Meet the Raiders' odd couple - the moustache-wearing, nippy Central Coast junior and the lad from England's north-east almost 10 years his senior.
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Tom Starling and Josh Hodgson have formed one of the NRL's most unique partnerships on and off the field, and the combination is starting to reap some serious dividends.
Coach Ricky Stuart looks to have solved the puzzle of how best to use his two dummy halves in the same game of football.
Hodgson starts the game and then Starling enters the fray about 20 minutes in with his dragonfly-like energy, taking over from hooker as the Englishman shifts into a makeshift, ball-playing middle forward role.
"He [Stuart] pulls the trigger on me when he thinks that we need a bit of energy and that's my role in the team," Starling said.
"I'm loving getting out there and trying to continue the energy that the boys have started off with and then taking it [through] the whole game.
"The goal is to be a starting nine, everyone wants to be the best obviously. Whatever's best for the team at the moment is what I'll do - I'm just loving every minute I get out there on the field."
Starling and Hodgson have also built a strong bond off the field, since the former Newcastle Knight moved to Canberra in 2019.
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It's fast-tracked Starling's development as an NRL number nine, as has working alongside premiership-winning hooker Michael Ennis who has been working at the Raiders as a coaching consultant.
"He's been massive Hodgo, and he still is, he's helped me week in week out, not just with footy stuff but how to be a leader, how to conduct yourself off the field and how to be a professional," Starling said.
"When I first came down here a couple of years ago he saw I was a dummy half and straight away started helping me out. I'm still spongeing off him and learning everything I can off him.
"As for Mick [Ennis], he's cutting clips up and sending them to Sticky [Stuart] each week for me to look over and look forward to for the next game.
"He texts me before every game and we have a chat about what I need to focus on each week. I've got two of the best nines here, I'm learning a lot from them."
Saturday's clash with Newcastle gives the Raiders a chance to springboard into the top eight.
Veteran half Mitchell Pearce has been named on an extended Knights bench, but Canberra is preparing as if he'll shake off a hamstring injury and start at halfback.
"He's not getting named in there not to play," returning co-captain Elliott Whitehead said.
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.
