Croker out, Shillington doubt for RaidersCentre Jarrod Croker will miss Canberra's opening NRL trial match against Melbourne on Saturday with a knee injury, while Test prop David Shillington could also be ruled out.
Coach David Furner on Tuesday announced a 30-man squad he plans to take to Albury where the Raiders will meet last year's minor premiers in a preview of round one of the season.
He said there was little point in risking Croker, who jarred his knee during training and is expected to be fit in time for the second trial against Canterbury in Wagga Wagga on February 18.
But doubts remain about Shillington who has been on a course of antibiotics after a cut on his elbow became infected.
Furner says while Shillington will travel south with the squad, a decision on his fitness will be made just before the game on Saturday.
"It required stitches and what's happened in a little bit of the contact, it's opened up a bit," he told reporters in Canberra.
"It's not a major infection but it's been flaring up a bit and it's just a matter of not getting any knocks on it at the moment.
"If that settles down, he'll play."
Furner has otherwise named a near full-strength squad for the Albury match, which includes his four All-Star representatives Josh Dugan, Joel Thompson, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Travis Waddell, and says game time is his main priority.
It will be Terry Campese's first match since injury felled him just minutes into the 2011 season, while new recruit and former Warrior Shaun Berrigan will also take to the field for the first time in the green jersey.
"I'm looking to give game time to the players I would look at probably for round one, so you're looking at 60 minutes for those players; for front rowers 40 to 45 minutes," Furner said.
"What we want to get out of the trials is the combinations between our halves and fullbacks, so someone like 'Duges' will be looking at playing 30, 40 minutes."
Furner is looking forward to the opportunity of having even more minutes to use, with the game potentially to be made up of three 30-minute periods rather than the usual 80 minutes.
He conceded both teams will be coming into the match blind, but happy for the hit-out.
"It's nothing like the real thing - we're playing against a side there we're not sure what they're going to throw at us - but we're certainly not going to come up with any plays there that we'll be using in round one," Furner said.
Squad: Shannon Boyd, Glen Buttriss, Shaun Berrigan, Terry Campese, Josh Dugan, Shaun Fensom, Blake Ferguson, Bronson Harrison, Mark Ioane, Jarrad Kennedy, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Sam Mataora, Josh McCrone, Matt McIlwrick, Mark Nicholls, Josh Papalii, Dimitri Pelo, Joe Picker, Michael Picker, Reece Robinson, Sami Sauiluma, David Shillington, Joel Thompson, Trevor Thurling, Dane Tilse, Paul Vaughan, Travis Waddell, Brett White, Jack Wighton, Sam Williams,
Source: wwos.com.au top league stories
Topic: Croker out, Shillington doubt for Raiders
