The Raiders are looking to bounce back and grab their first win of the year on the weekend. Here are five things to watch out for this Saturday.
Triple header!
The Jersey Flegg and ISP Mounties both make their first appearances at GIO stadium for the 2018 season on Saturday against the Canterbury Bulldogs before the Raiders face the Warriors at 3pm in the NRL fixture.
The Jersey Flegg kicks off at 11am followed by the ISP clash at 12:45pm and then the main event kicking off at 3pm.
What better way than to spend a Saturday watching three grades of rugby league back to back to back.
Points, points, points
Both the Raiders and the Warriors have scored in excess of 50 points over the opening two rounds of the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership.
The two sides are renowned for their attacking and flamboyant play which has been showcased over the past few years and already the early stages of this year.
With players like Wighton, Austin and Williams up against Tuivasa-Sheck, Green and Johnson, the attacking options are at a premium and it will be a battle of defences to determine who comes out on top in what should be a high scoring affair.
Five on the trot
The last four meetings between the Raiders and Warriors have seen the Raiders win on all four occasions.
The latest meeting between the two saw the Raiders take a comfortable 36-16 win in Auckland with the Raiders running in six tries to three.
The Raiders will be confident of making it five wins in a row against the men from across the ditch as they have won 12 of 16 matches played between the two clubs in Canberra.
The previous four games against the Warriors have been successful outings for Raiders captain Jarrod Croker, bagging five tries and scoring 60 points in the time including a hat trick in 2016.
Red hot Rapana
After a somewhat quiet round 1 by Jordan Rapana, we knew it wouldn’t last long with Rapana back doing Rapana things against the Knights on Sunday.
The New Zealand international not only touched down in the corner with an acrobatic effort, but also turned provider catching a cross field kick and releasing the ball back inside to Elliott Whitehead to score before leaving the field of play.
With the Warriors having big wingers in David Fusitu'a and Ken Maumalo, Rapana’s aerial ability will be tested against one of the tallest wingers in the competition.
Saturday arvo footy
After a late afternoon kick off against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday, Saturday afternoon footy makes its return to Canberra this weekend.
The Raiders schedule sees them play afternoon footy on a Saturday only twice at GIO stadium following this weekend.
With all three grades in action as well as perfect playing conditions forecasted, it’s a prime opportunity to get your friends and family along to the game.
