Ricky Stuart is urging Canberra fans to be patient with teenage five-eighth Ethan Strange as he deploys his playmaker of the future in Newcastle.
Strange, 19, beat Kaeo Weekes to the No.6 jersey for Thursday night’s clash at McDonald Jones Stadium, where some young Raider faces will look to defy lowly pre-season expectations and beat the more fancied Knights.
In their first outing of the post-Jack Wighton era, Strange will pair with veteran Jamal Fogarty in the halves against a Newcastle side that rattled off 10 straight wins to reach last season’s semi-finals.
But for all the off-season talk of a new-look, younger Canberra outfit, the Raiders still boast a battle-hardened forward pack coach Stuart hopes will help second-gamer Strange.
“If I was a young half today, I’d want to be playing behind this pack,” Stuart said.
“But Ethan is not lacking any confidence, he’s a very mature young man and a very, very talented footballer.
“You’re not going to see the best out of Ethan for a number of games, you need 40 or 50 games under his belt like any other young boy.
“Certainly there’s no pressure from myself on Ethan or any of our young players, but I can tell you there’s a lot of belief.”
English lock Morgan Smithies and former Penrith second-rower Zac Hosking are additions for the Raiders, with young gun Xavier Savage recalled on a wing after playing just one game last season.
The Raiders are returning to the scene of last year’s elimination final defeat, when an understrength Canberra side took it up to the Knights in nearly their best performance of the season, despite ultimately losing in extra time.
“We basically built our off-season off that game, it was a wonderful game of courage,” Stuart said.
“We had a number of players who were out through injury and suspension, some bad luck in that game where things didn’t go our way with the flow of football, and we were very courageous.
“It’s going to be a tough grind up there, it’s going to be very, very physical, not dour but an intense game, especially to start with a packed house and with the excitement the Newcastle Knights have got at the moment in regards to their season last year, they’re bouncing off a very successful season.”
In the Knights line-up, Enari Tuala takes Sydney Roosters-bound Dominic Young’s vacant wing spot, with recruits Jack Cogger and Kai Pearce-Paul coming off the bench.
By Alex Mitchell in Canberra
