BY DAN

Sigh. It’s the hope that gets ya. 

We were hoping for Papa’s return this team list, but while we got Huddo, Stranger and Sav, we are still waiting on the big guy. It’s still not everyone (my kingdom for a healthy backrow), and while it looks less shonky than last week, it’s still cooked in the problems that have plagued it all year.

I suppose we should be somewhat grateful. People are mostly where they should be. Backrowers are in the backrow. Centres are at centre. Ethan Strange being there makes me feel nice in a way that I shouldn’t publicly advertise. Ata Mariota is on the bench alongside another middle. There’s even a proper 13 instead of a hoo….oh.

Of course it’s reliant on Young and Strange backing up. Given Laurie seems almost certain to start Mitchell Moses, Strange won’t be getting through big minutes, even if Loz deploys him as a ‘backrower’ as he told the media today. I assume this is just as a ball-playing middle because Loz is old. You’d assume without some sort of disaster (knocks on wood, tosses salt over his shoulder, converts to Catholicism just so he can start praying the rosary) that he’ll get through 80 without a problem on Sunday afternoon.

Young will likely have to get through 80 on Wednesday, and it’s helpful that he’s fitter than a turner. That, and the insanity that will drive him to play 240 minutes of football between Wednesday and Sunday week is a blessing for Raiders fans.

But despite Strange and Young likely being back, and Sav Tamale coming back from head injury, the team still looks unbalanced. Really, it’s missing Josh Papalii, whose absence continues – and frustrates. Papalii being back would have been pleasing for multiple reasons. It would bring balance to the force. Canberra would have three middles on the bench, and could go hell-for-leather in trying to kick the crud out of the Storm’s biggest weakness. If Stuart wasn’t a coward he would have kept Patuki-Case involved, instead of relegating him to the dreaded ‘break in case of emergency’ 19th spot. That may have allowed the Raiders to stop relying on Jayden Brailey as a lock. Alas.

It would have also been good to have Papa back for the vibes. His season has staccatoed due to injury and suspension this year, and even at 84 he is still one of the Milk’s most effective defenders in the middle, and a threat in attack. Him running off Owen Pattie’s shoulder is the weapon the young hooker has been waiting for. Sigh.

At least some verve to the middle will be enabled by the return of Savelio Tamale, whose absence was exacerbated by Xavier Savage having his worst game in….ages? Canberra need punch out of the backfield, especially on exit sets. Last week they didn’t get that at all. Tamale is one of the best in the league at that job (provided he can catch the kick usually aimed his way).

But Canberra are still a middle too short, and will still have difficulty defending between the scrum lines. That continues a weakness that feels like it has been exposed for weeks now, despite Joe Tapine’s best efforts. Tom Starling plays better downhill, and the Milk are battling up a gradient like Sisyphus with a hangover. Given Stick’s reluctance to play Owen Pattie, it’s unclear just how they are going to succeed without finding a way to manipulate a bit of space for their backs.

Stick has a plan to improve the inept offence we saw last week. He said so at the press conference after the loss. But if changing how you were doing things starts with changing who’s doing them, Stick isn’t buying it. The Raiders are going over the top again, for the 19^th time, like no one would expect it. But they do expect it, and when they’re met with the machine gun fire, the Milk still have no solution.

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