Although the Canberra Raiders aren't in action this weekend, there are plenty of important matches in round ten of the Austbrokers Canberra Raiders Cup.
Woden Valley Rams v Goulburn Workers Bulldogs, 3pm Sunday 18th June at Phillip District Oval, Streamed Live
After pinching a win right at the death against the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs in the opening round of fixtures this year, the Woden Valley Rams will be hoping for another victory to remain in the finals hunt.
Having won their last meeting 23-22 thanks to a Carl Johnson field goal, the Rams will be out to claim their third win of the season against a Goulburn side that have won two of their last three matches.
With Goulburn having acquired Tyler Cornish since their last meeting, Woden captain, Steve Ferry, knows that his side are in for a tough match.
“They are a really strong side,” Ferry said. “They’ve come good at this time of the season and we just need to grind away. Goulburn are always good against us and the match will go right down to the wire.”
With both teams locked on eight competition points, a win for either side could see them climb as high as fourth on the ladder due if other results go their way.
Tuggeranong Bushrangers v Queanbeyan Kangaroos, 2:15pm Saturday 17th June at Greenway Oval
The Tuggeranong Bushrangers haven’t suffered back to back losses this season but that record could be under threat as they host the Queanbeyan Kangaroos this Saturday.
The Roos haven’t suffered defeat since Round 2 against the Queanbeyan Blues and have scored 339 points this season - the most by any club.
The Bushrangers have plenty of strike power themselves and have scored the third highest number of points largely thanks to Jayden Pollard. The towering winger currently is equal third on the try scoring charts with eight so far this season.
However, Tuggeranong coach, Justin Giteau, knows his side need to be more consistent as the compeititon enters the second half of the season.
"Inconsistency has definitely been a heavy part of our season," Giteau said. "We've had a lot of injuries, particularly in the last three or four weeks. This week we get four or five players back so that'll be a big help."
A win for the Bushrangers will see them remain inside the top four but a loss could see them drop to sixth. For the Kangaroos, a win could see them move to first if results go their way but they are in no danger of dropping down the ladder.
Queanbeyan Blues v Belconnen United Sharks, 3pm Saturday 17th June at Seiffert Oval
The Queanbeyan Blues have been unstoppable this season and have won all eight of their matches so far this season.
With the best defence and second-best attack in the league, Terry Campese’s side brushed aside the Sharks 68-6 in their match earlier in the season.
However, under the guidance of Scott Logan, the Sharks have slowly improved and are a much tougher side than the team that was beaten so convincingly at the start of the season.
Queanbeyan Blues captain-coach Terry Campese, believes the first twenty minutes of the match will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the match.
"That's what our focus is going to be, the first 20 minutes," Campese said. "In their recent matches, the Sharks have been leading at the 50 to 60 minute mark and they only got beaten on the buzzer in quite a few games. They start fast and that's what we have to try and stop."
With the return of Josh Baker and Jake Wheeler, Campese has a few selection headaches over the next few days.
"It's always good to have depth at the club, especially in our outside backs," Campese said. "The way Wheeler and Baker played before they went to Monaro and obviously for the Monaro side means they will come straight back in. I've just got to decide who plays alongside them our misses out which is the hard part."
West Belconnen Warriors v Gungahlin Bulls, 3:15pm Sunday 18th June at Raiders Belconnen
After losing the corresponding fixture earlier this season, the West Belconnen Warriors will be hoping to make amends when they take on the Gungahlin Bulls.
With their contingent of Monaro representatives back and available for selection, the Warriors will be looking to complete the second half of the regular season in strong form as they attempt to defend their premiership.
However, the Bulls will be full of confidence after their 52-12 demolition of the Rams a fortnight ago and their 24-12 win against the Warriors earlier in the season.
With both sides sitting just outside the top four, a win for either side could see them move into fourth if the Bushrangers lose to the Kangaroos.
