BY DAN

The ever-changing combinations in the Canberra Raiders backline get a welcome jolt this weekend with the return of Simi Sasagi.

We’ve been waiting a long time for reinforcements. Recent comments by Coach Stuart had led us to believe that it would be another week. Perhaps they were sharking. Perhaps Simi has just progressed quicker than they thought. Perhaps it’s a case of desperate times. Either way, it’s good to have him back.

His entry is in the centres, at the expense of Seb Kris. We’ll have to wait and see how that lands for game day. Kris has hardly set the game on fire this season, but he hasn’t been atrocious (or any more atrocious than anyone else in the backline). The eye test suggests that he hasn’t had the opportunities he’s had in previous years. The stats say he’s making about the same metres as last year. The tackle busts are down, which matches the eye-test vibe that he’s not getting through the line as he once did.

It’s surprised me that Stuart hasn’t taken the opportunity to bolster his middles (by playing Simi on the edge and Hosking in 13). I guess Stuart’s decision on that was made earlier this year, and cemented by Sasagi’s performance in the first half of the season. Some time out evidently hasn’t altered Stick’s plan. Play your best guys at their best positions. Problem solved. At least for Sasagi.

Interestingly, Matt Timoko has kept his spot in the centres ahead of Kris. He looked effective playing on the left last weekend. Perhaps the decision was as simple as Timoko won left centre, and Kris’s performance at right centre wasn’t enough to keep Sasagi out. Kris will be on the bench in 17, so there are always opportunities to bring Kris into the outside backs. It’s more effective than making Daine Laurie play centre as we saw last week.

I’m curious whether Stuart will continue to start Strange on the left. As we said in the game review, I think too much is made of which side he plays on, but it’s hard to argue against the fact that he and Sasagi were like me and Mrs Jones (they had a thiiiiiiiiing, going ooooooon). Does Stuart give Sanders and Weekes the weapon on the right, or reunite Strange and Sasagi (Strangesagi!)? I don’t care as long as Strange gets plenty of opportunities to take three steps before being jacked by defenders.

The real problem here with playing Simi Sasagi in the centres is that Jayden Brailey remains at 13. No shade to a consummate professional, but the continuation of this experiment to make him a middle makes everyone else’s job harder. He averages the least tackle breaks of any Canberra player, has zero offloads on the season, and generally doesn’t threaten the defence. On the other side of the ball, he’s solid at his job, but not big enough to be the help defender the Raiders need at lock.

This has particular impacts with the presence of Owen Pattie. He’s got the starting job at 9 again and is a brilliant attacking hooker. But in defence he’s not as strong as Brailey or Starling. That’s fine, if your hooker and one half are targets it can be managed. Jump out and make early contact, and let the bigs clean up the mess. But when the big cleaning up is another target, then you have a problem.

This was perfectly demonstrated in the Munster try last week, where Pattie got isolated on the goal line with only Kaeo Weekes and Brailey for help. No wonder Cameron took them on. The problem would be similar if Starling was starting at 13, so putting the 14 on the field instead of Brailey won’t necessarily solve the problem. There’s a need for meat in the middle, and unfortunately without Sasagi forcing a shuffle, only Jake Clydsdale’s presence in the 19 gives us hope. But it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll see the field.

Perhaps Stick has a plan for the day. Perhaps he thinks Brailey’s defence is better than the alternative of shifting Hosking. Perhaps he’s recognised that this season ain’t it, and he doesn’t want to wear out Zac Hosking’s body on high-impact middle minutes. Perhaps he’s just trying to put his best guys where they need to be and work the rest out from there. I won’t pretend it’s cut-and-dry in any particular direction. Pick your poison, either way it’s bitter.