Test coming: Exciting Knights winger Akuila Uate. Photo: Jonathan Carroll
He is one of Newcastle's strike weapons in attack but Canberra have signalled their intention to test the defensive vulnerability of winger Akuila Uate under the high ball against the Knights on Sunday.
Uate was at his explosive best in Monday night's 34-6 win over North Queensland, scoring two tries and running for 165 metres.
Raiders five-eighth and co-captain Josh McCrone conceded Canberra would prefer keep the ball out of Uate's hands as much as possible but it won't stop the Raiders sending the ball his way off the boot.
Uate, who has played five Origin matches for NSW, was dumped by the Blues last year after a shocker in Game II under the high ball.
Raiders youngster Jack Wighton will have the job defensively on Uate but McCrone said he and halfback Sam Williams would be putting their own pressure on Uate in defence by kicking towards 20-year-old ''Jumpin' Jack'' in attack.
''[Uate's] running is definitely his strength but I don't think his catching [is],'' McCrone said.
''So it wouldn't be a bad idea to sit him under a few bombs, especially with the catchers we've got with Jack [Wighton on one side] and [Blake Ferguson] and [Sandor Earl] on the other.
''Uate is a pretty formidable player - it's not too much fun when you kick it [straight] to him and he charges straight back at you.
''I think we're lucky [Dane] Gagai's out and BJ Leilua isn't playing - they could be even stronger. It's pretty exciting the challenge we've got there.''
The Raiders have had their own case of the fumbles to deal with.
Having completed at just 64 per cent in their opening two losses to start the NRL season, the Raiders secured their first victory courtesy of an 80 per cent completion rate against St George Illawarra on Sunday.
A win in Newcastle in round 14 last year was the catalyst for Canberra's charge home into the NRL finals.
Despite a disappointing start to the season, marred by the sacking of fullback Josh Dugan, McCrone denied the Raiders were in need of any dramatic turnaround against the Knights this time.
''I don't think our confidence was ever really dented - we were beating ourselves by dropping too much ball in those first two rounds,'' McCrone said. ''We set a goal at the start of the year to complete at 80 per cent, the first two weeks we were around 60, that's just not acceptable.
''I don't think I'd see [this game] as a turning point, I think we're heading in the right direction now.
''It's only three games into the season and we've already learned a few lessons the the first two weeks.''
McCrone said the Raiders were unfazed by reports that Newcastle skipper Kurt Gidley or former Australian prop Willie Mason might return from injury.
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