BY DAN

After reports emerged that Jake Clifford wouldn’t be leaving North Queensland the green eyes of the Canberra Raiders have switched their glare to Sandon Smith.

Canberra are in search of a half. One that can start if they need, but wouldn’t necessarily expect to. It’s a tough needle to thread. You want experience but not Chad Townsend experience. You want the perspicacity of youth but not the entitlement. These players exist, but they aren’t in plentiful supply. Usually they’re balancing a tight-rope between first grade and super league. Your Lachlan Lams. Your Toby Sextons. Your Brodie Crofts. Shit even Clifford has been rumoured to be linked to NSW Cup’s champagne-habits brother.

Sandon Smith probably has too much of a future ahead of him to want to play that role. While he’s fallen behind Sam Walker and Hugo Savala in the Roosters depth chart he’s still played too much first grade in the last three seasons to want to hang out as a sometimes footballer. He’s also contracted for 2026, after signing an extension at the end of last season. But the spectre of Daly Cherry-Evans hangs over him. If DCE winds his way to Bondi the play the Cooper Cronk memorial role, that would put Smith a far way from first grade.

That may put him on the market, which is why Canberra are “monitoring” rather than engaging. They’re not allowed to speak to him, or really express interest in having him, until the Roosters give him permission to search for a new home for 2026. That seems entirely dependent on DCE, so it won’t be clear until after the season. That puts him in the same basket as Lachlan Illias, who similarly is contracted for next season and is off limits, for now.

As a player he’s a good footballer, but a curious target for the Milk. He’s seems more of a secondary half than a lead man. To borrow the old binary, he’s always felt more of a runner to me, and as a backup to Ethan Sanders it is an imperfect fit. He makes much more sense as depth behind Ethan Strange. That would make Adam Cook the backup, and the bet on Ethan Sanders that much bigger, which seems to defeat the purpose of the whole venture. But a cursory glance at the roster shows that Canberra need depth at both halves position, and Sandon’s ability to cover both handily would be appealing.

There’s also value in his utility. Near half of his games in first grade have been off the bench, and while it’s mostly been to play in the halves, he can cover multiple positions in a pinch. Canberra have shown an ability in recent years to take players of no fixed address and give them a role and a position. Weekes, Sasagi, Hosking have already found forever homes and roles in Canberra. It’s fair to think that they may be able to offer Smith a similar glow up. He’s unquestionably a talented footballer, and the Raiders would be better with him at the club, whatever his role.

But I’d caution getting too carried away. Like when Canberra “signed” Jake Clifford (you’re on the list with Hoops and the Mole now too, Triple M), this seems to be more about the club expressing a desire in the hope that maybe they’ll get a positive reaction in return. At the moment Smith can’t sign with them, and hasn’t given any indication he would even if he could. The Roosters won’t let him go until they’ve worked out what they’re doing for next year, which won’t be until other dominoes fall. Or retire. Alas we wait.

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