Josh Hodgson can't save Raiders from dud rugby league

The eighth Immortal Andrew Johns could shift entire betting markets on the strength of his own nobbled knees. If punters got wind before bookmakers that Johns would not play, such was the weight of money moving it was like the fix was in. Johns was like a plunge horse. He was Fine Cotton. He was Newcastle Knights. They never liked to admit it. But he was.

Most clubs have one or two irreplaceable units. Johnathan Thurston has long had the same effect on the fortunes of North Queensland Cowboys. Today’s Newcastle Knights could certainly do with Mitchell Pearce on the park but their one running gun is Kalyn Ponga, 20, whose hamstring tear five minutes into the Saturday afternoon fixture with Canterbury Bulldogs doomed the locals.

The Dragons have plenty of guns but all the good stuff comes off Gareth Widdop. Without Martin Taupau’s 148 metres and two offloads, Manly don’t upset Penrith. The Sharks don’t beat the Warriors without Paul Gallen’s 170 metres with 62m post-contact. Gallen may never stop playing.

Melbourne wouldn’t have beaten the Roosters without Cameron Smith and his spectacular match-winning field goal. Smith is the best player in the competition. Johns declared him the best he’s ever seen. Smith’s work out of dummy-half, his vision around the ground, his tactical kicking, his smarts, his game- and referee-management, the man’s a marvel. And one day he’ll ascend into the pantheon of the Immortals.

Canberra Raiders hooker Josh Hodgson won’t be an Immortal. Yet his effect on the Canberra Raiders is the equal of Johns’ and Smith’s and Thurston’s. Not to say he’s breathing the rare air of those worthies, for few do. But Hodgson’s influence on the Raiders and their opponents, is just as pronounced. Simply: when Hodgson plays the Raiders look like they can beat anyone. When he does not they do not.

Hodgson’s first move out of dummy-half is forward. His hands go forward so as to better direct his pass backwards. Runners go with him, alongside him, in sync. And they are energised. Because they know: it’s on.

The Raiders second try germinated from Hodgson’s pure spiral ball from the base of the ruck that perfectly found Aidan Sezer wide, in space, and going forward. Halfbacks ask only one thing: hit me with ball on the hop. Sezer slung it to Elliot Whitehead who turned and popped it to Blake Austin who sent a fine cut-out ball for Nick Cotric who always belies his tender age and does the right thing. And the Raiders looked top-8 with a bullet.

Alas, they are bad leaders. Bad finishers. Bad defenders. Bad at winning. Bad at rugby league. They led 16-nil at half-time. In the second half the Broncos scored 26 points and the Raiders scored six points. This season Canberra’s given away two 18 point leads, two 14 point leads, and Saturday’s 16 point lead.

The Raiders aren’t dead. But they’re as good as dead. To finish on 30 points where mathematical experts predict a team will have to be to make a top-heavy top division, Canberra must win 8 of their next nine fixtures. Bulldogs next week, should beat them. Then Cowboys in Canberra. Toss a coin. Then Sharks, Storm and Panthers all away. The Raiders are toast.

They can’t defend their errors. There were three in the second-half at the play-the-ball that cost a combined 18 points. Dud stuff. Fumbles. And the Broncos grew a leg as the Raiders’ eyes grew wider.

The Broncos? Game of two halves, as they say. They don’t have an irreplaceable one. They don’t have a halfback, really. They have two hot-footed utility types – Anthony Milford and Kodi Nikorima – and Andrew McCullough, a hooker in an old-fashioned mould. Darius Boyd may be interested but he doesn’t look it. It’s hard to fathom how they won. But they did, storming home and rending the Raiders asunder.

When the Raiders are humming – as they hummed last week in dusting Wests Tigers 48-12 – there’s a “big”, mobile look about them. With Hodgson scheming, running, directing, they run off him. There was a set of six he touched it four times, twice as first receiver. Brisbane got back within four points Hodgson put the lead out to 8 again with a try begat by a fine hard charge by Shannon Boyd.

But he couldn’t do it all. He couldn’t staunch every leak in the dyke. And that’s where Canberra fails. They can’t defend. They’re soft, really. Which is not something you’d say about people who are so hard.

Josh Hodgson isn’t soft. To come back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury and so seamlessly dominate the ruck and set his running men free – and to make his entire team look better and the other mob bad – is the mark of a very good player indeed. He might not be Immortal. But his knees will shift betting markets.

Raiders need another couple like him. So do the Broncos. Don’t think we witnessed the grand final rehearsal.