NRL match preview:Canberra Raiders vs Wests Tigers
Date: Saturday 30th August.
Venue: GIO Stadium
Kick-off: 5.30pm
Teams
Canberra Raiders: 1. Jack Wighton 2. Bill Tupou 3. Jarrod Croker (C) 4. Jeremy Hawkins 5. Edrick Lee 6. Anthony Milford 7. Mitch Cornish 8. Shannon Boyd 9. Glen Buttriss 10. Dane Tilse 11. Josh Papalii 12. Jarrad Kennedy 13. Joel Edwards Interchange: 14. Josh McCrone 15. Matt McIlwrick 16. Kyle O’Donnell 17. Paul Vaughan
Wests Tigers: 1. Jy Hitchcox 2. Sitaleki Akauola 3. Cory Patterson 4. Chris Lawrence 5. Pat Richards 6. Blake Austin 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Aaron Woods 9. Robbie Farah (C) 10. Matthew Lodge 11. Curtis Sironen 12. Bodene Thompson 13. Adam Blair Interchange: 14. Ava Seumanufagai 15. Martin Taupau 16. Sauaso Sue 17. Jack Buchanan
Preview
The Canberra Raiders welcome the Wests Tigers to GIO Stadium on Saturday night.
After winning the ‘battle of the spoon’ last weekend against the Sharks, the home side ironically head into the game with more form to their name.
The Tigers struggled again last week against the Bulldogs and were only not humbled again because Canterbury took their foot off the gas.
For the home side, a poor performance from Josh McCrone means he is dropped to the bench and Mitch Cornish replaces him at halfback.
Wests Tigers welcome back Pat Richards from injury this week which means Cory Patterson shifts to the centres. Luke Brooks is out with a hamstring injury so Mitchell Moses switches to halfback and Blake Austin reverts to five-eighth.
The Raiders have been disappointing this year and with little to look forward to next year in terms of recruitment, a win here may add some respect and open more of a gap away from the wooden spoon.
After starting the season so brightly and many pundits seeing the Tigers as a potential darkhorse, their season has dramatically derailed. Injuries haven’t helped but off-field problems put the club into disarray and they have not recovered.
Both teams have little play for in terms of finals football but on the back of a forward pack that has shown good signs for the future and the return of Pat Richards will ensure the visitors leave the nations’ capital with the two points.
Prediction
Tigers by 8.
