Raiders Recruitment Roundup

If the Canberra Raiders have learned anything recently it’s that they need to replenish their forward pack.

They lost so many players who have played major minutes in the pack that the depth chart is more like a breadth chart. Corey Horsburgh is officially gone, as is Morgan Smithies. Jayden Brailey is also formally on his way to the Wests Tigers for next year (everyone is going West….presumably because life is peaceful there). Jake Clydsdale is going somewhere next year, but for some reason it isn’t to training in Canberra.

The leftover middle rotation is so bare that Old Mother Hubbard is getting nervous. Ata Mariota has been busy proving he’s ready for a bigger role, and Joe Tapine refuses to age.

Joe Roddy has shown signs he can handle big minutes across the backrow but Jesse Milin isn’t ready for first grade minutes (he’s only just started his Cup journey), and Vena Patuki-Case doesn’t have a contract for next year. It’s pleasing to see him continue to make game day rosters but less encouraging to see Daine Laurie being preferred to him on the field.

Myles Martin, who upon signing we’d hoped would be a first-grade player, is behind Patuki-Case, Milin, Clydsdale etc in the Cup middle rotation. I wouldn’t bet on him making a transition to the top line anytime soon.

Canberra have signed Lipoi Hopoi, and had Jaiyden Hunt tour the facilities and pick up slack last week. Both players are fringe first graders. Hunt is 28, and is what he is at this point, depth and someone you can trust with spot minutes. If he is anything other than a minimum contract for a sometimes player and the last man off the bench then the Raiders will have problems.

Hopoi has more upside, can play across the backrow and prop, and at 24 is champing at the bit for more minutes. That’s a smart bet on potential and the fact that Cam Ciraldo has zero idea who his best players are.

In terms of making pie from the ingredients you have, whoever misses out on the starting backrow spot between Hudson Young, Noah Martin and Matty Nicholson, will get a bench spot for middle rotation. All three could handle the role. With Roddy and Hopoi off the bench the Milk could be playing with an ultra-mobile rotation, bringing back the lightning bench unit of 2025.

But they will still need more meat (don’t we all?). That profile of Roddy, Hopoi and Hosking in a 17 means they don’t have to spend the money finding a perfect like-for-like replacement for Horsburgh and Smithies. They can get their defence workrate elsewhere. That creates more flexibility, and they can go get an impact runner. But they do need multiple players who can play starter minutes in case of [I can’t even bring myself to say it] to Joey Taps or Ata Mariota.

Canberra have more movement to come. Seb Kris was rumoured to be on the radar for the Wahs, and him spending time at 19 on the playing list won’t exactly be encouraging him to stay. The Raiders have given him permission to leave so it’s probably more timing now than trajectory. Chevy Stewart’s position feels less clear than reporting previously suggested, and we’ll be interested to see if a club comes knocking. Canberra could hardly hold him back if they do.

That means even with upgrades for Jesse Milin and Mark Tuailii, and signatures for Hopoi and Hunt, the Raiders might have as many as six spots available for their top 30. That number has increased in recent weeks (a few weeks ago we put it more in the 3-5 range).

Canberra’s needs are really clear. They need a couple of big boppers, and maybe an outside back to balance out the loss of Kris, Asomua and perhaps Stewart. For once they don’t need spine players. They have a clear pipeline there. Behind Sanders is Black. Behind Strange is Laurie and Alaia. Behind Weekes is Stewart and Laurie. Behind Pattie and Starling are Packer and Brophy.

It’s a unique situation for the Milk. Normally they have plenty of middles and no creative talent. But a starting rotation of middles has walked out the door in recent years and now Canberra have found themselves in new territory. They’re flush with fancy pants and need to find some staples to hold their outfit together.

Shopping for bulk is usually the easy bit of a recruitment manager’s job. Maybe it’s just waiting to see how the season shakes out the pockets of the clubs playing finals and grabbing the coins that land on the ground.

But it’s still a hard task for Chris Hutchison, Don Furner and Ricardo. A proven commodity that can handle minutes and be comfortable being the third or fourth or not-at-all prop in the rotation will be hard to come by, let alone more than one of those. But they’ll have to find them. Next season could depend on it.

The Sportress is transitioning away from Facebook and Twitter for distribution so sign up to the email below because daddy needs some pants. Don’t hesitate to send us feedback (dan@sportress.org) or comment below if you think we are stupid. Or if we’re not.