Canberra coach Simon Woolford gives his team a "massive chance" of taking out this year's Country Championships, calling on the experience of six former Raiders NRL players.
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The Canberra Region Rugby League team will include former Raiders Joe and Mick Picker, Lincoln Withers, Trevor Thurling, David Howell and Marc Herbert. Those six players boast combined experience of 533 NRL games and 243 UK Super League caps.
Canberra will kick off its Country campaign at Forster on the NSW North Coast on May 23.
"With the team we've got it's a massive opportunity," Woolford said.
"We've only got a couple of training sessions together so it's important to pick combinations where possible and that NRL experience will be invaluable with a short preparation.
"It's great to see so many former NRL players back playing with their junior clubs and putting back into the local comp."
Canberra Region Rugby League squad: 1. Tom Ruediger (Queanbeyan Blues) 2. Junior Vatikani (Goulburn Bulldogs) 3. Tyler Stevens (Blues) 4. Codie Medway (Goulburn) 5. David Howell (Gungahlin Bulls) 6. Michael Picker (Goulburn) 7. Marc Herbert (Blues) 8. Sam Conlon (Goulburn) 9. Ben Picker (Goulburn) 10. Aaron McInnes (Blues) 11. Joe Picker (Goulburn) 12. Trevor Thurling (Blues) 13. Blake Hewitt (Goulburn) 14. Lincoln Withers (Gungahlin) 15. Josh Ayers (Gungahlin) 16. Elijah Ngata (Blues) 17. Michael Cullen (Blues) 18. Chris Thorley (Gunghalin).
