The Canberra Raiders have dumped Country Origin representative Josh McCrone for Sunday's clash with the Sydney Roosters, ending his streak of 118 consecutive NRL games.
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McCrone's axing and the shock return of fullback Jack Wighton are the two key changes to the Raiders following last weekend's 22-20 loss to the St George Illawarra Dragons at Canberra Stadium.
Wighton has been rushed back after suffering a fractured eye socket, hooker Glen Buttriss makes his first appearance of the season and winger Bill Tupou has been omitted.
Jordan Rapana slides out to the wing to accommodate Wighton, and fellow winger Sisa Waqa has been cleared of a knee injury.
Lock forward Shuan Fensom will contest a grade one dangerous contact charge at the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night. Fensom pleaded not guilty to a 24th minute incident on Dragons centre Euan Aitken and faces the prospect of a one-match suspension.
McCrone paid the price for a couple of costly mistakes and admits he wasn't at his best defensively.
"Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed in my performance on the weekend," McCrone said. "I think it probably took away from the momentum that the team had, and that's not what bench players want to do. I missed a crucial tackle in the first half, but the first two weeks I was growing in the role."
McCrone has played 118 straight games for the Raiders since round 10, 2010, and hasn't missed a game in the past four seasons.
He's played for Country for the past three years in a utility role off the bench, but the 27-year-old has been used exclusively at dummy-half this season for the Raiders after previously playing in the halves.
Buttriss will start on the bench with England international Josh Hodgson keeping the No. 9 jersey.
Wighton had been expected to miss up to three weeks after fracturing his eye socket in the round two loss to the New Zealand Warriors.
The Raiders are also pleased to see Waqa recover from a knee injury after he left the field against the Dragons.
"It feels heaps better compared to the last two days," Waqa said. "I had an MRI scan yesterday and it should be good to go, it's just a matter of getting the little things right this week. I don't have a PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) on my left knee, so every time I jam it it always hurts."
The Roosters will have until noon on Wednesday to decide whether they will contest grade one charges against forwards Sam Moa and Boyd Cordner.
Both will be free to play the Raiders with early guilty pleas.
SUNDAY: Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders at the Sydney Football Stadium, 2pm. TV: Live on Fox Sports
