The Canberra Raiders are pleading with the NRL to clear the way for under-20s star Mitch Cornish to make his NRL debut, asking for a second-tier salary cap exemption for the last game of the season.
Two-time under-20s halfback of the year Cornish has been named in the Raiders starting team to play the Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.
The NRL blocked the club's attempt to blood Cornish earlier this season because he was outside the Raiders' top-25 contracted players.
But with Glen Buttriss having shoulder surgery on Friday, Blake Ferguson AWOL, Sandor Earl serving a drugs suspension, Josh Dugan sacked and eight other players injured, the Raiders have asked for an exemption in a game which is virtually a dead rubber for Canberra.
The second-tier cap is $375,000, and Canberra's has been stretched to breaking point given it has already elevated Paul Vaughan, Anthony Milford, Jake Foster and Sami Sauiluma from outside its top-25 players group.
Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/canberra-raiders/cornish-debut-in-lap-of-gods-8230-and-nrl-20130903-2t2wk.html#ixzz2duY9UNGk
Topic: Raiders plead with NRL to allow Cornish to make debut
