RICKY Stuart faces the toughest decision of his career this week — whether to drop revered Canberra captain Terry Campese.

Or perhaps the call isn’t so tough?

Because if Stuart takes a look at Campese’s statistics, he’ll see the Raiders five-eighth produced just one run for all of four metres against the Warriors.

By no means should the Raiders thumping loss to New Zealand, read as Campese’s fault.

The inept display from the Green Machine has a lot more to do with just one player.

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But clearly the time has come for Stuart to shake-up his side and make changes, with one eye on reviving this season, but so too the future.

Unfortunately, Campese isn’t the same player that went so close to winning the 2008 Dally M award.

The future of Canberra now lies in young guns Jack Whighton, Josh McCrone and Mitch Cornish.

media_camera Terry Campese of the Raiders looks dejected.

Canberra Raiders press conference

At 29, the nephew of Rugby union legend David Campese, has done a remarkable job to salvage his career from ending on more than one occasion.

Most thought he would never come back from two knee reconstructions. He’s an inspiration to any young player.

And after the most gruelling pre-season of his career, Campese arrived at the starting line of the 2014 season like a racehorse. He was the fittest he’d ever been.

But time catches up with every player.

Even the greatest players will explain how it’s not the heart that goes first, it’s the mind.

Stuart would know that leaving Campese out of his side isn’t like dropping any other player in his team.

Campese is highly respected not just at the Raiders, but throughout the entire ACT.

However, with only one run against the Warriors and four runs against Manly the round before, perhaps it’s time for Campese to put his hand up and make the decision himself.