Mounties v Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs on Saturday at 3:00pm at Belmore Sports Ground
Mounties Coach Stephen Antonelli has been able to name arguably his strongest side of the year for the Round 17 clash with the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs with 14 members of the Canberra Raiders NRL squad included in the team.
After scoring the match winning try against the Tigers last weekend, Jack Ahearn has been moved closer to the action from fullback to five-eighth where he will partner the man who sent him over the try line, Mitch Cornish.
Ahearn's shift to pivot allows Reece Robison to showcase his undoubted attacking prowess in his favoured position of fullback. Robinson is tipped to thrive in the custodian role in a side that is currently ranked as the second best attacking team in the competition.
Sami Sauiluma will also make his return from an eye injury and look to put in an impressive performance to reclaim his spot on the wing in the Raiders NRL line-up.
Mounties are in fifth spot on the ladder but a win over the Bulldogs could propel them into he top four depending on the results of the teams currently situated in the top four.
The Bulldogs are coming in 12th place however will head into this match confident after defeating the Cronulla Sharks in Round 16 37-24.
These two sides have met earlier this year in Round 11 where Mounties registered a narrow 38-26 victory over the Bulldogs. David Minute scored a hat-trick for Canterbury in that encounter and will be a heavily marked man this time around, along with fullback Tryone Phillips who has scored four tries in his last three appearances.
The full team line-up is:
1. Reece Robinson
2. Sami Sauiluma
3. Matt Allwood
4. Jeremy Hawkins
5. Bill Tupou
6. Jack Ahearn
7. Mitch Cornish
8. Kyle O’Donnell
9. Matt McIlwrick
10. Mark Nicholls
11. Jake Foster
12. Joel Edwards
13. Tevita Pangai Junior
14. Lagi Setu
15. Clay Priest
16. Mitch Cahalane
17. Ryan Carr
18. Reece Goldsmith
19. Wayne Dargan
20. Uiti Baker
