Ethan Strange has capped a dream week with a five-star showing for the Raiders, sending a clear message to Laurie Daley that he deserves to remain five-eighth for NSW when the State of Origin series shifts to Melbourne in a couple of weeks.
The powerful five-eighth went within a whisker of being named man of the match on Wednesday, and he backed up his whirlwind debut with another strong performance to lift the Green Machine to a 26-12 win over the Cowboys.
Strange was thrust into the NSW starting side after Mitch Moses suffered a hamstring injury just two days out from the series opener. He was brilliant for the Blues with a try, a huge tackle, and several big runs to help ignite their comeback.
Moses is expected to play for the Eels in what would be his only game back before teams are named for Origin II at the MCG on June 17. Daley has already indicated that Moses is the frontrunner to partner Nathan Cleary if fit.
But Strange has to be in contention to remain five-eighth after another dominant display against North Queensland. He set up the opening try and then powered through to score one of his own before half-time.
Running five-eighths are so effective in the Origin arena, with Daley now facing a genuine selection headache between a proven performer like Moses and a rookie who showed he belongs on that stage.
Triple Treat for Raiders
The Raiders have struggled at home this season, but Sunday’s win could spark the minor premiers into life. They can thank a four-minute burst in the first half when they scored three tries in as many sets, with goal-kicking the only thing letting them down.
Hudson Young backed up from Origin and played a key role in two of their tries with shortside raids on the last tackle, while Daine Laurie sliced through to set up a Tom Starling try. They’re still outside the top eight, but their backline is heating up in the Canberra cold just when they needed it. However, Seb Kris was forced off with five minutes to go after a heavy collision on a day he scored twice.
Quirk of the Ladder
Only two teams have won more games than the Cowboys this year, yet they find themselves outside the top eight after a disappointing afternoon in the nation’s capital. The Cowboys are now 8-5 but haven’t had their first bye yet, which has allowed several teams to leapfrog them despite boasting inferior records.
Their usually dynamic attack was held to just one line break in the opening hour, while they missed a worrying 61 tackles on a day milestone man Tom Mikaele suffered a leg injury.
