BY DAN

Team list Tuesday is back, and what a way to start the year. There’s curveballs throughout the team list named by the Milk, and they throw up more questions than a toddler with a curiosity.

Our main takeaway is that it shows that the Raiders are not beholden to last year’s dreams. Nothing is certain – it is just a team list after all. But if you thought the Milk were expecting last year’s plan to work again, then this list shows they’re not being complacent. Whether the pathways they’re pursuing is a good thing is a whole other question, and one unlikely to be answered on Friday. Let’s have a look at the key surprises.

Future on hold?

First off, I am neck deep in a paper bag seeing Owen Pattie at the starting nine. As we’ve noted in the off-season, it seemed like the Milk were increasingly leaning towards playing Jayden Brailey alongside Tommy Starling. Pattie starting in the reserves trial is a further indicator of this. I think it’s safe to say Owen is going to have to earn his spot back, much to my (and I presume his) chagrin.

This is not an outrage, as other decisions around the rake have been in years past. My take all along is that the club wanted to provide stability in its young spine. They seem increasingly attracted to the certainty of Brailey (if healthy) in reducing the load on Ethan Sanders shoulders. It seems likely that the view is that Pattie was pushed too much in 2025, and could use more time and space to develop. Is this the end of the youth policy? I think that’s a bit simplistic, but it’s certainly an indicator that sweet certainty will always be the siren song that Stuart cannot resist.

Matty Nicholson comeback stasis?

We’re big fans of Nicholson’s hard-running and hard-working backrower work, but he was underdone at the end of last season after his major injury. Our hope had been that with a full off-season he’d be ready to retain his position on the right edge, allowing the Milk to deploy Zac Hosking and Simi Sasagi as a ball of fire through the middle of the park, particularly given whatever the hell V’Landys is planning.

But if Nicholson is running around with the reserve grade team, it’s indicative that plan is no longer, at least not for now, and instead Hosking is likely to start on the edge. He’s very good at that, but I fear it underutilises Nicholson and reduces the Milk’s comparative advantage through the middle. Noah Martin is also not named at all. He may be a real chance of playing first grade, and his absence suggests that Matty Muffins may be not just ‘not-in’ but also ‘not-next’. We’ll have to wait and see.

Outside back competition

You may notice Sav Tamale named as starting centre, alongside emerging outside back Mark Tualii. It turns out Coach Stuart may have been serious about Tamale, Sione Finau and Seb Kris pushing for minutes at centre. Tamale and Tualii will likely be replaced by Kris and Finau in the second half.

This suggests not just that Tamale is a real shot to play centre, or that Finau is in the mix, but also that it is Kris, rather than Matty Timoko (not named at all), who’s seat is hottest. That is a very big surprise. How this all fits in with Xavier Savage’s unavailability is hard to tell.

For me Tamale is a weapon, and his comparative advantage is in his yardage work at winger. I’d hate to see the Milk sacrifice that, but he is such a talent that he may just be better at centre. It will be interesting to see.

Daine Laurie, halfback

Daine Laurie’s role with the club has been spoken of in general times and our understanding has been filled out by guess work and implication. This game has him in the number 7, but I don’t think he’ll necessarily be the ball-dominant, game-managing half. Jalen Afamasaga, playing alongside him in the six jersey, may get more of a job there. Ethan Alaia is on the bench too, and I’m keen to see just what position he plays when he comes on the field, presumably in the second half.

Either way though, it’s beyond clear now that Laurie isn’t just a backup for Kaeo Weekes (or at all, given both Chevy Stewart and Alaia are in the squad and would expect to play there. Laurie’s role with the club will mostly be in the halves. I am curious to see how that goes.

Team lists, and trial lists at that, don’t decide seasons. But they do reveal what the club believes. This one shows that Coach Stuart isn’t wedded to last year’s assumptions, even if the end result for 2026 isn’t clear. Maybe that’s infuriating, maybe it’s brave. Unquestionably though it’s different. We’ve routinely said Canberra can ill-afford to stand still if they’re serious about being a contender. Well, walk on baby. They’re doing exactly as we asked.

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