Josh Hodgson's return has Canberra Raiders nearing light in NRL finals run

The Canberra Raiders co-captain jokes his spot in the side is on the line as the club prepares to meet the Parramatta Eels in Darwin on Saturday.

Hodgson will join a top four side riding a three-game winning streak when he makes his return from a fractured thumb - an injury which has kept him sidelined for all three of those wins.

The star hooker's return signals the end of another key player's stint in the rehabilitation wing at Raiders headquarters - one that has been far too busy for the club's liking.

Fractured eye sockets, busted thumbs, shoulders, knees and ankles are just some of the injuries which have sidelined the likes of Hodgson, John Bateman, Jordan Rapana, Joe Tapine, Aidan Sezer, Joey Leilua, Corey Horsburgh and Michael Oldfield this year.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Dunamis Lui have been carrying niggling injuries in recent weeks. Raiders coach Ricky Stuart had never seen anything like it.

But in came a plethora of unsung heroes to help the Raiders get by. Rookie forwards like Hudson Young and Horsburgh rose to the challenge, while outside backs like Bailey Simonsson and Seb Kris have proven to be worthy NRL players.

Now Canberra can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel with Hodgson set to fill a major piece of the puzzle as the Raiders edge closer to fielding a full-strength side.

All the while with their "backs to the wall", they have managed to hold their place in the top four. The challenge now is to keep their feet on the ground.

"When we lost a couple back to back, everyone was saying the wheels had fallen off, 'here goes Canberra, they'll be falling out of the eight'," Hodgson said.

"We win a few and they're all talking us up again. Everyone wants to be the best and you want to win it at the end of the year, that's what every team's goal is.

"We need to keep as many hands on deck as we can come the back end of the year and make sure we're in the semis to give ourselves a shout. Hopefully we get as high as we can up the ladder to give ourselves the best chance in the semis.

"The most consistent teams over the years still haven't won them back to back. You see Melbourne and the Roosters, they've only won maybe two comps in the past seven or eight years, and they're usually up there in the [top three].

"There's got to be a bit of luck coming into it to in terms of injuries, and all your ducks lining up in a row.

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"It's not just about being the best team, so we've just got to make sure we're consistent week to week and make sure we're chasing that top two spot."

Stuart has sensed the desperation in Hodgson to return - much like he has in plenty of other Raiders stars this year.

"Whether they're sitting out through injury or suspension, they get frustrated because that's what their job is, to play footy, and they love it," Stuart said.

"It's hard when you've got to sit and watch."

Hodgson is arguably the biggest piece of the puzzle - but he is not the final one.

Centre Nick Cotric is in line to return for Canberra's next game while Hudson Young is counting down the days until he can return from a five-game ban in round 19.

For now, the limelight belongs to the English rake. His right hand will be taped up, but Hodgson insists that is simply a precaution - and he hasn't had to look too far for advice on managing thumb injuries.

"[Joe Tapine] has been [taping] both of them for a while now. I think he just plays too much Playstation, that's why his thumbs are knackered," Hodgson said.

"It's felt like a long time, but I've only missed three games. I'm just itching to get going again, it has been a bit of a blessing in disguise on the body, just to freshen up a little bit.

"[Raiders staff] said 'if you're right to go, there's no point waiting'. I saw [the surgeon] on Monday and he was really happy with how I'd gone. It was a case of no point sitting on the sideline to tick a box and make other people feel better."