The Raiders will welcome back half Sam Williams against the Brisbane Broncos on Saturday night, but former playmaker Anthony Milford can expect a frosty reception at Canberra Stadium.
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Williams has been cleared to play in Saturday's match against the Broncos, less than two weeks after being hospitalised with a collapsed lung.
The Raiders have also recalled fullback Jack Wighton from a back injury, while prop David Shillington has been promoted to the starting team to try and address Canberra's shambolic starts.
Raiders prop Shannon Boyd will miss at least one week with a cheekbone injury, replaced in the 17-man squad by Kyle O'Donnell. Winger Jordan Rapana has been cleared of a fractured ankle, but will be out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain.
The return of Williams is a major boost for the Raiders, given Canberra has four wins from the five matches he's played this season.
He will also line-up in the halves against Milford, who was involved in a contractual tug-of-war between the Raiders and Broncos last year before choosing to defect to the Broncos.
Milford was man-of-the-match in Brisbane's 31-18 win over Newcastle on Monday night and the Raiders are expecting him to be a major spark for the Broncos, in a team that could have six players backing up from Origin.
"You always see past players when they play their old clubs there's always something there to prove," said Raiders lock Shaun Fensom. "He'll come here wanting to play his best."
There was a big question mark over how the Raiders' attack would fare when Milford quit the Raiders, given his explosive spontaneity.
Canberra has found even more flair in attack, leading the NRL in point-scoring, but Raiders forward Sia Soliolo said it needed to be balanced with a better defence.
Only last-place Parramatta have conceded more points (258) than the Raiders (257) this season, Canberra conceding
"We're still learning and these things are going to happen because we're trying to find that balance, it's about being patient with the players we've got."
Dropped to NSW Cup to start the season, then sidelined by a badly broken thumb, Shillington has muscled his way back into the starting team for the Raiders with strong contributions off the bench.
Raiders prop Paul Vaughan described it as a "snowball effect" as the Raiders trailed the Bulldogs 26-0 after 20 minutes last Sunday.
Canberra came back to level the match at 34-34, before a field goal and try to the Bulldogs in the final minute gave them a 41-34 win.
"We're such a different team from last year and that's something we pride ourselves on, we don't give up.
"If we were in that position last year, down 26-0, it could have been anything. But we've showed this year we're hungry and we want to work for each other."
The Raiders racked up 18 offloads to the Bulldogs' eight and Canterbury fullback Sam Perrett said Canberra's attack was a breath of fresh air to the NRL.
"We're a fairly structured side, it's a strength to have that platform but sometimes when it's too structured you can lose your instinct. You really want that flair and you want to promote it, it's the reason why people come to watch. It's good to see that off-the-cuff stuff."
