Emre Guler has embraced his new starting role at the Raiders, and the talented prop is keen to make every minute count.
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The 23-year-old is in the form of his life this season, having scored the match sealer two weeks ago against Manly before chalking up 46 minutes in the engine room against Cronulla.
With Dunamis Lui nursing a calf injury, and Josh Papalii in and out of the team due to Queensland duty, Guler has emerged as coach Ricky Stuart's go to man in the middle in recent times and he hasn't disappointed.
"The more time I get out there the more things I can pick up on and learn off the experienced players, like Papa and Hodgy [Josh Hodgson] especially, they've been doing it for years so just learning little things off them has been helping me," Guler said.
"I like starting, you just get straight into the game. Sometimes when you wait on the bench, sometimes your nerves you can waste a bit of energy.
"Starting's good so you can just get out there and get straight in."
Guler managed just eight NRL matches in 2020 thanks to a persistent ankle injury that curtailed the second half of his season.
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He returned to the top grade in round six this season and hasn't relinquished his spot since, racking up 12 games and scoring three tries in the process.
His biggest test of the season potentially stands before him on Thursday night against Parramatta's monstrous forward pack.
"If we do it all together we'll be all right, [we've] just got to play as a team," Guler said.
"Our strength is our middle as well so looking forward to the match up. They've definitely got a good pack so it'll be a good fight on Thursday.
"We've gone back to the basics, that's what worked for us last year and the year before, just simplified everything. That's made my job a lot more simple and easier and I think it's a ripple effect across the club."
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.
