Raiders face Savage NRL selection call

Canberra winger Jordan Rapana says picking young gun Xavier Savage at fullback ahead of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad for Friday night's round one clash with Cronulla at GIO Stadium would be a "kick in the face" to the latter.

Nicoll-Klokstad, who starred in the Raiders' 2019 grand final run, is expected to start the season in the No.1 jersey after missing most of last year with a neck injury.

That helped allow Savage, 19, to debut and play three games where he showed he's one of the game's most exciting youngsters, encouraged again by scintillating trial form.

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But if there is a decision for Raiders coach Ricky Stuart to make at fullback, Rapana says there is only one choice to make.

"I'm not gonna beat around the bush, Charnze is one of the best fullbacks in the game," Rapana told AAP.

"Xave is a great up and coming young gun but I believe he's still got a fair way to go to take that spot off Charnze.

"It would be a kick in the face to Charnze to say that spot is in jeopardy ... he's a world class player, it's good we've got young guns pushing but that spot is Charnze's."

But Nicoll-Klokstad, 26, was full of praise for Savage and said he could never match it with the former Queensland Junior Athletics champion for pace.

"He's got a lot of raw talent ... some things I won't be able to learn, and you can't teach," he told AAP.

"I'm looking forward to what the future holds for Xavier, where that is I'm unsure, but I messaged him when he said he was playing and I just said, you know that position is yours to lose, no one owns the jersey and it's up for grabs every year."

One option Canberra have is to play Savage on a wing, particularly while Rapana serves a