Canberra will usher in a new era in the nation’s capital this season following the departure of favourite son Jack Wighton.
Wighton’s defection to Redfern has opened up the opportunity for someone to take the No.6 jersey which is exactly what Ethan Strange has done after being named for the Raiders’ season-opener against Newcastle.
Who is Ethan Strange? Canberra Raiders young gun set to replace Jack Wighton
Strange will partner Jamal Fogarty in the halves after he beat new recruit Kaeo Weekes to the starting spot with some excellent displays in the Pre-Season Challenge.
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However, the teenager faced a nervous wait following his side’s loss to North Queensland after he was put on report for a dangerous tackle on forward Thomas Mikaele.
Strange was cited for the throw although he was able to breathe a sigh of relief after he was issued with a monetary fine for the offence.
This allowed him to be eligible for selection in the opening round with Ricky Stuart promptly putting his faith in the young gun who only made his NRL debut late last year.
Strange made his bow on the big stage when he was parachuted into Canberra’s Round 24 match following an injury to regular Seb Kris.
In the centres, Strange was faced with one of the toughest prospects in the NRL - facing Melbourne Storm in their own backyard and they went on to suffer a 48-2 defeat.
It was the only game Strange would play for Stuart in 2023 but he now has a chance to establish himself as a starter after being given the first crack at five-eighth.
"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 on the eve of their 2024 campaign beginning.
"It wasn’t the result we chased, and it was a pretty tough day for our whole left edge, but I know that just breaking the ice has been a major advantage for Ethan’s preparation this week."
The opening game against Adam O’Brien’s men will offer the Raiders a chance of immediate revenge after they were dumped out of the finals by them last year in a heartbreaking extra-time loss.
Ethan Strange age
Ethan Strange is currently 19 years old and has one NRL appearance to his name when he debuted as an 18-year-old against the Storm last season.
Ethan Strange set to continue meteoric rise at five-eighth
Strange made headlines earlier last year when he starred for New South Wales in the State of Origin under-19s match, scoring a hat-trick on the way to scooping up Player-of-the-Match honours.
Coupled with his eventual NRL debut, it marked a dream season after he had only made his debut in the NSW Cup earlier in the year for Canberra.
After featuring for Canberra’s reserve side in Round 6 against the Sydney Roosters, he was then fast-tracked to the NRL with a call-up which showcased Stuart's long-term belief in him.
Strange revealed to the club's Behind the Limelight podcast that he had been left speechless after being informed he would be making his debut by the coach and captain Elliott Whitehead.
"It's what you dream of as a kid and now it's coming true so I'm sort of lost for words at the moment," Strange said at the time.
"I didn't have much to say to him [Stuart] or Elliott. I was just saying, 'Thank you so much, I won't let you down'. So, that's how it went."
Strange grew up on the Central Coast and played all of his junior footy there before making the move to the nation's capital.
"I finished school one day and got a call from my manager who spoke to me and asked if I'd be interested in coming down to the Raiders and doing a bit of first grade training," he recalled.
"It's a great club and there are a lot of great players here as well, so I came down here, loved it and have never looked back."
Strange's family are heavily involved with rugby league at the top level with his dad, John, the coach of the Sydney Roosters' NRLW side, while his sister Jasmin joined the Roosters in the off-season from the Knights.
