The Toyota Forklifts Canberra Raiders are looking to show their strength when they face the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
After a nail-biting 21-20 golden point win over the Titans last weekend, the Raiders will be looking to carry over this momentum when they travel to take on Brisbane.
Fresh off a 28-14 win against the Dolphins at Suncorp, being their fifth-straight win at home, there’s no doubt the Broncos will want to impress their home crowd again this weekend.
Match: Broncos v Raiders
Round 7 -
home Team
Broncos
6th Position
away Team
Raiders
7th Position
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Talking Points
- After making his return last week, Zac Hosking has been ruled out of this week’s lineup and will be unavailable for at least the next six to eight weeks due to a shoulder injury.
- The rest of the Raiders team remains unchanged from their round six win over the Titans, with Ata Mariota named to start in the second row and Simi Sasagi to come off the bench in place of Hosking.
- Chevy Stewart retains his spot at fullback after making his debut as Raider #396 last weekend.
- The Broncos side continue to suffer from key injuries, notably captain Adam Reynolds and prop Payne Haas, who have been ruled out another week due to leg injuries.
- Following their round six win, Brisbane have named an unchanged lineup for this weekend.
Last Time They Met
In round 26 of last season, the Broncos defeated the Raiders 29-18 at GIO Stadium. Prior to this, the Raiders claimed a 20-14 victory over the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium in round six.
Key Match-Up
Morgan Smithies v Patrick Carrigan
The battle between two powerhouse forwards Morgan Smithies and Patrick Carrigan will be one to watch as they go head-to-head on Saturday night.
Being a recent addition to the NRL, the 23-year-old Smithies has had an impressive career in the Super League. The strong forward joined the Raiders fresh off a 2023 Grand Final win with Wigan Warriors, making a record 55 tackles with no misses.
Smithies has already made his mark as a dominant forward for the Raiders, with an astounding 97.8 percent efficiency on 227 tackles in the 2024 season so far, alongside an average of 118 running metres.
Carrigan, who will be leading the Broncos this weekend in the absence of Reynolds, is also no stranger to a forward pack battle.
With representative honours for Queensland and Australia at an international level, Carrigan brings a wealth of experience to the field.
Carrigan’s defensive capabilities have been on show in the 2024 season with a 95.1 percent efficiency on 231 tackles, coupled with an impressive tally of 191 average running metres.
With both players performing last week, making the most tackles for their respective sides, the battle between these two dynamic forwards is sure to be a highlight of the game.
Head-to-Head
This will be the 40th matchup between the two clubs, with the Broncos holding 22 wins compared to the Raiders 16, along with one draw.
