The We Shouldn’t Have Let Him Go ache

This post also appeared on Crikey Sports.

As Canberra Raiders prepare for a Monday night clash with the Parramatta Eels, the Green Machine faithful are lamenting past players and opportunities lost.

In past seasons, attempts to attract top shelf players to the nation’s capital have been as difficult as painting a bed post in the rain with a toothbrush.

While stymied to some extent by the 2009 signings of international forwards Bronson Harrison and David Shillington, the emphasis has now shifted to the battle to retain players.

While talk across the competition’s opening rounds has been about see-sawing momentum swings and come from behind performances. The story for Raiders’ fans has been the We Shouldn’t Have Let Him Go ache. The number of Raider alumni killing it for new teams in 2010 is staggering.

A quick glance sees Phil Graham and Todd Carney heavily involved in the Roosters attack. After heading to the Dragons, Michael Weyman shed himself in weight earning an Origin spot in the process.

Adrian Purtell is scoring game winning four pointers for the Mountain Men, the Temora Toiler Ryan Hinchcliffe is making a valuable contribution for premiers Melbourne while the ageless Colin Best is enjoying success with the Rabbits.

Agonizingly William Zillman is aptly filling in for Preston Campbell at fullback for the Gold Coast Silent Developers...

I could go on and on.

The rueing of opportunities missed or muffed is a common trait amongst sporting fans, it plays right into the underdog aesthetic.

It sure beats two years of dwelling on just how a young star threw away his Raiders tenure after urinating in a mate’s mate’s mouth and subsequently had his hometown change the locks on him.

I’d love to acknowledge Raiders general manager, Don Furner as the Billy Beane* of the NRL. Consistently identifying undervalued talent, scouting players overlooked by other clubs who will produce on the field and become profitable assets.

The reality is that the 15 clubs not based in Canberra are the Billy Beanes of the NRL - consistently pinching promising Raiders undervalued by the club think-tank.

Unfortunately we don’t trade blokes in rugby league, it’s just not the ‘done’ thing. So after identifying a youngster and investing club resources into development, the player walks (or in Canberra’s case is shown the door) and the club is left with no compensation - forced to blood underdeveloped youngsters to fill the gap.

Weyman is the textbook example.

It’s easy to question club motives when your side is losing. After all hindsight is a prize fans thrive on. A club repeating past mistakes is frustrating for a fan but in the end only winning will ease the ache.

*Author Michael Lewis documented Major League Baseball general manager Billy Beane and his club the Oakland Athletics methods of identifying undervalued baseball talent (one of many concepts adopted by the franchise). For mine, the Melbourne Storm are the only NRL side to successfully adopt the Moneyball approach of replacing high profile players with previously undervalued players. You can’t argue with four grand final appearances in as many seasons.

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