Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has plucked young half Brad Schneider from outside the club's top 30 playing list to make his NRL debut in Saturday's home clash against the high-flying Melbourne Storm.
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Schneider has been picked ahead of seasoned campaigner Siliva Havili to cover for the suspended Josh Hodgson, and will become the 376th player to represent the Green Machine in the top grade.
The 20-year-old Queenslander will start from the bench in place of Hodgson, who is suspended for one week after pleading guilty to a chicken wing tackle in last weekend's win over the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Stuart was forced into two more changes this week due to suspensions stemming from that game.
Veteran half Sam Williams will make a rare NRL appearance to cover for the suspended Jack Wighton, named at five-eighth where he will partner George Williams in the halves for the first time.
And Dunamis Lui has worked his way back into the Raiders' starting side, where he will deputise for fellow Queensland Origin prop Josh Papalii as he serves the first week of a three-match ban for a careless high tackle charge.
Englishman Ryan Sutton returns to the bench after an early return from the elbow injury he suffered in Wagga against the Newcastle Knights, while Sia Soliola has been named on an extended bench after shaking a recent knee injury.
Jordan Rapana (hamstring) and Joe Tapine (knee) will both miss at least another week while co-captain Jarrod Croker will be sidelined indefinitely after the club revealed on Monday he had been battling a knee injury.
Schneider is a train and trial player at the Raiders, but has impressed Stuart in seven NSW Cup appearances already this season. The NRL allows players from outside the top 30 squad to feature after round 10.
He moved to Canberra from Townsville last year, and has shown his wares as a crafty halfback with a pinpoint kicking game.
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In-form Raiders centre Curtis Scott backed the club's depth against his old side Melbourne this weekend.
"A lot of our senior players have had a couple of niggling injuries, for us middle tier [players] and the younger boys in the squad, it's just an opportunity for them to step up and just go out there and play their role to the best of their ability so in the back end of the year when we get those players back we've done the work and put ourselves in a decent position," Scott said.
"Everyone knows how good Melbourne are, they're going to be coming down here, they're going to be pumped up."
Canberra Raiders v Melbourne Storm, May 22, Canberra Stadium
1. Caleb Aekins 2. Bailey Simonsson 3. Sebastian Kris 4. Curtis Scott 5. Semi Valemei 6. Sam Williams 7. George Williams 8. Dunamis Lui 9. Tom Starling 10. Emre Guler 11. Corey Harawira-Naera 12. Elliott Whitehead (C) 13. Hudson Young 14. Brad Schneider 15. Ryan Sutton 16. Corey Horsburgh 17. Ryan James 18. Matt Timoko 19. Sia Soliola 20. Siliva Havili 21. Harry Rushton
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
