BY DAN

Instead of replacement, Ricky Stuart has chosen flexibility.

Josh Papalii is absent for six weeks (at least). Hudson Young is out for two, and if Origin comes knocking even more. With existing injuries, this presents Canberra with a rare test of depth in their middle rotation.

Rather than promoting like-for-like, but green, solutions, Sticky has chosen more experienced players that could fill major minutes through a plethora of permutations. Joe Roddy is in the 17, alongside Daine Laurie for the first time this season. Chevy Stewart and Sav Tamale join the 19-man game-day squad.

Roddy is perhaps the least controversial of this grouping. He’s been in the game day squad for much of this year, but has only gotten on the field once – for 16 minutes. He will likely fill middle minutes, but he’s got experience in Cup playing on an edge, and the size and speed (and work ethic) to do it. I doubt he’ll spell Noah Martin or Zac Hosking on the edge, but I wouldn’t rule it out.

Daine Laurie will almost certainly play. He’s been one of the most consistent players in Cup, and the social media team has already announced his club debut. He’s been overqualified for Cup, mostly playing fullback and five-eighth, which alongside right centre or prop/captain, are the positions the Raiders least need filled. But Laurie is known for his versatility and I think that is exactly what he’s being picked for.

My guess is his role is primarily in support of the middle, but in a less traditional way. He won’t be taking hit ups, rather connecting the two sides of the field, offering an additional support runner if a middle can get their arm free in the tackle. Call it a ball-playing 13 but it’s not quite the same. Timing-wise I would assume this is mostly in the back twenty minutes of the game, much like Tom Starling has been used in recent weeks: alongside Jayden Brailey rather than instead of him.

But this use isn’t the only option this line up presents. The Sticky smokescreen reader broke when the team list was released. Laurie can also play in the spine, or outside backs, as needed. Chevy Stewart and Sav Tamale offer similar utility across the outside backs. Any three of these could find themselves in a position that allows Simi Sasagi to shift from the centres to another role, either in reinforcing the middle or replacement of the edge. This could occur before game-day (or on game-day), with either Stewart a straight replacement of Sasagi or Tamale replacing Seb Kris. 

Moving Simi, or anyone else in the backs, would hardly be the preferred approach, either for me or Coach Stuart. With the form Simi is in, you want him getting the ball in his preferred position outside Ethan Strange. You don’t want to move him to be a battering ram in the middle, or putting him on the bench to have him watching the game he could be winning.

But when the lineup depth is tested in this way, you sometimes have to make decisions you don’t want to just to keep everything afloat. It’s just a shame the club hasn’t seen enough in either Vena Patuki-Case or Jake Clydsdale to allow them to make a more like-for-like swap. I remain flummoxed there’s no role for Owen Pattie. I guess Stick wasn’t lying when he wanted Owen to get minutes under his belt.

Most likely is that Stuart is giving himself options. I’m sure plan A is that Tapine, Mariota, Horse and Morgan all play around fifty minutes, and Roddy plays 15-20. Maybe you can squeeze more minutes out of Roddy. I think he’s ready. Maybe you get a few more from Tom Starling going 80 again. Maybe Horse and Morgs turn back the clock to previous years where they cracked 60 plus minutes. After that he’ll give himself options and trust that Laurie is sufficiently experienced to adapt to the changing environment. Or that Stewart or Tamale are sufficiently talented.

My major concern with all of that is defensive. Terrell May will spot Daine Laurie in the defensive line. It will be up to Laurie to handle the contact. There’s something a bit “too smart by half” about this. Not enough mining of the depth chart in a straight line. I guess it all depends how you define the next man up.

It’s an intriguing situation for the Milk. Canberra aren’t used to facing a pack that vastly outweighs their own. Nor would they hope to do it with such a deficit in depth in the forwards.

But it is what it is – a difficult problem to solve. Stuart is backing flexibility, and maybe a change of pace to get it done.

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