Canberra are packing their bags and hitting the road ahead of a brutal Queensland double-header that could set an early marker for their NRL season.
Keen to show last year's storming run home to the semi-finals was no fluke, the Raiders open their campaign against North Queensland in steamy Townsville on Saturday, before staying up north to face the Dolphins in Redcliffe the following week.
Coach Ricky Stuart said the Sunshine State sojourn would bring an early measure of where the side is placed, particularly after two trial losses during which the Raiders' top-line stars were barely sighted.
-copy-dd1f2bf0.jpeg?w=600)
