Want-away prop Corey Horsburgh may have another chance to prove his worth at Canberra, with coach Ricky Stuart claiming the former Queensland State of Origin representative still has a job to do.
Horsburgh has this year failed to match the lofty heights of his impressive past two seasons.
The Raiders enforcer has made just two NRL appearances off the bench in an injury-disrupted 2024, with the majority of his football limited to reserve grade.
It was playing in the NSW Cup that the 26-year-old received an ignominious three-game ban for headbutting and punching Warriors forward Jacob Laban in June.
Since his return from suspension, Horsburgh has remained on the outer, with Stuart preferring 23-year-old Simi Sasagi on the bench against Manly on Saturday in place of the injured Zac Hosking.
Horsburgh, who has been given permission to speak with other clubs despite being contracted to the Raiders until the end of the 2027 season, has been named only on the extended bench.
But Stuart said he still saw the former fan favourite playing a role in the NRL this season.
“Yeah I do. We need everybody available, fit and healthy,” he said.
The Raiders could do with reinforcements, likely needing four wins from their remaining five matches to make the finals.
Horsburgh has impressed in the NSW Cup – brawling notwithstanding – and could be a handy addition to the side after Hosking was ruled out for the season.
Hosking will undergo surgery next week after re-injuring his shoulder in the Raiders’ 22-18 loss to Canterbury on Sunday.
It was a disappointing blow for the rangy second-rower after only recently returning from a long-term injury lay-off, Stuart said.
“He’s a new boy to the club, started the season extremely well,” he said.
“And unfortunately, the injury early in the piece to his shoulder forced him into a really long, arduous rehabilitation campaign.”
Teen five-eighth Ethan Strange comes back into the starting line-up after he was rested from the Bulldogs match.
The promising playmaker has been forced to shoulder substantially more game time than Stuart had initially planned this season, in the absence of Jamal Fogarty.
But with the experienced halfback back in the squad, Stuart felt the time was right to give Strange a much-needed breather.
“It was something that you learn as a coach from experience in regards to how a young boy feels physically and mentally, too,” he said.
