Ricky Stuart has rested young gun Chevy Stewart after a gruelling NRL initiation to have the 18-year-old fresh for the second half of the season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It means Albert Hopoate returns to the Canberra Raiders team at fullback as one of four changes for their tough trip to play fourth-placed Manly at Brookvale on Friday night.
The Raiders welcome back their captain Elliott Whitehead (calf), with Simi Sasagi dropping to an extended bench.
Winger James Schiller has been dropped to the extended bench, with Nick Cotric returning for his first NRL game since round three.
Pasami Saulo has a bulging disc, which forced him off at half-time in the loss to the Sharks, opening the door for Emre Guler to return to the bench.
In further news, Zac Hosking will find out on Wednesday whether his two weeks of intensive rehabilitation on the left shoulder he dislocated will require surgery.
The boom Raiders recruit will either continue the rehab with the view to returning later in the season or be forced to have season-ending surgery.
Stuart's looking to end the Green Machine's two-game losing streak, but he's also aiming to look after his 18-year-old fullback at the same time.
Stewart made a stunning NRL debut against the Gold Coast, had a tough outing against the Brisbane Broncos and then played well against the Sharks.
He'll now have the next two weeks off to allow him to refresh physically, where he won't even play NSW Cup.
Stuart's mindful of ensuring he doesn't burnout his young fullback.
Hopoate will return for his first NRL game since a barbecue accident left him with a badly burnt arm.
"I'm resting Chevy Stewart. He's not playing second grade either, I'm giving him a weekend off - plus he's got the bye round the week after, I want to give him two weeks off," Stuart told The Canberra Times.
"It's more looking after him physically. He's had three real intense, tough encounters over the last three weeks.
"I've been very happy with him, it's just a matter of now looking after him.
"At 18 years of age, so early in the season, it's a matter of looking after the back end of the year as much as it is now.
"That's the reason why I've gone with Albert Hopoate at fullback."
Hosking will find out on Wednesday whether his season's over or if he could return later in the campaign.
Stuart said his rehabilitation had gone well over the past fortnight since he dislocated his shoulder against the Gold Coast.
Hosking has been a revelation in the second row for the Green Machine this season - his first since joining the club from the Penrith Panthers.
His arrival came at the perfect time with Whitehead struggling with a calf injury at the start of the campaign.
But the 27-year-old hurt his shoulder in Canberra's thrilling golden-point victory over the Titans in round six.
The Raiders opted to try and nurse his shoulder back to health and avoid going under the knife, with the hope he could return inside three months.
That would see him potentially back as early as their round 16 clash with the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown.
"It's tomorrow he finds out exactly where it's at," Stuart said.
"He's rehabbing quite well, if it's worse-case scenario - if it's going to be a full-blown operation - they might ask for another six weeks of rehabilitating it to try and strengthen it to a stage where he can play the back end of the year."
The news comes as the Raiders welcome Whitehead back from his calf injury, a massive boost in experience to slot into the right edge of the youngest team in the NRL as they face a tough trip to Brookvale to face the fourth-placed Sea Eagles.
He's only managed one game so far this season with the Raiders exercising caution with their skipper.
Whitehead could've returned on the weekend to face Cronulla, but he wouldn't have been able to back up against the Sea Eagles due to the short turnaround.
They have lost Saulo to injury, although he should be back after their round-10 bye.
The prop has had an injection to help it settle down with the view to him returning for Magic Round against the Bulldogs.
"He's got a bulging disc so instead of trying to get him through another week we thought if we give him a cortisone now," Stuart said.
"He gets the week off with the bye and it should settle the pain. That's why he had to come off on the weekend."
The Green Machine have had some good news from the match review committee this week, with fourth-placed Manly losing second-rower Haumole Olakau'atu through a two-week suspension.
They could receive further good news at the judiciary on Tuesday night - Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans is challenging his suspension and could miss the next three weeks for his part in the dangerous tackle that earnt Olakau'atu his ban.
NRL ROUND NINE
Friday: Canberra Raiders v Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale, 6pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Albert Hopoate, 2. Xavier Savage, 3. Matt Timoko, 4. Sebastian Kris, 5. Nick Cotric, 6. Ethan Strange, 7. Kaeo Weekes, 8. Josh Papali'i, 9. Danny Levi, 10. Joe Tapine (c), 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Morgan Smithies. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Ata Mariota, 16. Trey Mooney, 17. Emre Guler. Reserves: 18. Simi Sasagi, 19. Peter Hola, 20. Zac Woolford, 21. James Schiller, 22. Hohepa Puru.
Sea Eagles squad: 1. Tom Trbojevic, 2. Jason Saab, 3. Tolutau Koula, 4. Reuben Garrick, 5. Tommy Talau, 6. Luke Brooks, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans (c), 8. Taniela Paseka, 9. Lachlan Croker, 10. Josh Aloiai, 11. Ethan Bullemor, 12. Corey Waddell, 13. Jake Trbojevic. Interchange: 14. Karl Lawton, 15. Toafofoa Sipley, 16. Nathan Brown, 17. Matthew Lodge. Reserves: 18. Aaron Woods, 19. Jakob Arthur, 20. Jaxson Paulo, 21. Ben Condon, 22. Gordon Chan Kum Tong.