‘Break the ice’: Ricky Stuart reveals long-term plan for Ethan Strange, says heartbreaking finals exit built Canberra’s off-season

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is confident the decision to “break the ice” by handing Ethan Strange his NRL debut last season will only help him in 2024, although he concedes it will take 40 or 50 games before we see the youngster’s best as he steps into the massive boots vacated by Jack Wighton.

Strange couldn’t have asked for a more daunting debut, with Canberra going down to the Storm 48-2 in Melbourne, but the experience will only help the teenager who has been named to start at five-eighth against Newcastle.

“It went through my mind last year that I could have gone another way, but I thought I’d break the ice with Ethan, so I put him outside Jack Wighton so he had experience around him,” Stuart said.

“It wasn’t the result we chased, and it was a pretty tough day on that left edge for our whole left edge, but I know that just breaking the ice has been a major advantage for Ethan’s preparation this week.”

Strange impressed in the trials with a dazzling solo try against the Cowboys and will now start alongside Jamal Fogarty, with Kaeo Weekes missing out on the 17 for the trip to Newcastle.

“It was pretty late, the decision itself (to pick Strange at five-eighth),” Stuart said.

“These players that we’ve got here, the new recruits and some of our younger players, they are going to be long-term NRL players. That’s Kaeo, Ethan and a number of other players.

“The younger players in the off-season this year have really given so much enjoyment to an off-season.

“I know it’s difficult to enjoy hard work, especially with the loads we’ve put on the players this year, but it’s been a fun off-season.

“The pressure was on me because of the quality of the standard of our off-season.

“Each individual we brought into the squad has got ability. It’s a very, very talented squad of depth, and the quality of the training we’ve had over the past three or four months has put the pressure on me in regards to picking the first team.”

The Raiders head into the 2024 campaign with plenty of question marks over how they will go without club legends Jack Wighton and Jarrod Croker, but Stuart is adamant their new recruits and seasoned campaigners can get the job done.

It all starts in Newcastle where they went down to the Knights in extra time in an epic elimination final last year when the Green Machine was given no chance of pulling off the upset.

“We basically built our off-season off that game,” Stuart said.

“I thought it was a wonderful game of courage. We had a number of players who were out through injury or suspension.

“We had some bad luck in that game where things didn’t go our way with the flow of the football, but I think we were very courageous.

“It was a great performance, and we basically built our off-season off that performance.”

Joseph Tapine will skipper the side with Elliott Whitehead nursing a calf injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for at least three weeks.

“He’s disappointed. I don’t think it’s as bad as we first thought,” the veteran coach said.

“Hopefully, it’s two or three weeks, but if you talk to Elliott, he’ll be right next game.

“He’s always been a great healer, so we thought it could have been a four or six-week injury, but I think it could be a little bit shorter than that.”