CANBERRA coach David Furner says his team need to prove they have the mental strength to get their season back on track despite losing their most tenacious defender and attacking X-factor for a month.
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Furner delivered a simple message to his players yesterday after scans confirmed Shaun Fensom and Josh Dugan would be sidelined for an extended period: It's time for everyone to ''step up''.
Fensom has a small tear in his biceps and will be out of action for six to eight weeks. Dugan needs at least six weeks to recover from a torn shoulder AC.
Trevor Thurling's knee injury isn't as bad as first thought and, if his scans this morning are clear, could be available for selection this week.
The injuries are a massive blow to the Raiders, but Dugan's NSW State of Origin hopes are still alive with the electrifying 21-year-old expected to return by round nine. That would give him two games to impress Blues coach Ricky Stuart before the Origin match on May 23.
The concern is for the Raiders' campaign. Furner needs a player capable of handling Fensom's defensive workload and a fullback who can strike from anywhere.
Furner will name a team today for the match against the Wests Tigers, with Joe Picker and Jarrad Kennedy the likely candidates to fill in for Fensom at lock and Blake Ferguson expected to take the No1 jersey.
Sam Mataora could also play his first game of the season if Thurling is ruled out.
Nathan Massey has recovered from an Achilles injury, but the Raiders coaches want him to get more time in the NSW Cup before a first-grade return. This opens the door for Dimitri Pelo to make his NRL debut against the Tigers at Campbelltown on Monday night but Reece Robinson could be in contention if he has recovered from a fractured cheekbone.
''There are a number of options there, we've just got to pick the right ones,'' Furner said. ''We placed a lot of emphasis on mental toughness this year … these players will bounce back. We've just got to step up. I'm confident whether it's a Fergo or Reece to play that role at fullback quite well. You know they're going to go out and play 100 per cent. It's the players around them that have to make sure they're at that level.''
While the Raiders deal with injuries, Tigers captain Robbie Farah faces a fight with the NRL judiciary to play Canberra. Farah has been charged with a grade two dangerous throw.
The Raiders have lost two of their first three games of the new season. They battled bravely against the Sydney Roosters two days ago but, with three players out injured, the Raiders fell victim to fatigue and were defeated 14-8.
Fensom, Dugan and Thurling join Dane Tilse and Robinson on the casualty list just three rounds into the season. The Raiders struggled with injuries last season with Terry Campese out of action for all but nine minutes, Dugan fighting niggling problems and David Shillington and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs on the sideline for extended periods.
