BY DAN

Early in Friday night’s game the Wests Tigers were attacking the Canberra Raiders line. The Milk had started not quiet slowly, but not exactly firing on all cylinders. Rattling down the road at 70 instead of motoring up the highway.

The Tigers third redzone set in a row had been probing and difficult. Canberra looked composed until Terrell May popped a ball to Jerome Luai. The Raiders chief antagonist of the night seemed certain to score.

Out of nowhere Joe Tapine arrived.

He grabbed Luai like this was a self-defence class and he was pretending to kidnap someone. Luai, who thought he was falling forward, was now stopped in his momentum, bent over like he should be laying sick guitar riff (perfect mop for hair metal) rather than planting the ball. Tapine held him up, and if anyone on the Raiders were still unaware they were in a battle, there captain had signalled to them that the bye week was now over.

It’s not the first time he’s exemplified leadership lately, on or off the field. On the other side of the bye he’d been the voice in the room that was saying ‘we will not let Papa down’. In the leadup to the Tigers game he was the one who told Jed Stuart he was playing. Insisted to the coach that he was the choice. Jed mentioned after the match how much confidence that trust gave him. During the game he went three for three on challenges, each a perfect decision both in strategic rest and the merit of the moment.

These moments reflect the maturity of a man who embracing leadership. We see these moments and they stand out, not just because of the act but also the actor. We’ve gone the whole journey with Joe. From prospective to frustrating to brilliant to patriarch. Now he’s more trusted than your next step. It’s inspiring. Not in the swelling music and instragram quotes kind of way. But in the side-eyeing a brick wall kind of way.

To an extent I think it leads us to undervaluing his regular job, or at least taking it for granted. He’s practically at or just below career highs in most categories (and even on track for a career high in defence). Where there are drop offs (such as his average metres per game) it’s more to do with the fact that for the first time in a while there’s consistent performers around him (the Raiders have 7 of the top 50 players in run metres). He’s still clearly Canberra’s best middle, and best player, and with Payne Haas and Addin Fonua-Blake, the out and out best in the game.

But the constancy of this means that the on field product can go unnoticed. Taps had 13 Dally M points when things went dark after round 12. That wasn’t enough for him to make the leaderboard the NRL produces. Four middle forwards made that list instead of him. Even among Canberra fans we haven’t put his performances in lights. Against the Tigers he received maximum three points as part of the Green Machine Podcast’s player of the year award. It took him to eight points for the season, ten points behind Hudson Young, eight behind Savelio Tamale and equal with Corey Horsburgh.

A degree of assessment of Tapine’s performance is caked in with expectations. As we noted above he’s doing the big things at a similar level. The same great carries. That same refusal to ever be taken to the ground. Always the man that will turn the set you need into the set you have. When games are tight late you know exactly who will be turning eight metres into fifteen.

But he’s adding to it. More passing, more defensive efforts. More doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done. Call it leading by doing. Making decisions. Filling gaps. Being what the team needs when it’s needed.

There are many reasons for why the Raiders are better this year than last. A bit more maturity in the young players, who have also added new skills and new vivacity to the side. Brilliant yardage work from its back five. A more expansive approach to attack. A bench mob that jumps rotation props like there’s something shiny in their pockets. But Joey Tapine’s willingness to do what it takes should be counted amongst them.

***

Late in Friday’s game against the Tigers the Raiders were holding on, just. Wests had the ball for so much of the the second stanza that it almost felt impolite for the Raiders to do anything but tackle. This was a training session, but not in the fun way. In the Coach yelling “you pricks are tackling until I don’t hate my life” way. Canberra were clearly exhausted. Out on the feet. Hanging on with grit, determination, and a little bit of luck. Their discipline wasn’t wavering, but they were in a world of pain. They needed something special.

The Tigers entered the Raiders redzone with the best part of a set and the game on the line. Out of nowhere Joey Tapine pulled off a one-on-one strip, just went it was needed.

Even Stick acknowledged the importance of the moment in his post game press conference. He said it changed the momentum, called Joe a leader and talked about how good he is, and has been for the club.

That’s Joe Tapine. He does what it takes.

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