Josh Papalii says Canberra Raiders ready to cover any NRL scenario

Emre Guler looms as a likely inclusion for round one having impressed in the Raiders' lone trial against the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Papalii, Sia Soliola and Joe Tapine have firmed as the likely middle trio for Canberra's season opener against the Gold Coast on March 13.

While Guler and Dunamis Lui look set to join the rotation from the bench, another young forward in Jack Murchie has been linked with a move to the New Zealand Warriors.

It creates an interesting scenario for Raiders coach Ricky Stuart with John Bateman out injured and Ryan Sutton potentially facing a suspension for a shoulder charge.

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"Sticky [Stuart] has got a good structure there. We still don't know who is going to play in round one," Papalii said.

"That's probably the good thing about our team. Anyone that plays in that position will be ready to go.

"We've got Dunamis and Emre ready to go. They were there last year, they were in the grand final team.

"I think Sticky is probably going to go with the safe option and use the team that played in the [grand final]. In saying that, we've got a lot of players that can fill in."

Injuries and a handful of recruits will force Stuart to make slight adjustments to the side which played last season's decider.

George Williams will slot into halfback while the outside backs will boast a fresh look which hinges on the outcome of the NRL's investigation into centre Curtis Scott's arrest.

Bateman is likely to miss the first seven weeks of the season which could pave the way for Corey Horsburgh to shift into the back-row after impressing against the Bulldogs.

"He obviously played some long minutes there on the edge and it's something he is not used to, but he delivered," Papalii said.

"There were a few good signs [against Canterbury], Sticky probably won't be happy with our start but we've still got two weeks until our first game. We've still got some time to try to fix that up.

"I wasn't too pleased about my performance, but I've just got to use the next few weeks to sharpen a few things there and hopefully start round one pretty sharp."

One Raider who may skip town prior to that is 22-year-old forward Murchie with the Warriors looking the bolster their depth after Bunty Afoa tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

"That's his personal space to sort his things out. I just hope he makes the right decision for himself," Papalii said.

"He is definitely a quality player and he will be handy in both teams. For now he is with the Raiders at the moment. If he chooses, to go, he has got the full support of the club. If he chooses to stay, it's the same thing."