Aidan sets sights on Sezering back his Canberra Raiders jersey
Aidan Sezer wants more than to be just a one-hit wonder. The Canberra Raiders half wants his spot back permanently.
A misdiagnosed oblique injury derailed the 27-year-old's season before it had barely begun and the form of fellow playmakers Sam Williams and Jack Wighton has kept him waiting patiently in the wings.
Raiders half Aidan Sezer is all smiles ahead of his return to the team to face the Bulldogs. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong
But Wighton's State of Origin call up has opened the door for Sezer to return to the Green Machine for their crucial clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
Now that door's open, Sezer's determined to smash it down.
The Bulldogs clash could be the only one Wighton misses over the six-week Origin period, which gives Sezer potentially just one game to stake his claim.
He played the first two weeks of the season hampered by an oblique injury and then Williams hit form to keep him out.
It's meant Sezer's played four games for the Mounties in the NSW Cup biding his time.
But he's set his sights on changing that.
"For sure. I was pretty unfortunate the way things went down earlier in the year," Sezer said.
"I had a bit of a misdiagnosed injury, played a couple of games with a torn oblique.
"It wasn't the best start to the year and hopefully I can get my spot back. I just want to play well and perform well on the weekend. Other things are out of my hands.
"There's a lot going on behind the scenes, but we just have to wait and see after the performance on the weekend how it pans out.
"Obviously I've been playing reserve grade and that's not where I want to be. All I can do is play good footy and the rest takes care of itself."
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Having played 139 NRL games across eight seasons, Sezer said it had been tough playing reserves.
"Very challenging to say the least, but I've still been going back there and enjoying my footy with the Mounties," he said.
"I've got my opportunity now and hopefully come through with the performance."
Raiders captain Jarrod Croker was confident Sezer's experience would allow him to slot seamlessly back into the line-up.
It's a massive game for the Green Machine as they look to end a three-game losing streak.
They've won their past two against the Bulldogs, but lost to them in their last encounter at ANZ Stadium in 2017.
"He is [capable of slotting straight in]. Sezer's been here for four or five years now," Croker said.
"Obviously he's played a lot of first grade, played a lot of footy with the boys that are here.
"He's handled the last couple of months really well with having two halves play really good footy in front of him.
"He's handled that quite well and he's been playing really good footy for Mounties. I'm confident Sezer will slot straight back in."
Raiders captain Jarrod Croker is confident Sezer can slot straight in. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Wighton's switch to five-eighth this season has bolstered the Raiders' depth in the halves.
It's been so successful, Wighton's not only forced his way onto the NSW Blues' bench for Origin I next week, but it's also created competition for Canberra's six and seven jerseys.
Wighton's absence means Sezer will join Williams in the halves to face the Bulldogs - the 11th time they've played together in the playmaking roles since Sezer joined the Green Machine in 2016
The pair also played six games last season with Siliva Havili at hooker, where the Tongan international will be following Josh Hodgson's thumb injury.
"There's nothing foreign to me," Sezer said.
"We trained all pre-season together and I've played a bit of footy with Sammy and Liva so it's nothing new to us and hopefully we can get a good result."
NRL ROUND 12
Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium, 7.35pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Bailey Simonsson, 3. Jarrod Croker (C), 4. Sebastian Kris, 5. Michael Oldfield, 6. Aidan Sezer, 7. Sam Williams, 8. Corey Horsburgh, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Dunamis Lui, 11. Joe Tapine, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Hudson Young. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Sia Soliola, 17. Ryan Sutton. Reserves: 18. Ata Hingano, 19. Royce Hunt, 20. Andre Niko, 21. John Bateman.
Bulldogs squad: 1. Nick Meaney, 2. Christian Crichton, 3. Marcelo Montoya, 4. Will Hopoate, 5. Reimis Smith, 6. Kieran Foran, 7. Jack Cogger, 8. Aiden Tolman, 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10. Ofahiki Ogden, 11. Josh Jackson, 12. Corey Harawira-Naera, 13. Chris Smith. Interchange: 14. Rhyse Martin, 15. Raymond Faitala-Mariner, 16. Danny Fualalo, 17. Jesse Sue. Reserves: 19. Michael Lichaa, 20. Lachlan Lewis, 21. Kerrod Holland, 23. Adam Elliott.