Missing Noah Martin

It sounds like Noah Martin is going to be out a long time.

Coach Stuart told the post-game press conference

It’s a long-term injury. He’s getting scans tomorrow or Monday, and again, it’s just frustrates me because it’s no one’s fault – Stick

That information felt like an early hangover on what should have been a celebratory night. We’d already suspected that it wasn’t going to be good – it’s been that kind of year – but it felt undeserved. What have we done to anger the footy gods? Did someone not obey Zeus’ law? Most presume it’s a 4-6 week injury, which basically takes him to the end of the season, making any meaningful return unlikely.

For Martin it’s upsetting because it means that a critical year of development has been interrupted. He’s only just gotten on the park in first grade, trusted by Coach Stuart with a degree of responsibility beyond his years. Even Hudson Young wasn’t given this clean of a run to a full-time starting spot. That’s the potential they see in Martin. It’s just a shame that they haven’t gotten the time this year to iron out the imperfections.

And the two injuries suffered are seemingly just horrible luck. We can’t speak to the quadricep injury that emerged from closed doors last week, but the hip drop that ruined his ankles was something that couldn’t be helped (by Martin at least).

But it brings a familiar challenge to a rugby league team already used to piecing together football teams from the shards of our dreams. It’s felt like all season that the Raiders have been trying to negotiate with fate to find a line-up that sticks.

Having actual backrowers to play the position is something we’ve all spent time pining for this season. Turns out we share that desire with Coach Stuart, who told the press conference that “it’s nice having genuine backrowers play backrow” (footy science!).

Apart from missing the weaponry of Martin’s hard-running and impressive defence workrate, it reduces the optionality that the Raiders have in how they deploy their middles. Stuart noted this, noting that Matty Nicholson’s return on the bench gave him the ability to rest Joe Tapine more.

There are more options than that. Or at least there should be. But the Raiders just don’t have them right now. Zac Hosking (as interestingly confirmed by Stuart) should be a middle but is now Canberra’s most experienced backrower. Ata Mariota, finally playing football that matches with his potential, started on the edge, something he’s only ever really done in case of emergency.

It means we get scenarios where Daine Laurie is playing fifty plus minutes as a lock. Jayden Brailey and Tom Starling playing 20 odd minutes of football together in the middle. Zero chance of unleashing the Raiders most agile middle – Hosking – around the ruck where he yearns to be. Less defensive support for the returning Owen Pattie because Brailey or Laurie simply aren’t made for that task.

That worked against the Tigers because they are a rabble. That kind of smoke and mirrors has worked against similar sides like the Titans. But the Raiders have much harder battles in the coming weeks, and the tightrope they’re walking does not have any support.

The Panthers, Knights, Sharks, Broncos, Cows is the path home, and the Raiders can only realistically afford to drop one game. At full strength that would be quite an ask. With a team more depleted than Odysseus’ crew post a snack on the sun god’s cattle, it becomes nigh on impossible…like some sort of Odyssey.

Canberra can’t seem to keep a backrower on the field. It’s gotten to the point where they should probably just name four props, like how some buildings don’t have a 13th floor.

You wouldn’t want to be a backrower in this footy team, we’ve had that much bad luck with injury.

Amen to that Rick.

The Sportress is transitioning away from Facebook and Twitter for distribution so sign up to the email below and I’ll pour a celebration whisky for you too. Don’t hesitate to send us feedback (dan@sportress.org) or comment below if you think we are stupid. Or if we’re not.