One week ago Canberra forward Luke Bateman was training alongside North Queensland recruit Shaun Fensom but the pair face the prospect of locking horns in the two sides' round one NRL clash.
Fensom was named the Raiders' best player in 2011 and 2012 but a combination of his fall in the pecking order and salary cap pressure prompted him to sign a two-year deal with the Cowboys on Friday.
Facing off against a Raiders mainstay in Townsville on Saturday night would be a strange experience for Bateman.
"If he does play it'll definitely be weird," Bateman said.
"Coming through the lower grades he was always a staple of the team here.
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"To see him in different colours will definitely be a weird thing and to play against him is definitely a weird thought."
Fensom played the first of his 139 NRL games for the Raiders in 2009, meaning there is little his former teammates don't know about his game.
"We probably know his strengths and his weaknesses - don't run at him that's for sure," Bateman said.
The 28-year-old arrived in Townsville on Monday for his first training session and is in contention to be picked in Paul Green's side.
"It would be very exciting to run out against them but we'll see how we go," Fensom said.
"I'll give (Green) a few tips. I know all the players...I know all the calls."
One Cowboy forward assured of facing the Raiders is last season's joint Dally M Medallist Jason Taumalolo.
"You always aim up when you come up against good players like that, especially in similar positions to you," Bateman said of Taumalolo.
"It's always a good test and round one it's always getting off against a good team up there will be good for us."
The Raiders pack will be without giant prop Junior Paulo who has been suspended by the club for round one over a road rage incident.
Bateman admits Paulo's a hard player to replace but is confident there is enough depth to fill the void.
"How do you cover 125kgs really? It'll be tough," Bateman said.
"Jeff Lima is very experienced, Dunamis Lui has played a lot of NRL games. We've got a lot of blokes who can come into the team."
