BY DAN

Ricky Stuart is a merciful god, or merciless, depending on your viewpoint.

In the midst of a crushing confidence issue for Savelio Tamale, Coach Stuart is resting the winger. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but it’s a predictable outcome. While it may have been foreseeable, it doesn’t mean it’s without risk.

As we’ve said both in the Review, and since, Tamale’s game has been overwhelmed by a confused mind under the high ball. This has put both pressure on the rest of the team, and the rest of his game and both have wilted. Most will see his near-failure to finish off his intercept try on the weekend as a perfect example of the muddled mind. A week or so off the field, or in cup, to just find a bit of clarity, is the intent.

That he’s had a tough start to the year and is still averaging 186 metres and 6.6 tackle breaks a game underscores the significance of the decision. At his best Tamale is a representative level player, one who led the league in line breaks and tackle breaks before his injury last season. His yardage work is a foundation piece for the Raiders’ success, easing the workload of big middles and allowing them easier runs later in sets. He’s fast, but he’s also strong, and normally an effective finisher and safe ball-runner.

But right now his inability to take high kicks puts pressure on both him, and the team. It seems that Tamale has found himself in the rugby league version of the yips. Jumping for balls he doesn’t need to. Turning his back to the oncoming defence still metres away. Uncharacteristically losing the ball in contact.

It’s permeated other facets of his game – he’s made handling errors in every game this year – and has impacts on the rest of the side. My preferred approach would have been to let him work it out, but evidently Stuart has taken a more drastic, or coddling option, depending on what is going on behind the scenes. Hopefully this has been done with his well-being at heart, with a well-communicated pathway back to first grade.

There is substantial structural risk associated with the proposed solution. In the shuffle, Simi Sasagi has been named at left centre. He’s inarguably been a revelation this year on the right edge, forming the Raiders’ most promising attacking threat alongside Ethan Strange. Hoping he can do the same from left centre is not beyond reality, but it is a risk to something that was plainly working.

Matt Timoko comes in at right centre to replace Sasagi. He’s fought his own demons over the last twelve months, first in a desperate attempt to stem the flow as the focal point of the weakness in the Raiders’ defence last season, and second in having to watch Sasagi take his spot away.

We always assumed putting him next to Ethan Strange would help him solve his defensive issues. But that side of the defence hasn’t exactly been thriving without him – 52 per cent of the tries they have conceded have been down that channel, and last weekend saw Zac Hosking and Hudson Young redeployed to address the problem. The team list has Noah Martin in the spot this week. We’ll see if that lasts through game day.

Finally Seb Kris moves to the left wing – the actual replacement for Tamale. He looked more comfortable under the high ball than Tamale (or anyone in the back three), which isn’t saying much, but is a necessary improvement. He’ll be able to get through the yardage, and do much of the work asked of him in attack.

The question will obviously be asked: could have Stick been more patient? Is there more to it than we’ve been told? This is a huge amount of change just to solve a single issue. Were there options with less change? Would Sione Finau or Chevy Stewart have been able to fill the role without the entire backline having to shift around, without having to weaken a strength to strengthen a weakness. Could Tamale have found his way without having to watch from the sidelines? Is there not an option with less risk?

I guess it speaks to the increasingly desperate situation Stuart feels the Raiders are in. They don’t have the buffer to play with. Right now they’re red-lining just to get to competitiveness, and dropping kicks has compounded so many problems for the Milk. The middle defence has been cooked far too often in this short season. Having to run back to defend a kick error only exacerbates that, and removes the option for an in-game rest for these players.

The Raiders don’t necessarily need the opposition parked on the goal line at the best of times. But when you’re already conceding an average of 30 plus points a game you can understand a desire to stop the bleeding.

The god of Canberra has chosen. Whether it was a benevolent decision or not is only known to a few. The solution is a risky one. But perhaps that’s where Canberra’s season is at.

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