In an ominous sign for the Raiders halves pairing that began the year, Josh McCrone has been dumped to the bench while skipper Terry Campese will play for NSW Cup side Mounties for the second straight week.

Junior Kangaroo Cornish gets his chance after McCrone's forgettable halfback display in the first half of Sunday's scrappy 22-12 win over fellow cellar dwellar Cronulla.

Coach Ricky Stuart has taken a cautious approach with his development by naming the 21-year-old on the bench for the first six games of his NRL career.

But with the Raiders now seemingly out of any real danger of claiming the wooden spoon, the Goulburn junior has been thrown into the deep end.

Many Raiders fans have been calling for weeks for Cornish to be given an 80-minute audition.

A conventional, organising halfback, there's a perception playing limited minutes off the bench hasn't suited his style of play.

He will revive his halves combination with Anthony Milford, which began last year in the under-20 competition, and guided the Raiders to the 2012 under-20 grand final.

McCrone's demotion means Jarrod Croker, who was co-captain against the Sharks, will captain the team on his own for the first time.

Meanwhile, Canberra hooker Glen Buttriss admitted there is pressure to perform in the final two matches this season, given the competition for the No. 9 jersey next year.

Kurt Baptiste has re-signed with the Raiders for 2015, and Hull KR hooker Josh Hodgson also joins Canberra next season.

"About six weeks before it [Hodgson signing] happened Ricky called me into the office and let me know they were looking to sign him, and before that he told me they were keen on Mick Ennis as well," Buttriss said.

"But he said I'm still in his plans for next year, that made it a lot easier for me just to concentrate on my footy."