By Alex Mitchell in Canberra

IN all his 35 years in rugby league Ricky Stuart has never seen an NRL ladder so congested.

Just three wins separate first from 12th, with a couple of wins or losses potentially making or breaking Canberra’s season.

Last year the Raiders flew home from a 2-6 start to crack the top eight before winning a final, but this time they’re trying to hold off a string of contenders nipping at their heels.

And that includes the ninth-placed Gold Coast on Saturday.

Acknowledging the Titans were in the same position as his side was last season, Stuart recognises the importance of knocking off a nearby rival at GIO Stadium.

“I’ve never seen the competition so close in all my time as a player, as a coach and if you look too far ahead, you’re going to get bit on the bum,” he said.

“We’re one or two wins from around the No.1 spot and one or two losses from being around ninth or 10th, so is every team in the top eight.

“This time last year we were written off, the Raiders weren’t going to make it and I remember being in here confidently saying we’ll still make the eight.

“If you’re talking to a team in ninth, 10th or 11th … at the moment, they’re all thinking top eight.

“So it’s not a coach’s cliche saying ‘I’m just looking at this game’. I really look at each training session to try and get things right.”

Canberra, who lose forward leader Josh Papali’i, are looking to young prop Ata Mariota to avoid a pack imbalance as the Titans regain enforcer and captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.

The Raiders will need a strong pack to address their poor recent record at home, having lost three of their last five home matches by a combined 91 points.

“We’re not proud of that,” Stuart said.

“We don’t take anything away from the opposition teams, the way Penrith, Manly, the Warriors attacked against us was brilliant, they were too good for us.

“Two out of those three games we led at half-time and that’s the part I’m not happy about … we’ve got to hold on to those ones.

“The boys know, they’re not silly, they know their football and know the questions you’re asking me, they know it’s out and about and we’ve got to fix that.”

Gold Coast fullback AJ Brimson and Canberra lock Corey Horsburgh are also auditioning for Queensland State of Origin positions, looking to nail down gigs as replacements for Reece Walsh (suspended) and Tom Flegler (injured) respectively.