Canberra Raiders off-season recruit Savelio Tamale looks to have all but booked himself onto the plane to Las Vegas after puting together a strong performance in an otherwise bleak night for the green machine during their pre-season challenge contest against the Cronulla Sharks.
The Raiders started the game strongly, but were unable to hold the rage once the Sharks found their groove beyond the first 20 minutes.
Consistency at both ends of the park was a major concern for Ricky Stuart's side during 2024 from game to game, but within each game too, and while this was only a trial, the trend looks to have followed them through the off-season and into the new campaign.
In the end, the Sharks took a convincing 40 points to 10 win, with questions of their own answered as Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall combined well, and Sam Stonestreet all but confirmed he won't be pushing for a jersey off the back of Ronaldo Mulitalo or Sione Katoa anytime soon with an at times sloppy performance.
But there were more questions coming out of the game potentially than there were going into it for the Raiders.
Much of the selection debate in the Nation's capital has surrounded the halves, with Jamal Fogarty in potentially his final year at the club.
He has a mutual option in his deal for 2026 which the Raiders have until Round 6 to take up, and they have knocked back the chance of him hitting the open market in the meantime.
While Fogarty continues to fight for the number seven jersey against gun youngster Ethan Sanders, who has made the move from the Parramatta Eels during the off-season, there are also question marks around the number one jumper and in the front row.
But potentially a new selection headache for Ricky Stuart comes on the wing after the trial, where one of the bright spots for the green machine was Savelio Tamale.
Another junior State of Origin player, the centre and winger made his NRL debut for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the final round of 2024, funnily enough against his future club, before making the trip to Canberra where he has set up base since.
It was tipped he would have to bide his time in reserve grade, stuck behind centres Sebastian Kris and Matt Timoko who are both walk-up starters, and wingers Xavier Savage and Albert Hopoate.
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Any of Savage, Hopoate or Kris could have been utilised in the fullback role, but it's clear after the pre-season challenge contest against Cronulla that the number one jersey will belong to Kaeo Weekes.
The former Manly utility can also play at five-eighth, but Ethan Strange appears to be locked into that role as the season kicks-off in Las Vegas for the Raiders, where they will clash with the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday, March 2 (Australian time).
If one of those players had gone into the number one, Tamale may well have won a start anyway, but he will likely have an opportunity in Round 1 with Albert Hopoate to miss out through injury.
Tamale was strong at both ends of the park for the Raiders in their match against Cronulla, with the former Dragon appearing to have made significant steps forward in his defensive work over the off-season.
That was in truth likely what held him back from an earlier debut and more opportunities at the Dragons. There is very little doubt around just how exceptional he is with the ball in hand, whether that be at centre or wing.
His performance last night, combined with the fact he is now almost certain to gain a Round 1 opportunity, will likely present a headache for Ricky Stuart.
Tamale is not going to be 'undroppable' at any point this season you would imagine, but if he starts the season strongly in that game against the Warriors, there will be questions asked around whether he just maybe could become the first-choice winger for the green machine.
Hopoate was solid enough last season, and possesses the strength, size and power to make the complete package of a modern day winger, and yet, his development in other more technical areas of his game at both ends of the park haven't been as strong as hoped.
In fairness to Hopoate, his development when at Manly was shoved backwards by injuries, and he has had more during his time in Canberra, but even so, if there are better options, the injury excuse simply won't keep him in the team.
There is little doubt he will find game time at the top grade this season, but Tamale's performances could be enough for Hopoate not to be rushed back, and instead to find himself as the one biding his time, and waiting for an opportunity, while playing reserve grade.
It's not the storyline we necessarily expected out of the trials, but Dragons fans watching another of their junior stars ripping it up for another club wouldn't exactly be out of the ordinary.
The opportunity is there for Tamale.
It's now up to him whether he takes it with both hands.
