Ricky Stuart will rest the majority of his Raiders stars against Cronulla on Saturday paving the way for three NRL debutants, while halfback Sam Williams will captain the side for the first time.
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With one eye clearly on next month's finals, Stuart has rung the changes to freshen the top end of his exhausted playing squad, and will hand Adam Cook, Jarrett Subloo and Darby Medlyn their first start in the NRL.
Former Canterbury Bulldog Matt Frawley will also make his club debut in the halves alongside Williams, with the pair deputising for Jack Wighton and George Williams who will be rested.
Williams and Frawley haven't played since representing Mounties in the NSW Cup back in March, prior to the competition's shutdown due to COVID-19.
Just eight players who featured in Sunday's 26-14 win over the New Zealand Warriors will back up against the Sharks.
Captain Jarrod Croker gets a break, and will be replaced by Harley Smith-Shields who made his NRL debut earlier this season. He'll partner another 2020 NRL debutant, Matt Timoko, in the centres.
Veteran prop Sia Soliola will return from a facial injury in place of enforcer Josh Papalii.
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English duo Elliott Whitehead and John Batemen have also earned a spell, with the latter given an extra week to recover from a sore elbow suffered in Sunday's win over the New Zealand Warriors. Hudson Young and Corey Harawira-Naera will fill their spots in the back row.
Cook, Townsville Blackhawks under-20s player of the year in 2019 who joined Canberra at the start of preseason, replaces Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad who is nursing a rib injury.
Joe Tapine will also be rested allowing Medlyn and Subloo, plus fourth starter Kai O'Donnell to fill in on the bench.
Subloo is another Queenslander who adds utility value from the interchange, while Medlyn is from Parkes and represented NSW at under-20s level last year.
"They're really keen kids and they really have confidence in their own ability," Williams said.
"Cooky is a real livewire and he's got a lot of skill. Darby's a worker, he's a tough country kid and he puts his head into everything so that's really good and Subsy [Subloo] can cover a number of positions so it'll be interesting to see how we use him."
It brings Canberra's tally to seven NRL debutants this year, with the latest trio joining Timoko, Smith-Shields, Kai O'Donnell and Semi Valemei.
Cronulla has also made wholesale changes, given they will finish eighth this season no matter what happens against the Raiders.
Wade Graham has been named at five-eighth to fill the breach in the halves left by the suspended Chad Townsend, and injured Shaun Johnson.
Nene MacDonald, Mawene Hiroti, Connor Tracey and Teig Wilton also come into the side.
For Williams, Saturday's clash at Kogarah Oval marks a drastic change in 2020 fortunes. He'll go from training for six months in an NRL bubble to captaining the team.
"It's a massive honour and I never thought I'd have the opportunity to captain this club," Williams said.
"It's something that I'll put right at the top of my list of memories from my time with the Raiders, whether that's 10, 20, 30 years away. I'll never forget that opportunity."
Canberra Raiders v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Kogarah Oval, Saturday, September 26, 5.30pm
1. Adam Cook 2. Semi Valemei 3. Matt Timoko 4. Harley Smith-Shields 5. Nick Cotric 6. Matt Frawley 7. Sam Williams (C) 8. Dunamis Lui 9. Tom Starling 10. Sia Soliola 11. Hudson Young 12. Corey Harawira-Naera 13. Siliva Havili 14. Kai O'Donnell 15. Ryan Sutton 16. Darby Medlyn 17. Jarrett Subloo 18. Ata Mariota 19. Joe Tapine 20. Jack Wighton 21. Elliott Whitehead
Injuries/Suspension
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - Rib - Finals Week 1
Jordan Rapana - Knee - Finals Week 1
Curtis Scott - Leg - Season
Michael Oldfield - Thumb - Indefinite
Emre Guler - Ankle - Indefinite
Corey Horsburgh - Indefinite
Josh Hodgson - Knee - Season
Bailey Simonsson - Shoulder - Season
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.
