No half measures as Raiders halves prepare for Penrith's NSW playmakers

It's a philosophy Canberra Raiders halfback Sam Williams has adopted to help revive his NRL career as he and new halves partner Jack Wighton prepare for an acid test against Penrith at Wagga Wagga on Saturday.

Williams has been a mainstay in the no.7 jersey since replacing Aidan Sezer in round three, and has been content to be the general and give powerful runners like Wighton, Joey Leilua and Jordan as much ball as possible.

Former fullback Wighton delivered arguably his best game at five-eighth since shifting there in last week's loss to Manly, scoring the first two tries of the game.

The new halves pairing faces their toughest test of the season against Penrith's incumbent NSW playmakers Nathan Cleary and James Maloney at Equex Centre on Saturday.

Despite the loss to the Sea Eagles the Raiders (5-2) are still in the top four, while the Panthers (2-5) showed promising signs they are ready to kickstart their season in a tight loss to Souths.

"Jacko's found his feet and a couple of those early touches were quality five-eighth work," Williams said.

"It's about myself trying to give Jacko some opportunities where he has space, giving a bit of control to the team that allows him to do what he did on the weekend.

"There's some real talent in our side and I've got to understand my role. There's no point in me taking the ball if BJ (centre Leilua) is in space outside me.

"Ricky (Stuart, coach) and the other coaches have been quite good in giving me a clear role. Hopefully as the season goes on we might get a bit more creative."

Wighton's move to the front line has also been a winner, with English international back rower and left-edge partner Elliott Whitehead adamant he's given confidence to players around him.

The Orange product has already pulled off some one-on-one try-savers and has been a major factor in Canberra's huge defensive improvement.

Only Melbourne (90) has conceded less points than Canberra (85) over the first seven rounds.

"He's a big body and a strong lad so it really does help having a half like that," Whitehead said.

"He likes to get up and put a shot on, having him beside me is a real confidence boost for me knowing he's there.

"Jack scored two tries (last week) and he'll take a lot of confidence out of that."

The clash is the first NRL match in Wagga since 1998 and Cooma product Williams said it's crucial bush kids can watch their heroes.

"The support rugby league has within the country communities is what our game is all about," Williams said.

"It's about getting out there and showing kids there's a pathway to the NRL.

"The Raiders are a big breeder of country kids from small towns, hopefully we can show a few kids out there it is possible."

Canberra winger Jordan Rapana will miss 2-3 weeks with a rib cartilage injury sustained against Manly and has been replaced by Bailey Simonsson, while the Panthers are unchanged.

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