And Austin and halfback Aidan Sezer feel it's helped them produce their best game together since the opening round of the season.

It's ominous for the cellar-dwelling Newcastle Knights, who come to Canberra Stadium on Sunday having lost nine in a row.

Having joined the Raiders from the Gold Coast Titans this season, Sezer wasn't happy with his early season form, which was interrupted by a broken cheekbone.

But Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has made a subtle change to the way the two halves work together, with Sezer now being used primarily as first receiver.

That allows Austin to do what he does best – terrorising defences with his running game. It's something that's been missing n the side this season.

Like Sezer, he's also been hindered by injury in 2016, missing games due to knee, ankle and hamstring problems, but the pair played their 10th game together on the weekend.

Sezer said they'd "mixed things up at training", with the view to the halves "getting their hands on the ball a bit more".

"We wanted to change back to play a more traditional halves style where Austo's that basic second receiver and I'm playing more in the ruck," he said on Thursday.

"That's probably where we can allow him to play his best footy, which is his running game.

"On the weekend he had a few nice touches and we'll be looking for more of that from him."

Austin felt the 30-22 victory over the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday was the best game the duo had played together.

He said they'd worked hard over the bye period and that had paid off against the Titans.

Austin said it was the best they'd played together since the opening round win over Penrith, when they were both hit by injury.

"I think me and Aidan definitely worked a hell of a lot better together. We worked really hard on it over the break and there was a lot more clarity around our spine and when we were getting the ball," he said.

"We did some good things in round one together but then we've been a bit stop and start since then with the time we could spend together.

"[The Titans game] felt a lot more like round one with the way we were linking and I was playing on the left, he was on the right and we were feeding off each other.

"It's about the little tweaks we've made and that's going to make it a lot easier for us."

He wants to get his running game back to where it was in his debut season in Canberra.

Last year, he averaged 7.3 runs per game for about 80 metres in total. This year he's averaging 5.8 runs for about 47m.

Austin wanted to return to 2015 levels when asked how many runs he hoped to make every week.

"Maybe around seven or eight per match. You've got to be threatening the line to create space for your outside men and to do things for yourself as well," he said.

"I definitely need to run the footy a bit more and that's something I'm working hard on."

Sezer was critical of his own performances earlier in the season when he wanted to fix "everything", but felt he was getting back to his best.

It comes at the right time with the Raiders sitting seventh on the ladder and on track to make their first NRL finals appearance since 2012.

"My confidence is definitely coming back. The more I can get my hands on the ball the more comfortable I feel," Sezer said.

"I'll be looking to improve on that this week."

​NRL ROUND 17

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights at Canberra Stadium, 2pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.