Hudson Young and Ethan Strange Start for Canberra Raiders Against Cowboys

Hudson Young and Ethan Strange started for canberra raiders against the Cowboys, giving Ricky Stuart both members of his Origin duo in the same lineup. The pair were named in the starting side before the match, a boost for Canberra in a live NRL update against North Queensland.

Ricky Stuart’s Starting Side

Young and Strange were both included from the start rather than held back on the bench. That gave Canberra a direct selection edge heading into a game where the Raiders were already carrying the weight of having both players available at once.

Stuart’s call mattered because it settled the shape of the Raiders’ side before kickoff. With Young and Strange starting, Canberra could build its match plan around two players who were both part of the Origin duo mentioned in the team update.

Todd Payten’s Lock Switch

North Queensland had its own change. Reuben Cotter was rested, and Matt Lodge was set to slot into the lock position for Todd Payten’s Cowboys.

That meant the Cowboys went into the contest with a different middle-unit look while Canberra kept its own structure intact. The contrast was simple: the Raiders had their Origin pair on the field from the outset, while the Cowboys adjusted around Cotter’s absence and Lodge’s move to lock.

Canberra’s Matchday Edge

For Canberra, the immediate takeaway was availability. Young and Strange were there, starting, and that gave the Raiders the cleaner team sheet on the day they faced North Queensland.

For readers tracking the matchup, the practical detail is straightforward: the Raiders’ Origin duo was in the starting side, and the Cowboys had already changed course by resting Cotter. Those were the lineup moves that shaped the opening balance before the game settled in.