Raiders young gun given chance to resurrect NRL career

Ricky Stuart will hand a chance to young gun Adrian Trevilyan as Canberra host the Wests Tigers. (Darren Pateman/AAP PHOTOS)

Ricky Stuart is backing Adrian Trevilyan to deliver after handing the luckless youngster an NRL recall for Canberra's crucial hosting of lowly Wests Tigers.

Trevilyan will make his first appearance of the year after Stuart reshuffled his line-up demanding a bounce back on Sunday following the Raiders' lame home loss to Newcastle last week.

"That wasn't us and we've got to get back on the road to being us," Stuart said of the insipid 28-6 defeat at GIO Stadium.

"We were back in here on Sunday, had a really good chat about it and left it there."

Stuart is hoping Trevilyan can offer spark off the bench after showing huge faith in the 22-year-old who made his only previous NRL start last season before enduring a wretched run with injury.

After undergoing a shoulder reconstruction, Trevilyan tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) last year but Stuart refused to give up on the exciting hooker.

"As soon as he did his ACL I said, 'Mate, just work hard and concentrate on your rehab. I know what's going through your mind - you're off contract. I promise you I'll keep you here, I'll look after you'. Because he's a talent," the veteran coach said.

"He's a young player who hasn't been able to show any of our supporters or anyone on the outside the talent he actually has.

"He's a very good young dummy half. He just hasn't had the ability yet to play consistent football. We're all very confident in Adrian's future."

So confident are they that the Raiders offered Trevilyan a development contract for 2024 to give him the chance to resurrect his career.

"I'm not expecting any great heights. I just want Trevvy to fall into the system and play our game," Stuart said.

"The best thing for Adrian is to keep getting game time now. Whether it's NRL, that's up to him now with performance, or just playing (NSW) Cup.

"But getting game time is really important for his confidence and his belief in regards to his future."

Canberra are precariously placed, fifth in the ladder with a poor points differential entering the final five rounds.

A win over the bottom-placed Tigers would give the Raiders some breathing space in the race to the finals.

But a loss would leave them in danger of falling out of the top eight ahead of tough games in coming weeks against fellow finals hopefuls Melbourne, Brisbane and Cronulla.

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