Blake Austin has paid the price for the Canberra Raiders' failure to close out games as coach Ricky Stuart looks to turn around a nightmare start to the season.
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Austin has been dropped from Stuart's starting 17 in favour of Tongan playmaker Ata Hingano for a clash with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval on Saturday.
Hingano has been named in the No. 14 jumper with Aidan Sezer retaining his spot at five-eighth despite a back injury. Sam Williams will line up at halfback, while 27-year-old Austin has shuffled onto an extended bench.
Stuart will give injured troops Sezer, prop Sia Soliola (ankle) and back-rower Joe Tapine (thumb) every chance to prove their fitness as the 15th-placed Raiders search for a maiden victory.
If Sezer can't overcome a back injury his absence could force Canberra to use a third different halves combination in four games.
Former premiership-winning five-eighth Braith Anasta says that is a major concern for the Raiders as they look to bounce back from three straight losses by two points or less.
"The problem is they're still trying to work out what the best combination is," Anasta said following Fox Sports' Women in Sport launch in Canberra.
"When you've had a whole pre-season and you're up to round three and you're still trying to work it out, it's not a good sign.
"If you look at all the teams this year, the ones that are doing well are the ones that are really stable in their spine, their core and their halves. The ones that aren't have struggled.
"I think it's really important in key positions to have stability there, especially after a long pre-season, because you kind of go back to square one.
"In my opinion Ricky was concerned heading into the season about the halves and what he was going to do there.
"I think they're due for a big year and they really need to stand up, and they're still not sure who's going to be where, and that's never a good sign. That is a concern for the Raiders, I hope they sort that out and get some stability there."
The presence of forwards Soliola and Tapine looms as a massive boost should they be proven fit, with Canberra's forward depth being tested in the opening three rounds.
Injuries to Charlie Gubb (groin, six weeks) and Royce Hunt (knee, up to three weeks) have left a gaping hole in the forward pack.
Young gun Jack Murchie and Liam Knight have been named on the extended bench alongside Austin and Michael Oldfield.
Anasta says the Raiders need to break through the "mental barrier" when things go down to the wire as they brace for a Manly backlash after the club was slapped with a hefty fine for salary cap breaches.
"All I put it down to is the Raiders is there is a few key moments in games where they're doing stupid things," Anasta said.
"Those stupid things that are only small at the time, are coming back to haunt them and it's costing them victories. That's happened at least a couple of times out of the three games. They've just got to be a bit more disciplined and a bit more headstrong.
"You've got to be aggressive, you've got to try and win the match. You're not just trying to protect the lead, you've got to try and win it and I think that's hurt them a bit.
"You've got to learn from it, that's the whole thing, that's the whole idea, you've got to learn from it and hopefully they do.
"The problem is they've been close, but if they lose again then all of a sudden the pressure just starts and it gets hard, it gets difficult."
NRL ROUND FOUR
Saturday: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Canberra Raiders at Brookvale Oval, 7.35pm. TV: Live on Fox League.
Raiders squad: 1. Jack Wighton, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (C), 4. Joey Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Aidan Sezer, 7. Sam Williams, 8. Sia Soliola, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Shannon Boyd, 11. Josh Papalii, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Luke Bateman. Interchange: 14. Ata Hingano, 15. Junior Paulo, 16. Dunamis Lui, 17. Joe Tapine, 18. Liam Knight, 19. Blake Austin, 20. Michael Oldfield, 21. Jack Murchie
Sea Eagles squad: 1. Tom Trbojevic, 2. Matthew Wright, 3. Brad Parker, 4. Brian Kelly, 5. Akuila Uate, 6. Lachlan Croker, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans (C), 8. Addin Fonua-Blake, 9. Apisai Koroisau, 10. Martin Taupau, 11. Joel Thompson, 12. Curtis Sironen, 13. Jake Trbojevic. Interchange: 14. Jackson Hastings, 15. Shaun Lane, 16. Lloyd Perrett, 17. Kelepi Tanginoa, 18. Lewis Brown, 19. Thomas Wright, 20. Frank Winterstein, 21. Jack Gosiewski
