By Sebastian Tan in Canberra

Coach Ricky Stuart says the looming threat of Nathan Cleary hasn’t been spoken about inside Canberra’s four walls despite them needing to stop the star halfback from inflicting further misery on their season.

The Raiders will be looking to keep their finals hopes intact with a win against NRL premiership favourites Penrith in Mudgee on Saturday.

Despite the talk about whether another ‘Miracle of Mudgee’ can happen after fullback Kaeo Weekes scored a runaway golden-point try to beat the Panthers last season, Stuart is adamant they aren’t looking back.

But he will have to consider Cleary, who missed a field goal in that game but then produced a masterclass against Canberra in round 10 to help the Panthers claim a 30-18 victory.

Stuart said in his post-match press conference then his young halves pairing of Ethan Sanders and Ethan Strange were taught a lesson he wouldn’t be able to teach.

But when asked about how good of a test it will be for Sanders to face the 28-year-old again, Stuart’s answer was measured.

“That (Cleary, Sanders face-off) is not spoken about. It’s not really common for a halfback to really come head to head during games,” Stuart said.

“It’s not like two front rows. He (Sanders) will be judged on how he handles our attack, his defensive display as an individual.

“But he’ll be credited for how he runs his team, as will the opposition half.”

This time around, the Raiders will have second-rower Matty Nicholson on their bench after he returned from shoulder surgery in Canberra’s 56-10 thumping of Wests Tigers last Saturday.

Nicholson’s addition to the squad is invaluable especially because the Raiders lost NSW State of Origin representative Hudson Young to a ruptured Achilles and Noah Martin for four weeks with a quad injury.

“I gave him a decision last week to come back through the New South Wales Cup and get some confidence back in his shoulder, or play in the NRL,” Stuart said.

“He obviously chose to play in the NRL, which was a great sign of individual confidence.

“The way the games run in regard to HIAs and hopefully not injury, I can use Matty in the middle, I can use him on the edge.”

Hooker Owen Pattie also returns to the squad after suspension while forward Ata Mariota remains as a starting second-rower having shifted into that position following Martin’s injury.

For the Panthers, coach Ivan Cleary has dropped five-eighth Blaize Talagi, who scored a double against Canberra in round 10, and replaced him with Jack Cogger.

It follows a flurry of poor defensive performances by Talagi in recent weeks and will add another disruption to Penrith’s spine with fullback Dylan Edwards out with a shoulder injury.

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