Canberra have thrown up a round-one NRL selection shock, benching former Dally M five-eighth of the year Blake Austin.
Returning Raider Sam Williams will start, relegating Austin - who is out of contract at the end of this season - to the sidelines for Sunday's clash on the Gold Coast with the Titans.
Williams started in the Raiders' only trial game against Canterbury, but it was expected the 27-year-old Austin would get first crack at continuing his partnership in the halves with Aidan Sezer.
After a year away from Canberra playing in the Super League with Wakefield, Williams said he was not expecting the early call-up.
"Probably even up until a couple of weeks ago at training, I wasn't exactly thinking I was a certainty to start in round one; I just wanted to give myself an opportunity to be in the 17," Williams told reporters on Tuesday.
Williams said being without star hooker Josh Hodgson due to a knee injury had forced coach Ricky Stuart to switch the team around.
"Obviously losing Hodgso, the dynamics of the team has changed a bit and Ricky's looked at that and felt I could play a role within the team," Williams said.
"That role is starting the footy game and I just want to go out there and take the opportunity now."
Hodgson's replacement at No.9 will be Siliva Havili, with the former St George-Illawarra player getting an opportunity to make the spot his own until the England international returns.
Havili has not played a NRL match since round 14 in 2016 in a Dragons loss to Canterbury.
Stuart has consistently said there will not be just one replacement for Hodgson.
Havili, Sezer and Bulldogs recruit Craig Garvey all spent time there during the trial game.
"The way we've been attacking Hodgo's injury and the empty position is in numbers," Stuart said in February.
"We've got three halves and two hookers and I'm really happy with how they've been handling it and committing in the off-season."
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