After being released by Newcastle and signing for the 2016 NRL season with Canberra, the Joseph Tapine summer saga comes to an end. This has been one of our prominent kiwi NRL stories of the summer, thanks in large part to Tapine's ability as an edge forward and of course the general mayhem that has ensued. With Tapine moving to Canberra, the Raiders now boast a quality roster and as I named them my Most Interesting NRL Team this season last year, they are now head and shoulders above their competition in this regard.

Tapine joins a Raiders forward pack that didn't really need Tapine amongst their ranks to make them a dangerous team, but with Tapine on an edge the Raiders are flush with depth. The Raiders relied on Iosia Soliola and Josh Papalii last season on their edges, with Soliola a solid veteran more than capable of battling through 80 minutes consistently. 

Papalii enjoyed a resurgent 2015 season in which he moved back to the right edge where his size and mobility made him a menace. Tapine played most of his Knights footy on the right edge where he likes to skip to the outside or use a left-hand fend to fight off the defender; as long as Tapine has a bit of space to free up his ball-carrying arm, he's dangerous. 

Making matters even more confusing for coach Ricky Stuart is that the Raiders recruited English international Elliott Whitehead who was a mighty force for England in their series victory over the Kiwis. Whitehead is a legitimate option in the Raiders' top-17 and how Stuart juggles these four edge forwards will be very interesting as they should all demand selection.

Consider that Soliola, Papalii, Whitehead and Tapine will operate on the edges in conjunction with skipper Jarrod Croker locked in as the left centre and a right centre, who could be Joey Leilua, Sisa Waqa or Jack Wighton (Leilua first choice, Waqa second, Wighton third). We could see a Soliola/Croker combination on the left along with Papalii and Tapine rotating on the right with Leilua at centre, this would be one of the most dangerous collection of edge players in the NRL.

Not only have the Raiders upgraded their edge threats, they have bolstered a forward pack that was already looking like a tough group of forwards to dominate. Shannon Boyd and Paul Vaughan are two of the best props that you don't know about as they have crept under the radar. In the middle they are joined by Frank Paul Nu'uausala and Shaun Fensom, along with another new recruit from the Super League in Jeff Lima.

This is a forward pack that has a bit of x-factor with Papalii and Boyd offering something unique but there's also a gritty edge thanks to blokes like Fensom, Nu'uausala and Lima. Stuart will have to ponder whether he carries two hookers or if he hands the team over to Josh Hodgson, I'd lean towards giving Hodgson 80 minutes at hooker, thus opening up a bench spot for a forward but I also liked what Kurt Baptise offered off the bench with his nippy running game adding some spice. 

So let's play it safe and say a bench spot is saved for Baptise, meaning the Raiders forward rotation could have Vaughan and Nu'uausala starting with Soliola, Papalii and Fensom. That leaves Tapine, Whitehead and Boyd coming off the bench. If a hooker is on the bench, then Lima misses out otherwise Lima can take that last bench spot giving the Raiders a hefty forward pack. 

I'm very positive about the Raiders chances in 2016 as Ricky Stuart has quickly assembled a roster that doesn't have the big names, but it does have plenty of substance. Tapine's immediate signing is just another example of shrewd business done by the Raiders and they've gotta be congratulated for that.