Canberra's Hodgson won't be risked: Stuart

The thought of keeping injured England international Josh Hodgson in cotton wool doesn't faze Canberra coach Ricky Stuart.

Not after unheralded hooker Adam Clydsdale's heroics in Friday night's 13-12 NRL loss in Brisbane.

Stuart should be a worried man after marquee No.9 Hodgson looked set for a sideline stint with what is believed to be a bruised sternum.

Especially with back-up rake Kurt Baptiste also out recovering from a ruptured Achilles.

But the Raiders mentor said he would not fast track Hodgson's return after Clydsdale's gutsy display.

Clydsdale stepped up to finish the match at dummy-half after Hodgson lasted just 45 minutes.

"It's early in the season. We won't risk Josh if he needs a week or so off," Stuart said.

"He is too important to the team.

"But I must say Adam did a great job.

"It's always a big job for players such as Adam to fill in for big players like Josh but I think he did well for us."

Clydsdale shone on a bench minus David Taylor.

The hulking forward was denied a reunion against former club Brisbane after Stuart opted to replace him with Joe Tapine, back from a broken finger.

"I had enough big men on the bench," Stuart said.

"Dave will now go back and get big minutes in second grade.

"He's certainly not going back because of performance.

"I thought he was really good in his first game back, he was committed to the off-season and fitted in well."

Taylor received an off-season NRL lifeline from Canberra - his fifth club in 11 years.

He made his NRL return for the Raiders in the 46-6 round three romp over Wests Tigers last weekend.

Stuart lamented Canberra's butter fingered display which gifted Brisbane 56 per cent possession at a greasy Suncorp Stadium.

"We are losing games by a point when we had no football," he said.

"Give us the same possession as the opposition and we are a handful - we showed that last week."

Canberra's mercurial display was summed up best by winger Jordan Rapana.

He spectacularly reached out at full stretch to score a diving one handed try in the 64th minute.

Rapana then dropped the ensuing re-start kick.

Rapana was still a standout, notching 192m, nine tackle busts and two line breaks.

Teenage winger Nick Cotric impressed in just his fourth game.

The highlight was somehow intercepting Matt Gillett's sublime back flick pass to a seemingly try bound Jordan Kahu in the first half.