Despite facing significant pressure to drop the former Dally M medallist, Canberra coach David Furner has chosen to keep Matt Orford at halfback for Friday’s match against 
Penrith.
This year, Orford has had a challenging return to the NRL and made critical errors in last weekend’s loss to Gold Coast.
Canberra’s sole victory this season occurred in round one when Sam Williams excelled in Orford’s stead due to injury.
With Williams continuing to shine in the Toyota Cup, many critics have urged for the rookie’s reinstatement while suggesting Orford should move down to the NSW Cup to regain his form.
Nevertheless, Furner has resisted the call to demote his high-priced signing, opting instead to give Orford an opportunity to improve against the struggling Panthers.
Due to a calf injury, Raiders fullback Josh Dugan has been ruled out and is not anticipated to return until round nine, while Dane Tilse is also unavailable for the match against Penrith owing to a hamstring strain.
In Dugan’s absence, Blake Ferguson will shift to fullback, with Reece Robinson taking his place on the wing.
An extended squad has been named, and Furner is set to exclude two players from a bench that includes Glenn Buttriss, Josh Miller, Danny Galea, Brett White, David Milne, and James Stuart.
by Buford Balony
