Big Boys back for Raiders; bulk hurt on way for Wahs
Jamal Fogarty and Zac Hosking are back, and so is Hudson Young, and the Canberra Raiders are nudging closer to their Best XVII.
It will sound obvious because it is obvious, but to win games in this man’s National Rugby League you need good players. And you also need them playing.
And even then you’re no lock.
For such is the comp-evening qualities of the salary cap, that outside the depth-charged Penrith Panthers or the jobs-for-life Sydney Roosters, or the barnacle-hard and maniacal Melbourne Storm, it’s the same for every club in the competition.
Lose a few from your best XVII and you can be stretched very thin.
Look at the one-town-team Brisbane Broncos; few guys out and they’re bumping their chins down rungs of the NRL ladder.
Look at Sharks, Dogs, Sea Eagles, Cows - call them the Raiders’ direct competition - they’ve all been bashed up and lost games as a result. Take Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans out of Manly, you could beat them with the Beacon Hill Bears.
No you couldn’t. But they would be significantly less good at rugby league, as the Raiders have been without Jamal Fogarty and Zac Hosking, winning just three of their last nine games.
Corey Horsburgh’s only played two games all year, the last time in April. And he’ll be out for a few more yet because he head-butted someone in reserve grade. As Wayne Bennett said of some young fellows, you can’t put heads on statues.
So, no halfback, no gun backrowers, kids in the six and the one, the captain, Elliott Whitehead, out for six games … and yet we’re two points out of the eight. We did something right. We can do it again.
Yes, Campbelltown was horrible. Borderline disaster. Crushing defeat. But, last couple weeks, despite losses to Storm and Knights, the defence, at least, has been good. And as old Yoda would tell you, attitude, defence is.
And come Friday night, outside Pasami Saulo, Nick Cotric and the big kid bopper concussed on debut, Jordan Martin - and you could throw in Corey Harawiri-Naira if you were of a mind, really hope the docs tell him he can play again - the Canberra Raiders are near to full strength for the Big One on Friday night at GIO Stadium against New Zealand Warriors.
And it’s not a bad unit. It’s a team of plucky try-hards, gnarled old warriors and kids, with some Origin quality in Young and fighting-fit Horsburgh, while Josh Papalii played for Queensland and Joe Tapine would have had he been from an earlier generation when Queensland was looser with laws pertaining to state eligibility.
So, bit of adventure with the hands, some strong kick-and-chase, some hard-boned defence - all while making them make many tackles - and I like us Friday night in the frost at home.
Them? Shaun Johnson is out, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is out, Marcelo Montoya is out. Mitchell Barnett and Kurt Capewell played in that bone-bashing State of Origin fixture on Wednesday night.
Yes, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak are dangerous people, and Wayde Egan and Te Maire Martin have a few tricks. And Addin Fonua-Blake is among the game’s best rumblers.
But he’s only good for 52 minutes or so, and we’ve got three of him, and you’d suggest Canberra Raiders 26 defeat New Zealand Warriors 14 at GIO Stadium on Friday night.
Up the Milk.