BY DAN

In winning their 8th game in a row the Canberra Raiders had a frailty exposed.

Not in anything on the actual field, but in the depth of their outside backs. Both Seb Kris and Xavier Savage left the ground late in the game as part of the Head Injury Assessment protocol. The hope was that both would be right for this week. Instead Seb Kris has not been named.

Canberra has an immediate solution. Simi Sasagi has been given the job of centre instead of Kris. It’s a job he knows, and speaks to how wonderful it is to have a player like Simi that can handle whatever is needed across the backrow and backline. They don’t come along a lot, so Canberra being able to turn him from a sometimes OB with Newcastle to a master of all trades is a tick for the club’s current development success. Blessings to their ongoing contract negotiations and I hope we get to celebrate a further extension soon.

Ideally though there would be a clear backup for Seb that wouldn’t require the Raiders reducing a bench strength in order to fix problems elsewhere. Albert Hopoate’s injury at the beginning of the year means that Canberra have had to effectively blood two and a bit new outside backs (Simi is newish?). It’s mostly worked, but it’s also drilled down on their depth, and shown just where they may need to aim their recruitment processes this offseason.

Moving Simi to centre removed the last of Canberra’s realistic options without further turning to new starters. Chevy Stewart was given a shot at centre in NSW Cup earlier this year. This was presumably with a view of addressing this weakness. Like Seb looked a centre playing fullback in 2023, Chevy was equally uncomfortable.

Manaia Waitere has been named at 18th man for this game, recognition it seems of his future with the club and his ongoing success in Cup footy. My impression has always been that he has the talent for first grade but needed more time in Cup to continue to work on his defence. But given injury and circumstance that may have to change.

Naming Waitere at 18th man does suggest that he’ll be the next in line should there be an injury in the centre-three-quarters. That’s been a pleasing thing about Canberra’s set up this year. Next in line is as established and clear as the roles players are implementing on a week to week basis. I’d wager you could guess the backup at almost every position across the squad, such as Noah Martin moving on the bench because Simi moved off it. In other years we’d not have been so certain about the depth chart.

It’s a challenge that everyone is facing this time of the year, and it’s nothing to panic about. It’s better it’s a problem now than in a month. But the stretch of resources is real.

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