Jarrod Croker's return to the NRL is imminent with the injury-plagued Raiders captain expected to be available for selection in time for next weekend's round 16 home clash against the struggling Gold Coast Titans.
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The 284-game veteran hasn't played in two months, sidelined by a shoulder problem initially before succumbing to an ongoing knee complaint.
Since then the club has endured its most tumultuous period in a decade which has included the sudden departure of Englishman George Williams, Josh Hodgson's relinquishing of the co-captaincy and a late-night incident involving Curtis Scott.
But Croker is back in training and looks set to make a timely return as the desperate Raiders look to resurrect their ailing season which took another hit on Saturday when Canberra surrendered a sizable second-half lead to the St George Illawarra Dragons.
NRL officials are yet to determine how the Raiders will be sanctioned for the interchange bungle which occurred during the match, when 18th man Xavier Savage joined the game for his NRL debut before being removed from the action 11 minutes later when it was determined he had come on illegally.
Savage was brought on straight after half-time when Sebastian Kris was ruled out of the contest due to an earlier head knock, but the NRL's new regulations state the 18th man can only be activated in that situation if the perpetrator of the incident which medically ends a player's involvement is sin binned or sent off for the offence.
The league stated earlier this week that Canberra would've likely been stripped of two competition points had they won the match. Any financial sanction is not likely to be handed down until later this week at the earliest.
Canberra is also waiting to hear back from the NRL's Integrity Unit following their investigation into the Scott incident, which occurred at Canberra nightspot Kokomo's late last month.
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CCTV footage shows a man believed to be Scott punching another patron just before midnight on May 30. The former Melbourne Storm premiership winner has been stood down by the club pending the Integrity Unit's findings, before the Raiders board will decide his future.
Meanwhile, Williams has been left out of England's match-day squad to play the Combined Nations All Stars on Friday after returning to the UK.
The halfback, who has already turned down a return to old club Wigan, was in coach Shaun Wane's initial 24-man squad for the representative fixture, but didn't make the final cut due to concerns over his match fitness.
That game is being played at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium, where Williams has been strongly linked to resume his rugby league career should former St George Illawarra Dragons star Gareth Widdop leave the club.
Williams delivered another parting shot at the Raiders in a BBC column soon after returning to England, detailing the 'souring' of his relationship with Canberra coach Ricky Stuart and the increased media scrutiny.
"Everybody recognises the players, it's huge, just like a Manchester United footballer walking round Manchester," Williams said in the column.
"Any story about a player makes the front page of the papers, it makes the news; you turn the TV on and your face is all over it. That was a shock to the system. They've got to tell their side of the story I suppose, but I was disappointed how some of the stuff did reach the media."
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.
