The Canberra Raiders will take on the New Zealand Warriors this weekend in their round eight clash at Moreton Daily Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
After a disappointing loss to Penrith last weekend the Raiders will be looking to bounce back, aiming to collect their third win of the season.
The Warriors will also be looking to put last weekend’s match behind them, as they broke a two-match winning streak with a big loss to Melbourne on ANZAC day.
There is only one squad change for Canberra this weekend, with captain Elliott Whitehead returning from injury in place of Harry Rushton who drops to the extended bench.
Hudson Young and Ryan Sutton will also return into the starting side, with Adam Elliott and Corey Harawira-Naera named on the bench.
Match: Warriors v Raiders
Round 8 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Raiders
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Reece WalshFullback for Raiders is number 1 Jordan Rapana
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Winger for Warriors is number 3 Jesse ArtharsWinger for Raiders is number 2 Nick Cotric
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Centre for Warriors is number 2 Rocco BerryCentre for Raiders is number 3 Matthew Timoko
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Centre for Warriors is number 5 Viliami VaileaCentre for Raiders is number 4 Semi Valemei
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Winger for Warriors is number 4 Adam PompeyWinger for Raiders is number 5 Xavier Savage
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 21 Daejarn AsiFive-Eighth for Raiders is number 6 Jack Wighton
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun JohnsonHalfback for Raiders is number 7 Brad Schneider
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-BlakeProp for Raiders is number 8 Josh Papali'i
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Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde EganHooker for Raiders is number 16 Adam Elliott
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Prop for Warriors is number 10 Matthew LodgeProp for Raiders is number 10 Joseph Tapine
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Euan Aitken2nd Row for Raiders is number 11 Hudson Young
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Bayley Sironen2nd Row for Raiders is number 15 Corey Harawira-Naera
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Jazz TevagaLock for Raiders is number 13 Ryan Sutton
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Bunty AfoaInterchange for Raiders is number 9 Tom Starling
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Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Eliesa KatoaInterchange for Raiders is number 14 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
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Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Jack MurchieInterchange for Raiders is number 17 Corey Horsburgh
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Interchange for Warriors is number 20 Ben Murdoch-MasilaInterchange for Raiders is number 18 Harry Rushton
Reserves
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Replacement for Warriors is number 14 Taniela OtukoloReplacement for Raiders is number 19 Matt Frawley
Match Officials
- Referee: Chris Butler
- Touch Judge: Nick Morel
- Senior Review Official: Steve Chiddy
Last updated:
Last Time They Met
The Raiders recorded a come from behind victory against New Zealand in Round 24 during the 2021 season in Mackay.
Key Matchups
Addin Fonua-Blake vs Josh Papalii
Two of the most destructive props in the NRL, both Josh Papalii and Addin Fonua-Blake will be looking to propel their side to a win with a dominate performance down the middle on Saturday.
Papalii has been one of the Raiders best metre makers this season, running over 100 metres with the ball in all but one game in 2022. His post contact metres have also been vital, allowing him to find numerous teammates through his 10 offloads so far.
Fonua-Blake has been one of the Warriors most inform players, averaging 152 run metres whilst also sitting third in the NRL for post contact metres.
It isn’t just in attack where these two shine, with their defence being crucial to their respective teams.
Josh Papalii’s 99.4% tackle efficiency rate is one of the highest in the competition, missing just one tackle all season. Fonua-Blake is not far behind, currently sitting on 96.8%.
The pair will play a pivotal role if their team is going to get the victory this Saturday, laying a platform for the rest of the team to propel off.
Jazz Tevaga vs Ryan Sutton
Whilst both players did not start the year at lock for their respective teams, Jazz Tevaga and Ryan Sutton have more than earned their starting jerseys.
It has been in defence that the pair have built their season upon in the NRL, with the locks each recording a monster 46 tackles in trying conditions last weekend.
Since coming back into the NRL squad against the Melbourne Storm Sutton has been Canberra’s fix-it man, playing three different roles over his games so far.
Averaging nearly forty tackles per match, his offence has not suffered as a result, with almost half of the Englishman’s run metres over the past fortnight being post contact.
Despite starting the season on the bench Jazz Tevaga has won the battle for the Warriors lock since coming back from suspension, performing in both attack and defence for his New Zealand side.
Whilst they may not be their team’s designated game breakers, a big performance from either of these players will go a long way to helping their team secure victory.
Jack Wighton vs Shaun Johnson
The pair may fill different positions in the halves for their respective teams, but both Jack Wighton and Shaun Johnston have the potential to single handily win the game for their team on Saturday afternoon.
Despite their team’s slow starts to the season, the two of the most experienced game-breakers in the competition have helped lead from the front when needed in 2022, making things happen when the ball is in their hands.
Wighton has been a standout for the Raiders this season, creating numerous attacking opportunities with his destructive running game and heads up play.
His five line break assists is a team high this season, whilst his 22 tackle breaks have split the game open at key points for Canberra in 2022.
He comes up against the experienced Johnson, who has begun to find his feet in his return to the Warriors, recording try assists in all but one game.
Expect these two to have their hands all over the match winning moments this weekend.
Head to Head
The Raiders and New Zealand have played 42 times in the NRL, with Canberra holding a slight advantage in their head-to-head record with 22 wins to the Warriors 20.