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The Raiders knocked the Sharks out of the finals last year and will be looking to beat their rivals once again.

With both teams coming off victories in round one - this week’s match is sure to be full of fireworks.

The Raiders won against the Tigers 30-12, with a dominant second-half performance after being tied 6-6 at halftime.

This week the Raiders will be looking to make the most of their chances against a Sharks outfit that scored 32 points against the Dragons in round one.

Raiders coach, Ricky Stuart, has named an unchanged starting line up from last week. Ryan James and Ryan Sutton will be looking to make an impact off the bench again after impressive round one performances. Young gun Sebastian Kris will get another run at left centre with Jarrod Croker still out.

The Sharks have made just one change to their team this week, with centre Mawene Hiroti coming in for the suspended Jesse Ramien.

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Sharks is number 1 William Kennedy
    Fullback for Raiders is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
  • Winger for Sharks is number 2 Sione Katoa
    Winger for Raiders is number 2 Bailey Simonsson
  • Centre for Sharks is number 3 Josh Dugan
    Centre for Raiders is number 3 Sebastian Kris
  • Centre for Sharks is number 4 Mawene Hiroti
    Centre for Raiders is number 4 Curtis Scott
  • Winger for Sharks is number 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo
    Winger for Raiders is number 5 Jordan Rapana
  • Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Matt Moylan
    Five-Eighth for Raiders is number 6 Jack Wighton
  • Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Chad Townsend
    Halfback for Raiders is number 7 George Williams

Forwards

  • Prop for Sharks is number 8 Braden Hamlin-Uele
    Prop for Raiders is number 8 Josh Papalii
  • Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Blayke Brailey
    Hooker for Raiders is number 9 Josh Hodgson
  • Prop for Sharks is number 10 Aaron Woods
    Prop for Raiders is number 10 Dunamis Lui
  • 2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Briton Nikora
    2nd Row for Raiders is number 11 Hudson Young
  • 2nd Row for Sharks is number 12 Wade Graham
    2nd Row for Raiders is number 12 Elliott Whitehead
  • Lock for Sharks is number 13 Toby Rudolf
    Lock for Raiders is number 13 Joseph Tapine

Interchange

  • Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Connor Tracey
    Interchange for Raiders is number 14 Siliva Havili
  • Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Aiden Tolman
    Interchange for Raiders is number 15 Ryan Sutton
  • Interchange for Sharks is number 16 Jack Williams
    Interchange for Raiders is number 16 Iosia Soliola
  • Interchange for Sharks is number 17 Billy Magoulias
    Interchange for Raiders is number 17 Ryan James

Match Officials

  • Referee: Chris Sutton
  • Touch Judge: Matt Noyen
  • Touch Judge: Dave Munro
  • Senior Review Official: Chris Butler

Last updated:

Last Time They Met

The Raiders defeated the Sharks 32-20 during week one of the 2020 NRL finals. Jack Wighton provided one of his best performances of the year to get the Raiders over the line.

Match Highlights: Raiders v Sharks

Key Match-Ups

George Williams v Chad Townsend

Both halves were pivotal in their team’s wins last week, directing their respective teams around the field and setting up scoring opportunities with their kicking game.

George Williams was able to step up when the Raiders needed a playmaker against the Tigers. He finished the game with two try assists and one line-break assist, as well as almost scoring a runaway try himself.

Williams was also instrumental with the boot, kicking five from six goals in the absence of regular goal kicker, Jarrod Croker.

Townsend had almost identical numbers to Williams, with two try assists and one line-break assist. The big difference between the two is in defence. Williams only missed one tackle last week, while Townsend missed four.

 

Joe Tapine v Toby Rudolf

With the game getting faster and dominance in the ruck becoming a key to victory, both teams will want their athletic locks to use their speed and power to gain ascendancy in the middle of the field.

Joe Tapine brought his great form from 2020 into 2021. Last week against the Tigers, the Kiwi international ran for 131 meters, broke seven tackles and threw three offloads. His damaging run in the dying minutes of the game to set Jordan Rapana up for a try was one of the highlights of the afternoon.

Toby Rudolf was also impressive in the Sharks win against the Dragons last week. The big lock, while not offloading as frequently as Tapine, is a damaging runner of the ball. Against the Dragons, Rudolf ran for 136 meters off only 11 carries - an average of 12 meters per run.

 

Bailey Simonsson v Ronaldo Mulitalo

Bailey Simonsson made a successful return to first grade last week after a season-ending shoulder injury last year. With a chance to make the left-wing his own, he didn’t disappoint.

Against the Tigers, Simonsson used his great ariel ability in both attack and defence to help the Raiders win. Simonsson set up a Hudson Young try after catching a kick and passing to Young in midair. In defence, he defused the Tigers’ bombs on his own line with spectacular catches.

Ronaldo Mulitalo was a key focal point of Cronulla’s attack against the Dragons. He ran for just under 100 meters, scored a try and set up one for Will Kennedy with a great inside pass off a scrum play.

Head to Head

The Raiders and Sharks have played 80 times, with the Raiders winning 37 the Sharks winning 41 and two draws.

Acknowledgement of Country

Canberra Raiders respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.