Canberra coach David Furner has been forced to pilfer from the Raiders’ feeder club for Sunday’s NRL match against the Warriors following another set of injuries to key forwards.
Mounties’ players Jarrad Kennedy and Mark Nicholls have been named in Furner’s 17-man squad to potentially make their NRL debuts following the loss of Brett White for the season and Joel Thompson for up to a month.
Both were felled in Monday night’s 22-6 defeat to North Queensland, which comes off the back of existing long-term injuries to fullback Josh Dugan and hard-working lock Shaun Fensom.
Prop David Shillington is also out of the game with an oblique muscle injury but, while he hasn’t been named in the team, he will undergo a formal assessment later in the week.
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Joe Picker have been given starting roles in the wake of the latest injuries.
Furner, who has guided the Raiders to two wins from five matches so far this season, has urged fans not to lose hope following Monday’s performance, which also signals the club’s second failed attempt to win at Canberra Stadium.
On the plus side, both of the Raiders’ wins have come during a horror three-week away schedule.
But Furner said all focus will be on getting two points at home on Sunday.
“One thing I guarantee is those players will play the games of their lives.
“If they’re debuting, you know they’re going to give 100 per cent.
“(We’ve been) disappointing at home – the players feel it, I know I feel it, so let’s get out there and support them.”
White, who had turned in solid performances for the Raiders this year, will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and will require nine months on the sidelines.
Returned scans confirmed lateral ligament damage to Thompson’s ankle, which will rule him out for three to four weeks.
Raiders: Reece Robinson, Blake Ferguson, Jarrod Croker, Shaun Berrigan, Jack Wighton, Terry Campese (capt), Josh McCrone, Dane Tilse, Glen Buttriss, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Joe Picker, Bronson Harrison, Josh Papalii. Interchange: Travis Waddell, Jarrad Kennedy, Sam Mataora, Mark Nicholls.
