Raiders say they want to do it for Stuart

Canberra captain Brett White says pride will be on the line when they take on Parramatta in Darwin on Saturday.

Canberra captain Brett White

Canberra captain Brett White says pride will be on the line when they take on Parramatta in Darwin. (AAP)

The Canberra Raiders say they are playing for more than just the future of embattled coach Ricky Stuart against Parramatta in Darwin on Saturday.

Raiders coach Stuart came in for heavy criticism following the side's 54-18 loss to the Warriors last week.

Following three straight defeats the Raiders are 15th, equal with last-placed Cronulla on 14 points but ahead on for-and-against.

Should the Raiders finish on the bottom of the ladder, it would be Stuart's third consecutive wooden spoon.

He would also earn the ignominy of being the first coach to collect the consecutive wooden spoons at two different clubs.

Prop Brett White said while there was a desire to prove the detractors wrong, they were also playing for personal pride after their embarrassing loss to the Warriors last week.

"We want to win, not only for (Stuart), but for the club, our fans and ourselves," he said.

"It's something we all want to do and right the wrong of last week."

White said he did not believe it would hard to move on from last week because the side which would run our against the Eels at TIO Stadium was so different to the one which was blasted off the park against the Warriors.

Terry Campese (oblique), Reece Robinson (back), David Shillington (pectoral), Shaun Fensom (ACL), Kurt Baptiste (shoulder) and Brenko Lee (hamstring) all went down against the Warriors.

Edrick Lee and Jack Wighton will make timely returns while highly rated Anthony Milford will move into the halves.

White, who will captain the team in Campese's absence, said their injuries could be a blessing in disguise.

"There have been plenty of changes and a lot of guys are getting a chance to prove themselves in first grade," he said.

"That's brought a lot of energy into the side ... There are a lot of areas that there are changes this week and we've got to keep it basic (against the Eels)."

The Eels' chances, as they have done all year, will hinge on fullback Jarryd Hayne.

Hayne ripped Cronulla to pieces last week and White said there was no easy way to stop him.

"I saw during the week he was named No.1 in (the Rugby League Week) players' poll and rightly so," White said.

"He's brilliant and we have a massive job to contain him.

"A lot of our focus though is making sure individually we're all better than last week."


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