Canberra have thrown their support behind teammate Hudson Young, who faces a season-defining hearing at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night.

Young will deny making dangerous contact with Warriors winger Adam Pompey’s eyes as the Raiders forward attempts to beat a charge he was found guilty of earlier this season.

The 21-year-old accepted a five-game ban after making contact with the face of Canterbury prop Aiden Tolman in round 12.

If found guilty, Young will face a lengthy suspension that would rub him out of Canberra’s finals campaign and into next season.

Former NRL players have called for a season-long ban but Canberra star John Bateman went into bat for his rookie teammate.

“We know what type of bloke he is and we know that he didn’t go out to do that, he was trying to play the ball to be fair,” Bateman told AAP.

“It doesn’t look the best when you slow it down but we know what he’s like. People are entitled to their opinions but they’re people (sitting) … on the sidelines commentating.

“We know he didn’t intentionally go out there and do that and some of the comments are just ridiculous.

“People don’t intentionally go out there to start gouging eyes out like people say. He’s a young kid and he learnt from it last time, he really did.”

Raiders centre BJ Leilua returns this week from his own two-game suspension for dropping the knees into Manly’s Reuben Garrick, and also defended Young.

“He is doing it tough but he’s a tough kid,” Leilua said.

“Everyone is on his case, the whole media is not behind him and I can understand why but in my view I don’t think he did anything because if I was getting eye-gouged I would have punched them.

“The reaction of that kid that scored, he didn’t do or feel anything.”