Recalled Raiders prop David Shillington has revealed the emergence of powerhouse front-rowers Paul Vaughan and Shannon Boyd is driving him to show he can still be a force in the NRL.
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After missing the first nine rounds of the season, Shillington will be making his second straight appearance in the top grade in Sunday's match with the Bulldogs at Canberra Stadium.
The former Kangaroos and Queensland prop is off contract at the end of the season and has been linked with the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The veteran of 14 Tests and eight Origins is facing a challenge from Vaughan and Boyd for the title of undisputed leader of the Raiders' forward pack.
Vaughan, 24, was rewarded for his strong form with selection in Country Origin, while 22-year-old Boyd is doing plenty of damage with his 122-kilogram frame.
"The young front rowers we've got are playing really well at the moment, so it wasn't a case of me just walking back into first grade," Shillington said.
"Obviously that makes you train a little bit harder and puts a bit more pressure on you. It wasn't anything too personal or anything like that, it was just a process to go through.
"I want to be playing first grade and I am confident of my abilities, so I had to train hard and push my name forward and hopefully getting picked."
Shillington is part of an unchanged Raiders team that went down to the Dragons 32-18 at WIN Stadium last Sunday.
It was his first game in the NRL since August last year. A chest injury forced him to miss the last three games of 2014, playing NSW Cup for Mounties at the start of this season before a broken thumb forced him out for seven weeks.
"It was a tough road coming back to the NRL," Shillington said. "I just wanted to play my best in reserve grade and push my name forward for first grade.
"Fortunately, it worked out reasonably early and hopefully onwards and upwards from here and I can maintain my first-grade spot."
Shillington is in his seventh season with the Raiders, having joined the club from the Sydney Roosters at the start of 2009.
He is in the unusual position of not knowing where he will play next year.
Shillington has been linked with the Dragons and the English Super League, but said his only concern was getting back into form on the field.
"I'm still here at the Raiders for the rest of the season and what happens after that, I'm not sure," he said. "I'd like to get it sorted out sooner rather than later as everyone does, but I'm also not in any rush.
"We'll see what happens over the next month and hopefully we'll have an answer then."
The Bulldogs have been forced into several changes to cover the absence of their Origin stars.
Moses Mbye will partner Josh Reynolds in the halves, Chase Stanley has been named in the centres and Lloyd Perrett and Antonio Kaufusi come onto the bench.
