The Canberra Raiders Jersey Flegg side will head to Belmore Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon looking for their fourth straight win when they take on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Coming off the back of two bye weeks, the Raiders will be hoping to maintain their form from their last game where they defeated the North Sydney Bears 44-10 at Leichhardt Oval.
The team put on a second-half showcase with Harley Smith-Shields, Kai O’Donnell, and Matt Timoko each scoring doubles in the win.
The Bulldogs will look to bounce back after a 32-20 loss to the Newcastle Knights at Leichhardt Oval.
Raiders Head Coach Ash Barnes says that the team is refreshed and excited to play after the two-week break.
“The mood is really good and positive, the boys are excited to get back into playing,” says Barnes.
With a tightly contested competition, mainly within the top eight, the pressure on the Raiders is building to maintain their fourth position on the ladder.
Barnes says that the only pressure on the team is internally and comes from the expectations that the players have set for themselves this season.
“The pressure really comes internally from ourselves and maintaining standards that we set, more so than our place on the ladder,” says Barnes.
With Duwanye Mariner and Darby Medlyn coming back into the side after playing games in the NSW Canterbury Cup, Barnes says that he will be looking for those two to provide some confidence for the team.
“I am looking for those guys to come down with the confidence they have gained from playing in the Canterbury Cup,” says Barnes. “I am expecting those guys to step forward.”
Kick off is at 1.30pm on Saturday 1st June at Belmore Sports Ground.
