Canberra Raiders v South Sydney Rabbitohs on Monday at 7:00pm at GIO Stadium Canberra
Canberra will look to mirror their terrific performance in Round 4 against South Sydney when the two sides face off once again on Monday night.
On that day, the Raiders turned in one of their best performances of the year to comprehensively defeat the Rabbitohs, a team touted by many as true premiership contenders, 30-18 away from home.
The victory was built on the back of a stellar first half performance by the Green Machine in which they led 22-0 as they half-time siren sounded.
{CLICK HERE to watch the Match Highlights from Round 4}
“That was up there with one of our best performances of the year, particularly that first half effort,” Captain Terry Campese said.
“We can take confidence from that but we have to prepare for a very tough encounter. The Rabbitohs are one of their best teams in the competition and I know they were disappointed to lose to us in Round 4 and I’ve got no doubt that they will be after some form of retribution on Monday night.”
The Rabbitohs are sitting in fourth spot on the ladder and possess the best points differential in the competition.
South Sydney also possesses two of the world’s best players in Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess, who both loom as the most prominent threats for the Raiders.
Whilst the Raiders will be buoyed by the confidence derived from the Round 4 victory, the Rabbitohs have proven to be a difficulty for the Green Machine over the last number of years. South Sydney has won four of the last five encounters against Canberra.
Fortunately for Canberra, they face South Sydney at home on this occasion.
“Semi-finals may be out of reach, but we’ve got plenty to play for,” Campese said.
“You’ve got a lot to play for every time you pull on the lime green jersey and run out onto the field, particularly when it’s at home.
“We’re disappointed with where we are on the ladder but we want to finish the year off well and make our fans proud. Luckily for us, five out of the last seven games are at home.”
There have been no team changes to the Raiders line-up from last week’s narrow loss to the Melbourne Storm.
CLICK HERE to see the full team line-up.
The Raiders will be doing their bit to raise money for Alex McKinnon's #RiseForAlex Foundation with donation buckets situated throughout GIO Stadium Canberra.
CLICK HERE to make a direct donation.
Key Matchups:
Anthony Milford v Greg Inglis
Two brilliant players, two contrasting styles.
Slotting the diminutive Milford against the athletic colossus that is Inglis would seem a genuine mismatch in physical terms, but on the rugby league field it is a different story.
Milford, who has recorded 16 line breaks for the year, the most by any player from either side, has enjoyed a wonderful year and has proven to be the attacking spark which ignites the Raiders backline.
Although he still has a long way to go to reach the status in the game that Inglis enjoys, the battle between these two fullbacks is set to be a glorious one for onlookers, and one that Milford is looking forward to.
“He’s got everything you want in a player,” Milford said. “I can’t talk highly enough of him. If you wanted to base your game around anyone, you’d want to base your game around his.
"He's a player I look up to, but I know that I've got a job to do on Monday night and that's what I'm focused on; doing my best for the Raiders."
Reece Robinson v Alex Johnson
Alexandria Rovers junior Reece Robinson tends to always rise when facing his junior club, as evidenced by his two try performance in Round 4.
Robinson’s brace of tries on that day has contributed to his haul of nine for the year, the second most by any Raiders player this year behind Jarrod Croker on 14.
The Indigenous All Stars representative will go head-to-head with another South Sydney junior in the exciting prospect that is Alex Johnson.
A highly gifted and athletic player, Johnson has recorded 10 line breaks for the year, the most by his side, which is an achievement in itself when you consider that the Rabbitohs backline features none other than Greg Inglis.
David Shillington v Sam Burgess
With eight line breaks recorded for the year and an average of 182 metres in attack and 36 tackles per game, it’s not hard to understand why Sam Burgess will be a heavily talked about player in the lead up to this clash.
“He’s a player that I really admire, I love the way he plays the game,” Shillington said.
“He’s the leader of their forward pack and I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing against him on Monday night.”
Shillington may find himself targeted by the eldest of the Burgess clan after the monstrous hit he put on brother George in Round 4.
“You can see on the field the way he looks after his brothers and I suppose if I were in the same position I’d do the same,” Shillington said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Stat Attack:
Record against South Sydney:
In a total of 48 games against South Sydney, Canberra has won 28 games and lost 20.
Rabbitohs’ record at GIO Stadium Canberra:
In a total of 12 games at GIO Stadium Canberra, the Raiders have won on 8 occasions and lost on 4.
Last three encounters:
1. Canberra defeated South Sydney 30-18 at ANZ Stadium in Round 7 2014
2. South Sydney defeated Canberra 32-2 at ANZ Stadium in Round 16 2013
3. South Sydney defeated Canberra 38-16 at ANZ Stadium in Finals Week 2 2012
They said it:
Terry Campese: “We have to take the good qualities out of last week’s performance into Monday night and leave behind all the silly little individual mistakes which have been costing us. Hopefully the fans come out to support us on Monday night because we’re looking forward to performing in front of them.”
http://www.raiders.com.au/news/2014/07/24/captain_s_chat_with_terry_campese_.html
Kurt Baptiste: “At the start of the year my goal was to make it through to the first grade side but now that I’m here, I don’t want to lose my spot. There are seven games to go and I’m aiming to play in all seven. Hopefully I can keep building my form with each game and help to improve the performances of the team as a result.”
http://www.raiders.com.au/news/2014/07/22/baptiste_making_the_most_of_his_opportunity.html
David Shillington: “I’d love to get back in the Australian side for the Four Nations and obviously the key to that is leading from the front here at the Raiders and finishing the year off strongly.”
http://www.raiders.com.au/news/2014/07/24/shillington_primed_for_burgess_clash.html
Anthony Milford: “I’m not really looking into the situation at the Broncos with Wayne Bennett coaching there next year…My focus is at the Raiders at the moment and I want to finish the year off well for the club, my team mates and our fans.”
