The Canberra Raiders face the Wests Tigers in Round 13 of the NRL after coming off the back of a grinding win against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Bankwest Stadium
For the first time, the Raiders will play at the brand new Bankwest Stadium. There has been much hype around the new ground and we’re expecting to see plenty of green in the crowd as members and fans will flock out to Parramatta to visit the venue. Friday’s match will be the second time the Tigers will take to the field as they played their Round 6 match against the Eels there. The Tigers will be looking to banish memories of their first match there as they were thumped 51-6 by the Eels in Round 6.
Origin stars to back up?
Two days prior to the match, game one of the 2019 State of Origin series will have been played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. With the team list to be named later today, we’re hoping to see the likes of Wighton, Cotric, and Papalii named in an extended squad.
Set the record straight
The Raiders and Tigers have been known to play out some entertaining contests in recent seasons and the green machine have had their fair share of victories over their opponents. Last year the Raiders travelled to Campbelltown Stadium and defeated the joint venture side 48-12 in what was a dominant performance. Unfortunately for Ricky Stuart’s side the Tigers got the better of the Raiders at GIO Stadium later in the season as they prevailed 22-20. It’s time to get back to winning ways against the Tigers.
Round 12 Moment of the week
Selection headache
Despite the well-publicised injuries to the Raiders, Coach Ricky Stuart could have a few selection headaches on his mind heading into the clash. Unfortunately for the green machine, Corey Horsburgh has a fractured elbow while Hudson Young will miss the next five weeks due to suspension. With the potential return of State of Origin stars does Stuart opt to start them despite the short break or does he keep the faith in his impressive young players who have stepped up to the task.
Free to air footy
For only just the second time this year, the green machine will have a free to air game on tv. The first one came in the green machine’s Round 6 win over the Brisbane Broncos at GIO Stadium. Kick off is at 7:55pm and is live on Channel Nine or Fox League.
