BY DAN

Just when the sun was starting to poke through the clouds of the 2026 season, the Canberra Raiders have been handed another challenge. Hudson Young is on the hook for a two-week break, courtesy of his 78th minute head shot to Sua Fa’aolgo. Joining him on the sidelines will be Josh Papalii, whose stop-start season continues, courtesy of what appears to be a potentially significant calf injury that could keep him out for six weeks, according to the Canberra Times. It’s created a problem right when they didn’t need it.

I will not pretend to be objective about the Hudson Young suspension. People will note recent precedents mean that Young’s situation is broadly in line with what has happened to other players, including stars at big clubs like Patrick Carrigan. Let’s not do redlines and side-by-side clips, other than if this is the line, let’s hope it’s enforced for Nathan Cleary or Reece Walsh when the time comes. And it will.

Gronking aside, Canberra will have a hard time without Hudson. His performance on Friday was extraordinary, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. He’s been a rock on the left edge (and sometimes on the right, occasionally in the middle as needed), and it’s made Ethan Sanders’ adjustment to first grade so much easier.

Missing him for two (or three if they fight it) is hardly ideal, particularly when considered in conjunction with the fact he *should* play Origin footy. This would mean there’s a greater than zero chance the absence is more substantial. That’s not what you want to hear. It’s not what I want to say. Maybe Coach Laurie Daley will forget he exists. It would be the silverest lining to Loz having the attention span of a toddler on TikTok.

The solution here is presumably moving Zac Hosking from right-edge/middle rotation to a stand-alone role on the edge. This makes the Milk heavily reliant on Hosking and Noah Martin putting in 80 minute stints at backrower, and is a risk in itself to hope this works out. But fixing it is also a problem because it weakens the middle rotation.

That’s a problem because Josh Papalii will miss potentially up to six weeks with the most old-man of injuries, a calf tear. We might not know until Monday how long that will be, and even that relies on the Raiders telling people, but there are rumours that it will be up to six weeks.

To my very limited knowledge these things require care in an older body lest they become recurring. The Milk should be cautious. The last thing they need is for him to become a now-and-then player. If this is his last year, then please God give him time to make sure he doesn’t end it on the injury list. But given how thin everything feels right now, there pressure will be felt to get him back on the park.

It’s hardly ideal. It’s becoming more and more obvious that you need more than just two backrowers. Canberra started with the season with five. For the next fortnight they have two, depending on how they want to use Simi Sasagi.

That may be a hand forced in the coming weeks. There are not really other options waiting. Jordan Uta and Roman Tuimau have both looked fine in Cup but it would take a brave coach to put them in first grade now. It seems easier to replace Simi Sasagi (by moving Seb Kris and Matty Timoko to centres, and bringing back Sav Tamale) than it for the youth to make the leap. Moving Simi would be something I would avoid as much as possible – you never interrupt a hot hand. But it may be the only option.

In terms of reinforcing the middle, there are probably a few more options. Morgan Smithies and Corey Horsburgh are likely to play more minutes and longer stints. Joe Roddy will go from the 19, to the likely 17, pairing with Morgan Smithies, Jayden Brailey, and someone else on the bench.

That bench looks light, and the club may be tempted to elevate someone like Vena Patuki-Case, or Jake Clydsdale. Clydsdale had a great outing in Cup against the Storm, and for a brief moment looked the talent the club projects him to be. The club would probably prefer that he keeps playing Cup for a bit, similarly with Patuki-Case. But meat might be required. Given the length of the absence it might be a time to give multiple players opportunities to test themselves at the level. Roddy will likely be first. Clydsdale may well be second.

An option I would be open to (on a temporary basis) is greater use of Tom Starling as part of the middle rotation. The team has been using him there late in games, alongside Jayden Brailey. Perhaps it’s time to lean into that as an emergency move. You could even put Owen Pattie in the 19, and if needed play three hookers. Stick would love that, and if it got Pattie major minutes in first grade I would be happy. And really, they’re the two people that need to be pleased, right? I kid…kinda.

Look, it’s not a fun challenge to have, and not the kind of thing that you want to face just as you’re putting the band back together. Add to that the quality of the opposition, a must win against the Titans the week after, and the Panthers on the horizon, and it starts to feel desperate.

Good teams take these problems in stride. That’s the test of depth. The next man up knows his job, his role, and the team finds a way to muddle through. Winning is all that matters. Let’s hope the Raiders keep finding a way.

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