Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart challenges young forwards to pass NRL trial

Now Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has challenged them to perform during their trials and force their way into the 17.

There's spots up for grabs in the Green Machine's engine room as their round one clash against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville on March 4 draws closer.

Corey Horsburgh, Emre Guler, Trey Mooney, Ata Mariota, Peter Hola and Pasami Saulo were all in the mix for either bigger roles or to help cover the departures of Ryan Sutton (Canterbury) and Adam Elliott (Newcastle).

Stuart said the group of young guns were all yet to reach the ceilings of their NRL careers and he'd been impressed with their development throughout the pre-season.

Now they'll get their chance to nail down a ticket to Townsville during the Raiders' trials.

The Green Machine's first was against Sutton's Bulldogs at Moruya on Sunday week and then they travel to Belmore to take on Wests Tigers a week later.

With four Raiders - Jack Wighton, Joe Tapine, Jordan Rapana and Corey Harawira-Naera - set to play in the NRL All Stars game in Rotorua the night before the Bulldogs trial, it's likely to be a younger looking Green Machine for that first pre-season game.

A full-strength side will then likely take on the Tigers.

"They've all been training really well and they'll get their opportunities in the trial matches," Stuart said.

"They're going to get their opportunity now and it all comes back down to performance in the trials, it's as simple as that.

"That's what you want. You want that healthy, strong competition around my senior players there with [Josh Papalii] and 'Taps'.

"I need that fresh enthusiasm below them to be fighting for positions and playing their best football."

With Tapine and Josh Papalii Canberra's starting props, the No.13 jersey's up for grabs in the starting side, while there's also spots on the bench.

Horsburgh, Harawira-Naera and Mooney can all play lock, as can Tapine - which would open up a book-end role.

Tapine has backed Guler for a massive 2023.

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"A number of those have got the ability to slot in at lock and it comes down to performance," Stuart said.

"Corey [Harawira-Naera] can play middle and he can play edge [forward] so he's got great versatility."

Stuart said Guler and Horsburgh's experience - they're both 25 years' old and have played about 60 NRL games each - would be invaluable.

They're at that level where they're perfectly placed to take their games to the next level.

Mooney, Mariota, Hola and Saulo have only 41 NRL games between them, with Saulo (27 games) the oldest at 24.

Stuart said there was still plenty of room for not only the pair of Guler and Horsburgh to develop - but also the other young bulls looking to batter their way into the side.

"There was a great opportunity for Ryan at Canterbury and he was offered a really healthy contract, which I thought was a good opportunity for a bloke who has done a lot of great work for the club," he said.

"Ryan went with our best wishes - as did Adam Elliott.

"I think the club did a wonderful job with Adam Elliott to give him that opportunity and now he's got a deal at another club and got a future.

"But there was a ceiling on those players as they're senior players for a number of years and underneath I had a growth of younger players that needed developing now.

"The experience of Corey Horsburgh and Emre Guler is great to have and then for these younger boys such as Trey, Ata, Peter Hola and Pasami Saulo they haven't got a ceiling on them those boys.

"They're young boys who will get first-grade opportunity now and that's where their development comes from."

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