Joe Tapine will shoulder even more of the leadership load for the middle forwards, but he said the extra pressure of Josh Papali'i's absence would help the young Canberra Raiders pack grow as NRL players.
Papali'i will miss the next couple of games due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the 20-18 win over the Sydney Roosters on the weekend.
Ata Mariota was named on the bench on Tuesday, while Pasami Saulo will start against the Gold Coast Titans at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.