Raiders halfback Josh McCrone believes he can provide the enthusiastic spark to restore pride to the team's disappointing NRL season.
McCrone is one of two changes to the side which lost to the Wests Tigers last Sunday, replacing Marc Herbert (broken hand) for the clash with the Brisbane Broncos. Hooker Glen Buttriss has been dropped for the clash at Canberra Stadium on Saturday with Travis Waddell named on the bench.
Raiders skipper Alan Tongue has been named at hooker, with Nigel Plum to play lock. Front-rower Daniel Joyce, who was the team's 18th man last week, was again named on the bench.
McCrone, 22, hopes to ignite the Raiders after showing good form with feeder club Souths Logan.
''I'm very excited for another opportunity because I've been going all right with Souths Logan the last couple of weeks and the boys have been a bit slow so hopefully I can bring that enthusiasm that gives a bit of a spark,'' McCrone said.
''I think everyone was a bit flat on the weekend, I think it'll be a totally different team this week and it won't have much to do with me.
''It's a funny thing that winning culture, we've struggled to have it this year and at Souths Logan it's something we've definitely had.
''The group's got to buy into it, it's a belief, we can win, we just need to believe we can win.''
Raiders assistant coach Ian Millward is confident the exciting duo of Waddell and McCrone can make an impact against the Broncos.
''We feel his [Waddell's] form in 20s has been good ... he's a very promising player and a player of the future for the club,'' Millward said.
''We weren't totally happy with our halves and we weren't totally happy with our playmakers.
''We were disappointed with the way we went about our attack on the weekend and it wasn't the way we practiced.
''Whenever there's some changes with the playmakers there's some changes with the way you play.
''It's an area we're going to have to be strong in if we're going to win the game on the weekend.''
Raiders enforcer Tom Learoyd-Lahrs was not named to play his former club, despite being confident of returning from injury. The NSW representative sat out yesterday's training session, instead icing his injured knee.
Props David Shillington and Scott Logan will also miss the match.
Millward was unaware of the trio's exact injury situation, but said the coaching staff would consider players as they became available.
''We're looking to try to just get the strongest squad on the field and if Tommy came into reckoning obviously we'd consider that but at the moment I think that's a long way off,'' Millward said.
''The injured players don't actually train with us, they're in rehab and they do additional training. Both those players are in that group at the moment, especially [Shillington], so they could be a while yet I'd say.''
The Raiders face a ninth-placed Broncos side in need of a win to stay in touch with the top eight.
The Broncos have lost six of their past seven games but will welcome back big-names Darren Lockyer, Karmichael Hunt and Tonie Carroll.
But Broncos coach Ivan Henjak was not prepared to gamble on the fitness of Peter Wallace, Sam Thaiday and Nick Kenny as his team strives to keep the club's record of 17 straight finals appearances alive.
SATURDAY
NRL round 21: Canberra Raiders v Brisbane Broncos at Canberra Stadium, 5.30pm. TV Time: Live on Fox Sports2.
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