Saturday's trial with Newcastle has "created some problems", according to Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, but they are of the good variety as players on the fringe do their utmost to force him to have a rethink.
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Stuart will trim the squad at training this week as the Raiders ramp up preparations for the March 8 season opener at Cronulla.
Despite a 26-4 loss to the Knights, several fringe players headed by winger Jordan Rapana and halfback Sam Williams did their chances no harm with solid displays.
"We're going to narrow the group down now and really start focusing on that first five games," Stuart said.
"There's some things which came out of it [the trial] which are going to help us, and create problems for us with some of our selections coming into round one.
"I was disappointed we were poor with our errors and penalties, but to be a competitive football team you have to have selection problems, and for first graders to miss out."
Williams, locked in a battle with Mitch Cornish for the No.7 jersey, says the club must patch up its leaky edge defence after the long-running problem was again exposed by Newcastle.
After left centre Jarrod Croker left the field early with a head knock, Knights winger Akuila Uate scored three tries down that flank as Canberra chopped and changed its line-up.
The Raiders have devoted plenty of time over summer to solving the issue that has plagued them in recent seasons.
"Yeah, massively [we've worked on it]; over the next two weeks we need to do a bit of work there," Williams said.
"It's important we're defending as an edge and as a group. We need to be better as a whole.
"But it's the first time this group has come together. It's going to improve and combinations in defence are going to improve as well.
"It's something we'll look at on the video this week and identify some areas we need to fix up."
The 26-4 defeat at Seiffert Oval was the last chance for Cornish and Williams to impress Stuart.
After coming on with 25 minutes left, Williams laid on Canberra's only try and put together a composed display after replacing Cornish.
"We've spoken to Ricky all pre-season about it and all we can control is playing footy," Williams said.
"We've had a couple of trials now. It's in Sticky's hands."
The 23-year-old believes he is better equipped to handle the NRL after leaving the Raiders last year to join the Dragons, where he struggled to entrench himself.
He embarked on a mid-season shift to Catalans Dragons, where he relished a chance to work on his game away from the NRL spotlight.
"I've always said that at 23 years of age, you hope you're still improving your football," Williams said.
"It's a free-flowing style of football over there [Catalans]; they want you to use the football at every opportunity.
"You have to scale that back in the NRL, and not throw it around as much.
"It's about doing everything right and forcing my way back into the Raiders team. It's where I want to be."
