BY DAN

Small sample sizes will make you promises and break your heart. They will take you to a steak dinner, tell you how they’ve never felt this way about someone, and then dump you for a floozy with better moustache and dreamier eyes. They are not to be trusted, extrapolated, or treated with anything other than the finest scepticism you can get, direct from the farmer.

But.

*breathes in*

Gee Jayden Brailey had a point wearing thirteen hey?

Brailey’s time at the Raiders has been a curious one. He signed with the club when it seemed that Tom Starling was out the door. Then Starlo stayed, and thrived. Owen Pattie, who was meant to be a future option, became a weapon of the now, and only held back by his age and physical development. Brailey’s skillset – solid service and even solider defence – now felt if not duplicative, then kinda redundant.

But Stick chose Brailey anyway. We speculated as to these reasons in the offseason, landing on the idea of simplifying the role of young half Ethan Sanders. If the Sandman didn’t have to tell the forwards where to go, he could worry about all the other things, like telling the backs what to do.

In his play as the rotation hooker, Brailey hasn’t been bad. He also hasn’t been good. He’s felt like a conversation with someone at a party who is perfectly nice, but is telling you about how great they feel since they gave up all the fun things in life. Like that’s fine, but where’s the upside? Give me Owen Pattie and a hangover any day. Rather than solving the equation, Stick seemed more like me trying to solve imaginary number equations in year 12 maths – three pages of writing and no actual answers.

But if he hadn’t impressed before last weekend, it’s no hyperbole to say that Brailey had the opposite effect against the Titans. Operating as a connecting passer through the middle of the ground, he allowed Sanders, Weekes et al, to ball-play a little wider than first receiver. Sanders put that to great effect when he was finding Simi Sasagi for two tries early in the game. And the connection was even more impressive when Brailey, Starling and Sanders all combined on Sav Tamale’s second half try.

As importantly he solidified a middle defence that has had huge problems finding a way to control the ruck in 2026. It wasn’t perfect (and it was *just* the Titans), but between him, Starlo, Morgan Smithies and Corey Horsburgh, the Raiders found a quartet that was robust in defence. Instead of hanging on like a parent on four hours of interrupted sleep, they seemed rested, regulated, in control. Canberra’s defensive line has not felt so secure all season, to the extent that I went all Poochie when Brailey went off the field.

Perhaps it also worked because it *didn’t* simplify Sanders’ job. Managing people, as halfbacks are sometimes required to do, is a tough ask. Some people succeed from keeping things simple. But others are better off having to handle all the responsibility. Think Ricky Ponting’s leap when given the captain’s metaphorical armband.

That’s one example of many sportsmen who have thrived with more responsibility. Is it too much of a stretch to think that moving Brailey from the ruck not only freed up Sanders to play with more width, but also allowed him a clear voice in the direction of the set? I mean, what is a Colonel who isn’t leading? (I know nothing about army ranks).

It was good to see, but it was just one game, and it was *just* the Titans. Canberra did play with easier width, but that was because the opposition didn’t think they would be insane enough to play their backup hooker at 13. Yes, they did dominate in the middle, but it led to the collective rugby league world going “what is wrong with Tino” rather than ‘this is sustainable’.

It gets quite the test this weekend against the far-and-away best team in the competition. Proving something against the Titans is like a theoretical explanation. Proving it against the Panthers is rolled gold proof of concept.

Brailey has been named as starting 13 again this week. Like last week I would expect that he doesn’t actually start, but is one of the first people off the bench. If Canberra have stumbled into something great we will know after this weekend.

Well, at least we know a little bit better.

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