Check out the match preview and prediction for the round 8 clash between the Canberra Raiders and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Canberra Raiders Vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra, ACT
Date: Sunday 28 April, 4:05pm
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Raiders: 1. Chevy Stewart, 2. James Schiller, 3. Matthew Timoko, 4. Sebastian Kris, 5. Xavier Savage, 6. Ethan Strange, 7. Kaeo Weekes, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Danny Levi, 10. Joseph Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Simi Sasagi, 13. Morgan Smithies, 14. Tom Starling, 15. Ata Mariota, 16. Trey Mooney, 17. Pasami Saulo, 18. Albert Hopoate, 19. Emre Guler, 20. Zac Woolford, 21. Nick Cotric, 22. Peter Hola
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy, 2. Sione Katoa, 3. Jesse Ramien, 4. Kayal Iro, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Daniel Atkinson, 7. Nicho Hynes, 8. Thomas Hazelton, 9. Blayke Brailey, 10. Oregon Kaufusi, 11. Briton Nikora, 12. Teig Wilton, 13. Cameron McInnes, 14. Jack Williams, 15. Siosifa Talakai, 16. Toby Rudolf, 17. Braden Hamlin-Uele, 18. Mawene Hiroti, 19. Tuku Hau Tapuha, 20. Samuel Stonestreet, 21. Royce Hunt, 22. Kade Dykes
Referee: Peter Gough
Embed from Getty ImagesMATCHDAY PREVIEW
The seventh-placed Canberra Raiders will look to light up their city green on this special ANZAC round match on Sunday afternoon, promising to make their home fans proud, when they face the current top-of-the-table Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at GIO Stadium.
The Raiders came off the back of a lackluster match when they took on the Broncos in Brisbane last weekend, going down a confidence-crushing 34-10.
They were no match for powerhouse players like Selwyn Cobbo, Reece Walsh, and Ezra Mam, who broke through a weakened Raiders defence and took advantage of several errors.
Regaining confidence in their abilities will be the key if they are to defeat the ravenous Sharks, who are still riding high from their huge victory over the Cowboys last weekend.
Having won five of their last six games at GIO Stadium, the Raiders will be eager to build on that success, but they will face an arduous task.
Jamal Fogarty, the Raiders’ gun halfback, is out for 12 weeks with a ruptured bicep. This could cause concern for the Raiders, as he is their primary kicker and is frequently viewed as the one who provides guidance and steers the team in the right direction.
The Raiders will have a line up reshuffle due to some of their players being out with injuries. This will give coach Ricky Stuart a chance to put his fresh new side of youngsters to the test. Placing his faith in Ethan Strange and Kaeo Weekes in the halves, combining with James Schiller to fill the gap left by Fogarty’s absence. This just might be the right combination of skills, ability, and stamina to get the job done.
If they are to have a chance against the Sharks, the Raiders must control possession and territory. The combination of Josh Papalii, Joseph Tapine, and Hudson Young up front may help guide them to victory.
Last weekend, the Sharks devoured the Cowboys with an epic final score of 42-6 at PointsBet Stadium, and they will look to capitalise on this.
They were a team that executed a well-thought-out plan and stuck to it until the end, and they will look to repeat this on the weekend.
Despite being beaten in their previous four games in Canberra, the Sharks seem focused, driven, and determined to change these odds.
A few changes to the Sharks line up will see Samuel Stonestreet placed in reserve as Siona Katoa makes his return from suspension and Dale Finucane is out after his shock announcement of early retirement, Braydon Trindall is also out after being stood down and replaced by Daniel Atkinson.
Despite these notable absences from their line-up, the Sharks still present a strong side, with the combination of Nicho Hynes, who has kicked seven of his seven goals against the Cowboys; Ronaldo Mulitalo’s try-scoring abilities; Sione Katoa, who is dangerous on the outside edge; and the strength of Jesse Ramien’s running metres up the centre.
Blayke Brailey will set the pace in the forwards, combining with Teig Wilton and Oregon Kaufusi, making for a further intimidating line up against the Raiders.
The secret to success lies in preparation and combination, and the Sharks may well tick all the boxes over the Raiders with this one to take home a win this weekend.
Head-to-head stats can be found at Round 8 Number Crunch.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Sharks by 14 points.
Follow Nothing But Rugby League on Facebook
