BY DAN

Let’s engage in some shameless off-season speculation. It appears Izaac Tui’itupou Thompson, an outside back formerly of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, is training with the squad.

Now let’s be clear. This is not being reported anywhere. Jack Mitchell of the Greenhouse Facebook group, on some Bigfoot watch shit, noticed it in a team video. I admire the level of attention. Most of the time I’m thinking about the music choice (50 cent was never my bag, no hate if he’s yours though). It’s since been noted across social media and by the handsome people of the Green Machine Podcast and the Greenhouse.

Right now we have zero detail and only that footage. We don’t know what sort of list he’s on. Is it top 30? Train and trial? Supplemental? Santa’s? There’s been nothing from the club nor the fact-based media (as opposed to whatever you call these pages). My assumption is that the lack of fanfare is that it’s a training deal. There’s been no update to the Raiders top 30 list, no official announcement of a signature. So our assumption is that here’s just in town trying to impress Stick et al. After all, that’s how he got his first job with the Bunnies.

So while right now he’ is probably not in the top 30, an opportunity like this may put him in the window for such a deal. He’s obviously without a current NRL side, and with only a dozen appearances across three seasons (and only four last year) in the top line to his name, he’s looking to stick. And Stick I guess. It makes sense from his perspective to come and try his luck in a club in a desperate need for outside backs. One injury and he puts himself right in the frame (*prays to Mal’s armguard for the safety of all Raiders players*).

For the Raiders I presume the appeal is looking at someone that might address their lack of outside back depth. Thompson has played wing and centre in the top line, and Canberra need someone who can cover those positions. He’s not a big name, so hence them not putting his name in the top 30 (at least, not yet). As player he is another hard-running wing, willing and able to do yardage work. After that I haven’t seen enough to hold strong views. His runs metres aren’t bad (115m per game in Fox’s numbers) but his tackle efficiency (66%!) is a bit ahem. I’m not certain he moves the needle in the depth chart, but he certainly extends it.

The main question here becomes if the Raiders ever feel the need to extend a top 30 position to him. To me this would be an unnecessary and uninspiring. There’s hardly an array of teams knocking on his door, and without a dramatic change in his fortunes, there’s simply not impetus to put that much value in him. Canberra could keep him around all season as depth without offering the top 30 spot. As we identified recently, the recruitment plan may be to see what falls out of the pockets of the league as players shift in free agency. Given that it makes sense to not blow your free spots on people you don’t need to.

A train and trial deal offers a chance to prove you can do more He might. Change can happen, and people improve, but Thompson is 28 so banking on that would be mistake. By now it’s usually what you see it was you get. But of course, that’s what we assume is going on. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the actual facts are.

Sign up to the mailing list below and I’ll write you an acrostic poem like I wrote Harry. Ok then, like the page on Facebook, follow me on BlueSky, or share this on social media. Don’t hesitate to send us feedback (dan@sportress.org) or comment below if you think we are stupid. Or if we’re not.

Feature image courtesy of Getty