Raiders hooker Kurt Baptiste almost quit the NRL two years ago, but he has been thrust into the halfback hot-seat to keep Canberra's finals dream alive.
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The Raiders pulled a selection shock, naming Baptiste in the No.7 jersey for Saturday's crucial match with the Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium.
It means playmakers Mitch Cornish and Josh McCrone are well and truly on the outer after hooker Baptiste was given the nod ahead of them to partner Blake Austin in the halves.
The Raiders (7-9) will be aiming to stay in the hunt for the top eight without in-form halfback Sam Williams, who will miss up to six weeks with a torn pectoral muscle.
Cornish and McCrone were both named for Mounties in the NSW Cup.
Baptiste has given the Raiders a spark off the bench since becoming the back-up to English international Josh Hodgson this season.
After making five appearances with the Brisbane Broncos in 2011-12, Baptiste didn't play a game in 2013 before joining the Raiders on a one-year deal. He was unavailable for comment on Tuesday, with Raiders management indicating Baptiste wouldn't be talking to media all week.
Raiders prop David Shillington said the club had the depth in the halves to cover Williams.
"Whoever steps in will be more than capable," Shillington said.
"They're big shoes to fill, Sammy's been doing a great job for us.
"Organisational-wise, he's been unreal."
The Raiders have been a vastly different team when Williams is on the field to when he's not there.
They have a 5-4 record with Williams while they won just one of six games when he isn't there.
Shillington said he had given Williams some advice about how to recover from a torn pectoral muscle.
"Unfortunately I've had four pec tears so I've got a little bit of experience to pass on," Shillington said.
"I've got a few little physio rehab exercises I can pass on. Hopefully that can bring him back faster than he normally would."
Fellow front-rower Paul Vaughan said it would be strange not hearing Williams on the field.
"The best thing about Sammy is just his talk," Vaughan said.
"He's like a second coach on the field. He'll be pretty sorely missed."
The Raiders and the Sharks are in a dogfight for a spot in the finals.
Just two points separate the sides on the ladder, with the Sharks in ninth and only out of the top eight on for and against, with the Raiders right behind them in 10th.
The Raiders are trying to return to the finals for the first time in three years coming off their 36-22 win against the lowly Newcastle Knights last Friday night.
"We'd like to back it up this week," Shillington said.
"Newcastle are sitting at the bottom of the ladder at the moment and the Sharks are doing a bit better, so we have to respect the difference in intensity.
"There's no real easy games in the NRL, but there will definitely be a rise in intensity this week against the Sharks."
The Raiders welcome back mid-season recruit Joey Leilua on the bench after he sat out last week's win against his old side, the Knights.
Leilua was unavailable as part of the conditions of his contract release.
SATURDAY: Raiders v Sharks at Canberra Stadium, 3pm.
Raiders: 1. Jack Wighton, 2. Edrick Lee, 3. Jarrod Croker ©, 4. Sisa Waqa, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Blake Austin, 7. Kurt Baptiste, 8. Paul Vaughan, 9. Josh Hodgson, 10. David Shillington, 11. Josh Papalii, 12. Iosia Soliola, 13. Shaun Fensom. Bench: 14. Joey Leilua, 15. Frank-Paul Nuuausala, 16. Jarrad Kennedy, 19. Shannon Boyd.
Sharks: 1. Michael Gordon. 2. Sosaia Feki. 3. Gerard Beale. 4. Ricky Leutele. 5. Valentine Holmes. 6. Jack Bird. 7. Jeff Robson. 8. Andrew Fifita. 9. Michael Ennis. 10. Sam Tagataese. 11. Luke Lewis. 12. Wade Graham. 13. Paul Gallen (c). Interchange: 14. Ben Barba. 15. Chris Heighington, 16. David Fifita. 17. Jayson Bukuya. 18. Matt Prior.
