The Canberra Raiders are calling on a brand new second-row pairing to follow the Hudson Young blueprint and back themselves to fill the gaping void left by the NSW debutant and suspended star Elliott Whitehead.
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Injury has led Whitehead to enter a "no contest" plea to a dangerous contact charge at the NRL judiciary and cop a two-game ban - because a pectoral issue would have kept him out of the next fortnight anyway.
Corey Horsburgh will shift to the second-row while Corey Harawira-Naera has earned a recall from NSW Cup to plug the gaps against South Sydney at Homebush on Saturday night.
Joe Tapine moves to lock with Pasami Saulo to partner Josh Papali'i in the front-row, Zac Woolford returns to start at hooker with Danny Levi moving to the extended bench, and Nick Cotric is poised to make a comeback from injury after being named in the No. 16 jersey.
However the Raiders will be missing Whitehead after he was slapped with two charges following the loss to Manly last weekend - a grade one dangerous contact charge and a grade one careless high tackle.
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He opted to accept a two-game suspension instead of paying the $3000 fine for his hit on Josh Schuster, but the Raiders skipper will pay a $3000 fine for a high tackle on Brad Parker after entering an early guilty plea.
Whitehead was facing a combined $6000 in fines if he entered an early guilty plea to both, or a combined four-match ban if he contested both and lost at the judiciary.
Instead, Whitehead won't be available until the Raiders host the New Zealand Warriors in three weeks. Club officials have opted against a definitive timeline for his return, suggesting his "indefinite" absence will be less than four weeks.
Whitehead's absence throws another curveball at coach Ricky Stuart, with Young already in NSW camp ahead of the State of Origin series opener on May 31.
Now Canberra hooker Tom Starling has called on Horsburgh and Harawira-Naera to take a page out of Young's book ahead of a clash with the Rabbitohs.
"He just backs himself. I know everyone sees the stuff he pulls off on the weekend, it's not by accident. He goes out there and practices the grubbers, the flick passes and all that sort of stuff," Raiders hooker Tom Starling said.
"It's a credit to him, he's got the ability to do it and perform it in a game. Some people have got the skill but they don't have the confidence to go out and do it, and he does it.
"He's been killing it, he's been our best for a while now, he deserves that blue jersey. Being able to play in that arena, he's built for it. He does the hard work, but also got that bit of flamboyance. It's going to take his game to another level.
"It's going to test the depth of our squad. Losing Elliott is a massive loss, he's our captain and it's sad to see that happen. We'll have to move on.
"We've got some really good, talented players here. You don't have to go out there and be Hudson Young, go out there and be yourself."
Starling admits the Raiders were "shattered" after being belted by a Tom Trbojevic-inspired Manly outfit last weekend, vowing to bounce back against a Rabbitohs side with a point to prove.
Damien Cook will line up opposite Starling and Woolford, determined to force his way back into the reckoning for State of Origin II.
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Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
