The Raiders will break for Christmas on December 22 and Stuart said he anticipated Canberra's World Cup representatives, led by Milford and Josh Papalii, would report for the final week of pre-season for the year.

Milford has previously requested a release from his 2014 Raiders contract to return to family in Brisbane.

The 19-year-old has said he will state his intentions after the World Cup, where he is playing for Samoa under new Raiders assistant coach Matt Parish.

The Raiders board remains adamant he will honour the contract.

The Raiders signed Brisbane hooker Kurt Baptiste to a one-year deal on Friday, but Stuart refuted speculation Canberra would be willing to trade in more Broncos players as compensation for Milford's immediate release.

''It's 100 per cent false, there's no truth in that at all,'' he said.

''It's not something I'm showing too much concern about because I've got faith he'll be here next year.''

Stuart has instead turned his immediate focus to the club's emerging talent to ensure its best prospects are not lost.

The Raiders are looking to extend two-time player-of-the-year Shaun Fensom's deal for three seasons, but junior talent is also on the recruitment radar.

Having already locked away Jack Wighton, 20, and Edrick Lee, 21, to extended deals, the Raiders are closing in on an upgraded three-year contract for another exciting talent, Brenko Lee.

Stuart rates Lee's potential so highly, he rang the Queensland junior representative during his first week as Raiders coach to invite him to pre-season training with the NRL squad.

At 192 centimetres and more than 100 kilograms, Lee, 18 just last month, could physically pass as a clone in the centres for sacked Raiders star Blake Ferguson.

The New Zealand Warriors were among the NRL clubs rumoured to be interested in him.

Lee's upgraded contract would place him in Canberra's full-time NRL squad, but Stuart said he would not necessarily rush his development.

''This season will be an educational year for him really, he'll still play 20s but then if he's got some first grade in him, that'll be up to him to show us,'' Stuart said.

''We've got to be careful as a coaching staff not to burn them out.''

Stuart has given six players from the Raiders under-20s squad the opportunity to train during the NRL pre-season, led by Lee, Junior Kangaroos representative Patrick Mago and 17-year-old back-rower Tevita Pangai, who also re-signed recently until the end of 2016. Luke Bateman, Andrew Heffernan and Tahakilu Pangai have also been given an opportunity.

While Stuart said it was a professional education for the club's promising youth, he's also encouraged his senior players to take more ownership in the club's junior ranks.

''I want to retain these younger boys,'' Stuart said.

''I don't know if the senior players understand the huge responsibility they own in bringing through these young players. It's something I'm trying to educate them on, too.

''When I came through here as a player, we were very fortunate to having a talented group of young players, but we also had strong role models in our senior players - Gary Belcher, Dean Lance, Gary Coyne, Mal Meninga, Chris O'Sullivan.

''They trained hard and had a great work ethic.

''The responsibility they passed down to us made us take some ownership.''