BY DAN

The paths diverge. The destination remains. Three people in search of similar goals carry on. One the saviour. One the ghost of saviours past. The other never anything, just trying to graft his way up from the dust. Each provides lessons for what comes.

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Chevy Stewart is the latest in a long line of rugby league players standing in the shadows of outweighted expectations. The subject of a multi-team battle for his loyalty before he could even drink means that every thing he does is viewed through the premise of greatness. Debuting at 19 is normally something to be lauded. Instead his achievement was considered a disappointment. What do you mean he was only adequate? What do you mean he didn’t turn a dysfunctional and choatic team into the greatest greenest machine since 1994? Fire him from a cannon back from whence he came. He starts 2025 with lowered expectations. Instead of demanding a spot in first grade based on pedigree alone, he will have to earn it.

If there’s anyone that can sympathise with him about impact of sinking expectations on your mindset, it’s Xavier Savage. Raiders fans yearned for him in a way rarely seen since Mark McLinden/Todd Carney/Luke Page (pick your generation, I’m sure there’s others). It got so loud that even Ricky Stuart got carried away, playing Savage before the coach thought he was ready, then turned on the public and the youngin when it didn’t go perfectly. It wasn’t Stuart’s finest moment. It’d be unfair to suggest this led to Xavier spending the next two bouncing to-and-or-fro from firsts and reggies, but it wouldn’t have helped. Eventually he found his way back, found his way to succeed, and found his forever home.

Kaeo Weekes’ experience has been markedly different. Unlike Savage and Stewart, Weekes came to the club as a guess. A vibe. A gamble in the dark that someone who’d been stuck playing second fiddle to two of his generations best footballers had more to offer. Even in joining the club he was thrust into a positional battle with Ethan Strange, a battle he’d lose. Two attempts at cracking firsts and he was rejected both times. But injury and opportunity finally came, and he proved himself not only capable, but a potential force, a weapon, capable of operating outside the limited confines of Canberra’s attack to snatch a coin from behind the ear of the opposition.

All three have lessons to learn, and to share from their experience. From Savage the lesson is to not believe the hype. Not that Xavier wasn’t or isn’t worthy of it. But being better than everyone at 18 doesn’t mean you’ll be better than everyone in first grade. Pace is a weapon but it can’t be your only option. The best players aren’t just elite athletes. They win with their mind, their technique, their commitment to the game. Coach Stuart was initially worried about X’s work ethic. Contrary to popular belief that’s not an inherent quality but a learned one. It took two plus seasons for Savage to learn how to do the work off the field to get better on it (there’s a discussion there about the coaching staff being better at helping that process, but let’s not get distracted). That’s an important lesson for Chevy Stewart to take.

From Weekes the lesson is to not let the lack of hype, or visible pathways, or of a helping hand, get in your way. Perseverance and understanding what weapons you possess are greater strengths than any bestowed on you by the papers and the social media feeds. A position earned is greater than a position gifted. This will be particularly be useful for Chevy Stewart, who now presumably sits behind Weekes in the depth chart. It will also be an important reminder for Savage in taking his game to the next level. The knowledge that the pathway is not guaranteed to anyone, that the next man up is merely an ankle injury from taking your job should make sure that the progress made in 2024 and the contract that came with it isn’t the end of his work, or his upwards trajectory.

For Chevy the hope is 2024, and 2025 doesn’t dent his self-belief. We’re obviously just some keyboard monkeys with a hope and dream, but we’re not the only ones that think he has the talent to make a fist of this great game. The club believes similar, and it’s about having the patience to earn his spot and learning the work ethic to keep improving.

These pathways are all different. Their destination is similar though not exactly the same. There are lessons for each other that should be learned, though the application will change fro person to person. Three roads diverging like Bobby Frost. Let’s hope it makes a difference.

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