Canberra Raiders captain Alan Tongue has ruled himself out of tonight's Parramatta Stadium clash with the Eels after succumbing to a shoulder injury.
Tongue has injured the rotator cuff in his right shoulder and was unable to complete training yesterday.
His absence has opened the door for under-20s hooker Travis Waddell to make his NRL debut from the bench.
The 19-year-old will be the second Raider in as many weeks to make his first-grade debut, after centre Jarrod Croker, 18, debuted against the Sydney Roosters last week.
Waddell learnt he would debut on the same day Raiders chief executive Don Furner declared another of the club's talented youngsters, fullback Josh Dugan, would remain in Canberra next season, despite rumours the Roosters were keen to lure him to Sydney.
Dugan is contracted to the Raiders until the end of the 2011 season and Furner said the club would not release him early.
Trevor Thurling will start his first game of season at lock in place of Tongue, allowing coach David Furner to use Waddell as a back up to dummy-half Stuart Flanagan.
The Raiders are now missing first-choice forwards Scott Logan, Dane Tilse, Glen Buttriss, Troy Thompson and Tongue through injury.
For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times
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