Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has put his faith in a Mormon who has not played NRL for six years, but Jordan Rapana's immediate mission is to prove he can fill the vacant fullback spot at Canberra next season.
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Brisbane-bound fullback Anthony Milford has been shifted to the halves for Saturday's match against the Parramatta Eels in Darwin, allowing Rapana a shock chance to audition for the No.1 role at Canberra next season.
It is part of a major Raiders reshuffle, with back line stars Jack Wighton and Edrick Lee returning from long-term injury and emerging halfback Mitch Cornish given another shot in the NRL from the bench.
Stand-in Canberra skipper Brett White said the Raiders were motivated to avoid the club's first wooden spoon since their inaugural season in 1982, and he admitted Raiders players knew they were also fighting to retain individual spots.
The Raiders are baulking at offering a new deal to another fullback option, Reece Robinson.
But having converted from rugby union to league with the Raiders on a cut-price deal midway through last year, Rapana is close to extending and upgrading his contract with Canberra.
Rapana debuted for the Gold Coast Titans with five tries in five matches as an 18-year-old in 2008, but the 24-year-old has not played at the top level since leaving the NRL for a two-year Mormon mission in 2009.
He dabbled in Super Rugby, with stints at the Western Force and a training contract at the ACT Brumbies, before switching back to league last year.
The Raiders have exhausted their second-tier salary cap but successfully sought NRL permission to select Rapana from Queensland Cup because of the club's savage injury toll.
Prop David Shillington (chest), lock Shaun Fensom (knee) and back-up hooker Kurt Baptiste (shoulder) have been ruled out for the season after suffering injuries in Sunday's embarrassing 54-18 loss to the New Zealand Warriors, while captain Terry Campese (abdominal strain), Robinson (lower back) and Brenko Lee (hamstring) have been ruled out for this weekend.
White was excited by the new faces in the squad, particularly the addition of Rapana.
''He's been carving up in Queensland Cup,'' White said. ''Early in the year, after watching him in the [Auckland] Nines, I thought he was really unlucky to miss out in the NRL a couple of times.
''He probably thought he wasn't going to get a chance because of the second-tier salary cap issues. It would have been disappointing for him, but he's kept working hard and look what happens.''
While Raiders fans have been calling for Cornish to get his chance in the halves, Stuart's selection of Milford alongside Josh McCrone proves the coach is still mindful of putting his best team on the field to try and avoid the wooden spoon.
Lee and Wighton are a big boost to Canberra's attack, Lee an unlikely return after being ruled out for the season with a foot injury.
Forward utility Matt McIlwrick is another surprise selection, selected at lock to replace Fensom because of his fitness.
White, who announced last week he would retire at season's end, has never captained a team. He admitted it would be a challenge, given two heavy defeats at home against Souths and the Warriors.
''Obviously the boys are hurting from the last couple of weeks. It's us against everyone else at the moment,'' White said. ''We've got to stick together.
''Everything's against us. This would mean a lot if I can lead the boys out and get the result on the weekend.
''There’s plenty to play for. Guys want to restore some pride by the end of the year, individually blokes are playing for their spots next year and we don't want to finish with the wooden spoon.''
