elsewhere. We’re on the outside looking in, just like you sickos. They’ve got a pretty decent record on when to cut bait with talent. I had a similar sook when they moved Mitch Cornish on, as well as the line drawn through other players at the end of their time. They’ve got the runs on the board and I’m sitting here in dim lights giving myself RSI (because I’m typing you sickos).

But I guess that doesn’t trump family ties. I wish Hep nothing but the best. Mate we’ve been big supporters since the get go, and even if the Raiders don’t get it, the Sportress does. If the Shire is where he needs to be then we wish him nothing but the best. You’ve got a long career ahead of you. We’ll always support you. I just wish it could have been with Canberra.

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