The Toyota Forklifts Canberra Raiders have locked in their 22-man squad for the season opener against the Newcastle Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday night (March 7). Notably, Zac Hosking (Raider #393) and Morgan Smithies (Raider #394) earn their first starts, replacing the injured Elliott Whitehead, who’ll miss 3–4 weeks with a calf strain ([raidercast.com.au][1]).
Joe Tapine will lead the side as captain, with Jamal Fogarty continuing in his role as vice-captain ([raidercast.com.au][1]).
**Starting Backline:**
* 1 Jordan Rapana; 2 Nick Cotric; 3 Matt Timoko; 4 Albert Hopoate; 5 Xavier Savage
* 6 Ethan Strange; 7 Jamal Fogarty ([raidercast.com.au][1])
**Forwards:**
* 8 Josh Papalii; 9 Danny Levi; 10 Joe Tapine (c); 11 Hudson Young; 12 Zac Hosking; 13 Morgan Smithies ([raidercast.com.au][1])
**Interchange/Reserves:**
* 14 Tom Starling; 15 Emre Guler; 16 Ata Mariota; 17 Pasami Saulo; 18 Kaeo Weekes; 19 Simi Sasagi; 20 Zac Woolford; 21 James Schiller; 22 Trey Mooney ([raidercast.com.au][1])
Replacing key men and debutants in the forward pack, the Raiders aim to build on a dramatic 2023 and make a strong statement in Round 1.
