The young brother of Raiders forward Joe Picker and fringe first-grader Michael Picker will wear the No. 9 jumper in Saturday's opening round match against Illawarra at Cooma.

Ben Picker entered the Raiders' system in 2009 and was last year a key factor in the club reaching the grand final of the National Youth Competition.

He has carried that outstanding form into the Canberra Raiders Cup with the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs, taking over the dummy-half role from former Sydney Roosters utility James Aubusson, who has retired to focus on coaching.

Canberra representative coach Jack Giddings believed Picker's class and vision around the ruck would be a great asset to his team's big men in the middle.

''People like Tsai Tui and Matt Lewis and Matt Holmes, our front-rowers, they'll really enjoy playing off him because his service is excellent,'' Giddings said.

''He's spot-on all the time in bringing those big men forward.

''I saw his recent game against the Queanbeyan Kangaroos and he was very effective, he's a really nice footballer.''

Picker will steer around a Canberra side that has been rocked by withdrawals to key players.

Fullback Michael Brophy has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, Belconnen United forward Uelese Uelese copped a three-match ban for a shoulder charge and his Scholars teammate Matt Britt is unavailable for personal commitments.

Luke Turner, from the Bulldogs, comes onto the bench, with the in-form Queanbeyan Blues back Tyler Stephens shifting from the wing to fullback.

There is also a representative debut for 19-year-old halfback Carl Johnson, who was in the Raiders' SG Ball (under-18) squad last year.

''He's a high-quality young player, knows the game and the biggest test for him will be confidence, but he's got some experienced players around him,'' Giddings said.

''Tsai Tui played for Country last year, and there's also Matt Lewis, Adam Pearce, Levi Freeman, Josh Ayres, who is captain/coach of the [Gungahlin] Bulls and Shannon McCaskill.''

Giddings was at the helm the last time Canberra won the country title in 1999, and made the final in four of the six years he was in charge.