'Good teams can't have a week off': Canberra Raiders rise for NRL test

A group of unperturbed youngsters led by State of Origin hopeful Nick Cotric, Hudson Young, Corey Horsburgh and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will play a key role as the Raiders look to build on their top four blueprint.

Stuart says "they're the easy ones" as he looks to ensure his side can deal with the weight of expectation heading into a clash with the North Queensland Cowboys at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.

Canberra are coming down from a massive fortnight against two of the NRL's best but Stuart says the flame has not wilted as the Raiders look to stamp their claim as a title contender.

"The younger blokes are just so excited about being there and trying to keep their position," Stuart said.

"Nobody can afford to have an off week. In this competition, if you have an off week, you get beaten. It's important we keep sticking to that benchmark that we're setting ourselves at the moment. If we stay consistent to that, we'll win our fair share of games.

"We're only 11 games in and there is no lack of motivation. It hasn't hit me at all this week in regards to trying to get the boys up. They understand how important it is.

"It has been a big fortnight, but good teams can't have a week off. That's where we see ourselves and it's important we keep that consistency and keep getting to the benchmark we're setting ourselves at the moment, that's with the quality of football we're playing."

Stuart maintains the emerging prospects in his squad will rise to another level once they graduate from their first full NRL campaign.

It makes ever-improving Raiders fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad a scary thought for opposition defensive lines - but not once did he expect his first season in Canberra to pan out like it has so far.

He had no idea he was walking into a side that would find itself in the top four nearing the halfway mark. He had no idea he would even crack the side at all.

"I wasn't too sure what to expect really, I was just worrying about myself, I was just trying to get into the side first," Nicoll-Klokstad said.

It didn't take Nicoll-Klokstad long to work out he had entered a side with the tools to end a two-year finals exile - about two games to be exact.

Since then he has become one of the NRL's buys of the year, excelling at fullback after taking a gamble and shifting his life and family across the Tasman amid a struggle to crack the New Zealand Warriors' best 17 behind a Dally M winner in Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

"The group is more understanding about knowing the level of footy we can play at, and what we can do when we're at our best," Nicoll-Klokstad said.

"It's about what we can control, and that's what we do on the paddock and what we do away from the field. The expectations and pressures, it's more internal than external.

"We have a lot of high standards and really high expectations for our team."