Raiders confident Dugan will fire - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Raiders confident Dugan will fire

By Steve Jancetic 12/07/2011 09:04:18 PM Comments (0)

Canberra coach David Furner expects returning fullback Josh Dugan to take little time to find the sort of form which snared him a NSW State of Origin jumper.

Dugan will play his first game in more than a month when he lines up in the No.1 against Melbourne on Sunday, the 21-year-old over the ankle injury which robbed him of the chance to add to his debut performance in the sky blue in this year's Origin opener.

"He's ready to go, he's completed the training sessions he needed to, he's back in the fulltime training squad this week and he'll run accordingly in the No.1," Furner said.

"Josh is a big-game player and brought plenty of confidence back with him after his Origin game so I'm expecting him to rise to the challenge against the Storm."

A couple of other familiar faces return to the starting line-up for the green machine with forgotten winger Daniel Vidot and Bronson Harrison back in the run-on 13.

Another blast from the past will also make it back onto NRL playing fields for the first time this year with Test centre Brent Tate to make his North Queensland debut on Saturday night against Wests Tigers.

Tate hasn't played since undergoing knee surgery after going down while representing the Kangaroos in last year's Four Nations final, his return giving the Cowboys one of the most potent centre pairings in the competition when he lines up alongside Willie Tonga.

Tigers' coach Tim Sheens has named departing utility Tim Moltzen at fullback, with Wade McKinnon dropped after a series of poor performances.

Brisbane welcome back their Origin contingent when they line up against Gold Coast, with Broncos' coach Anthony Griffin afforded the luxury of starting Matt Gillett from the interchange bench.

Former South Sydney utility Luke Capewell has been reinstated by Gold Coast at fullback after an extended stay in the Queensland Cup, his recall no doubt helped by an impressive display for the Queensland Residents side in last week's Origin curtain-raiser.

South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters have named unchanged sides for their local derby at ANZ Stadium, with NSW fullback Anthony Minichiello to miss a second game due to a mystery virus.

Penrith centre Michael Jennings has been named to return after five weeks out with an ankle injury for Saturday night's home game against Parramatta.

Jennings failed in his race to be fit for Origin III, but should add some spark to a Panthers' backline which looked off the pace in last week's loss to the Roosters.

Eels' coach Stephen Kearney has resisted the urge to leave Jarryd Hayne at five-eighth following his superb performance there against the Tigers, with the NSW Origin star named at fullback to accommodate the return of halfback Jeff Robson.

Ryan Stig will again fill the gap created by Newcastle skipper Kurt Gidley's hamstring injury against Manly on Sunday, while the return of a host of stars for St George Illawarra's clash against Cronulla has been tempered by news skipper Ben Hornby will be out for three weeks with a broken hand.

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