BY DAN

Even among the hype of Canberra’s impressive victory over the Rabbithos there was the introduction of another mountain to climb. This time it was an injury to winger Savelio Tamale that will likely keep him out effectively until the waning weeks of the regular season (update: now confirmed at minimum 10-12 weeks by the club). This injury occurs at the one position the club doesn’t have clear first-grade quality depth. So how does overcome another travail on the road to September?

Firstly it acknowledges what its lost. A burgeoning superstar, at the pointy end for every relevant statically category (line breaks, tackle breaks, metres) for wingers. Tamale has been a big part of Canberra’s game plan. Winning the middle comes from the big guys for sure but it also needs outside backs capable to doing yardage work on exit sets. If done well it not only has the same effect, but also rests the middles. Tamale does it very well, and also adds a touch of pace, quality finishing and even a touch of ball playing as needed.

It’s remarkable that in his first season he’s already proven himself so useful and important. Young players rarely perform so consistently from the get go, and given the injury to Albert Hopoate early in the season, it’s been fortunate that he was hurt. His workload is above and beyond what you’d expect from a first year player. If there’s a silver lining to this event (and that ‘if’ would be measured in MCGs) it’s that instead of (potentially) burning him out this ensures that he’s fresh for a finals run that is looking increasingly inevitable.

Finding a solution for such a long period is interesting. On Sunday they inserted Simi Sasagi at left centre and shifted Seb Kris to the wing. That worked a treat, but it comes with a sacrifice on two fronts. Firstly you remove Sasagi from the bench. You’ve already moved your first choice utility to starting on the right edge. This would move your second choice utility into a starting position.

This structure could be somewhat ameliorated by carrying Noah Martin in the 17. The issue with starting Sasagi is that you don’t have cover if you lose another outside back. Hosking has the capacity to play that role (and had done so during his time at Penrith). In the event of an injury Martin could cover Hosking’s shift out. That would have the double benefit of getting more minutes in Martin, which, fuck yes.

In the same vein, the club may make a decision to try and get Chevy Stewart into the first grade side. He’s a fullback, but they’d been using him at centre on occasion in NSW Cup – purportedly to put pressure on the lack of depth at the position. Given his potential importance to the first grade side of the future they’d be keen to get first grade minutes into him.

It’s not a perfect fit. A wingers three jobs, yardage, catching bombs, and finishing movements. Chevy wouldn’t abscond from these responsibilities, but they’re not his strengths. We noted Tamale’s importance in yardage to Canberra’s success. Stewart is a smaller body, and it would put a lot of pressure on Xavier Savage to be the major power player, Timoko and Kris refuse to not be involved, but it’s the back three that get first crack on every exit sets. This would be a risk.

A more straightforward option would be to bring in one of the young wingers in NSW Cup into the side. Jed Stuart has been 18th man for a few games this year and Michael Asomua has been near to a first grade debut for years. In NSW Cup this season both have performed in line with the rest of the side – that is to say to a degree they’ve been frustratingly underwhelming.

But Asomua will never say no to a dirty carry, a job he does exceedingly well. And Stuart is highly rated by the first grade side for his defensive abilities. I’ve never been as sold as them on that fact, but then that’s why I have Doritos on my Raiders jumper reproduction and they have an actual Raiders jumper. Either way Asomua seems more NRL ready to me, but I would suspect Stuart is the ‘next in line’ based on the fact he’s been picked at 18th man a few times.

In the future one of these two might be important to cover further outside back issues. Canberra don’t have NRL depth. While they might be in the market for it, until they have that it would be worth giving time to some of the players they’ve been invested in. It could support them later in the year if they need it. In a relatively low stakes environment now may be the time they choose to bank that investment.

The good thing is the long lead time until the next game. That gives the Milk plenty of time to make, and implement, a decision about who should take the spot. The spacing of the byes also give them an opportunity to test each of these ideas, or others, in blocks, giving them plenty of time to put in a new approach should they so choose.

It’s a bad situation, but Canberra have found ways to manage this season. It’s rare that anyone will make it through a season unscathed so the Raiders just have to deal with the problems as they arise and hope they can get through.

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