BY DAN

After two eminently satisfying victories the Canberra Raiders are somehow getting better.

This week Zac Hosking is returning to take up Simi Sasagi’s position on the bench, just four weeks after he suffered a thumb injury. What a joy it is. No shade to Simi Sasagi. He’s had some great moments this year and continues to be really important in the Raiders future. But at his best Hosking is a step up.

Much of Canberra’s success this season has been built on a revamped pace of performance. They’ve looked faster in the middle, more keen to change directions and win battles with agility than just run over people. They’ve utilised their edge forwards (and centres) as their prime incision point in attack, to the point the backrow have scored more tries (nine) than the wingers (six).

Having Hosking back is just fuel to that fire (nitrous to the engine? Pick your favourite analogy). Before his injury this season, and last year, he showed a skill and celerity on the edge that opened up the attack around him. Now he’s back in a side just learning how to properly use this. Jamal Fogarty and Matty Timoko will have a pep in their step this week. This is a weapon that Canberra is just learning to embrace. And in this announcement it becomes that much easier. It’ll open up the middle too, adding an option to use him to add pace and passing from thirteen.

It will also strengthen the defensive capabilities of their of their edge rotation. Nicholson has been strong in that regard (93 per cent tackle efficiency is not bad for a first year back row who’s just 21). Hosking has also been impressive in that regard. Allowing them to be a tag-team will give them options in how they turn away opposition strengths – particularly someone we’ll call David F (no that’s too obvious. How about D Fifita). Hosking has also shown an impressive ability to hold up in the middle as needed. Tino would be quite a test of that.

I trust re-injury risks are low and that Hosking is good to go. He hasn’t exactly been an iron-man since he joined the club, so one would hope the club is being suitably conservative. There’s no point burning him in round seven. Toss some salt and do a jig for Mal. The juju must be strong.

We won’t get too caught up in the fact he’s been named on the bench. Before the season we were of the view that Hosking would find his way to a bench role over time. His usefulness across the entire back row as well as centre if needed meant that he was a perfect candidate. He can move around either as starter or on the bench. But Marty Nicholson is also useful on the edge or the middle, so there’s every chance the order of operations changes on game day.

But the outcome remains the same. Canberra have more pace, more agility and more utility in their side. Able to be deployed at will to whatever end. Quality in quantity. You have to love it. Dad! It feels so good flying so close to the sun like this. I may never come down.

The Canberra Raiders were really good last weekend. They just got better.

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