The Daily Telegraph is reporting the Raiders are pursuing a player swap, sending Hudson Young in exchange for Liam Martin. Like any good off-season yarn, there is some reporting, some conjecture, and a whole lot of assumption. While the information suggests Canberra may be progressing their negotiations with Martin, any deal still feels a way off.
Let’s keep it up front that if I had a dollar for every time a player swap was proposed and didn’t eventuate, I’d be as rich as Jensen Huang’s soon-to-be ex-wife. This is an offseason staple to get suckers like me and you to play a bit of fantasy football and click a link. I mean what if Martin was starting at right back row next year? I’ve already started wondering how we fit people into the team. It’s not healthy, but like my diet, the intent isn’t health, it’s feeding the beast.
But this is slightly different. It’s come from David Riccio, who’s usually on the other end of the phone from Ricky Stuart. I don’t know why. Maybe Rick likes the name. But it does make it seem the information is likely coming from the Raiders. This could also explain why the information and action is unidirectional at this point.
It does provide a hint that perhaps the conversations with Martin are going better than expected for the Raiders. You wouldn’t be asking for a player early if you didn’t think there’s a chance you’ll get him on the long deal. The reporting has made a big deal of the fact that Stick has spoken to Martin. It’s also slightly funnier that it notes that Donny Furns and Martin’s manager were ‘spotted’ speaking at a public NewsCorp event last week.
But there are caveats to that. How well those discussions are going are relative to how they’re going for Martin with the ‘Riff. He’s been clear that it’s his preference to stay there. This dalliance with the Raiders has always felt like an attempt to get Penrith to up their offer.
This could well be the escalation of that process. Oh you think I won’t go? The Raiders want me to come now! You better lift your offer. It could also be the Raiders trying to lever him out, make Penrith think it’s a forgone conclusion and they need to get what they can when they can get it. Everyone is dancing in the dark at the moment, and whose hands are where is anyone’s guess.
It does put another nail in the coffin of Hudson Young’s time with the club. The reporting suggested that Young has been trying to reach out to Ricky to ‘clear the air’ for next year. He’s also tried to emphasise his desire to be in Canberra next year.
This is likely part mea culpa to the club, and Ricky. It’s also reflective of the fact it may be tough to get a team to take a punt on someone recovering from an Achilles injury. He gets paid his current deal wherever he lands, so why push himself for public rejection?
At the moment Young’s position for both clubs is at its weakest. For the Raiders he’s an ex-partner living in the front room. For the ‘Riff he’s an uncertain loan-deal. He’d be wise to be quiet and get fit. There’s no pathway for him to convince Stuart to not hold a grudge, or Ivan Cleary to take a punt.
It’s an awkward and intriguing situation. If I was Penrith I wouldn’t want to make the swap, and it would take the player himself asking for a favour to convince me to let him leave. Why would Penrith willingly give up a key year of a rep player’s prime just because he’s leaving the next year? Why not get all the value you can while it’s there? Why do this to take a one-year loan of a player with a Patroclus-less Achilles?
It feels like a one-sided discussion at this point. Only one team has the incentive. The other continues to play hard-ball with a star desperate to be there. Must be nice. While Canberra are (and should be) continuing to look for ways to leverage representative footballers on to their roster, there is plenty of work to do before Martin is in green.
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