Canberra Raiders Cup: Round 15 Preview

The Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup returns after the wet weather bye round, with a huge top of the table clash headlining this weekend's round of action.

Tuggeranong Bushrangers v Queanbeyan Kangaroos, 3pm, Saturday 5 August at Greenway Oval

The Tuggeranong Bushrangers will face the Queanbeyan Kangaroos this Saturday in what will be first place taking on second.

Before the round-bye last weekend, the Bushrangers defeated the Bulls 32-16.

The Bushrangers look like they could be the team to break the Roos as they remain undefeated.

Tuggeranong’s Noah Saddler is returning to play after a long 11 months out of the game after suffering an ACL last year, but says his side is confident they can win come Saturday.

“I don’t think they really have a weakness - they are undefeated for a reason. I just think our biggest strength is our forward pack, so we will be looking to just come through the middle,” Saddler said.

Saddler will be playing his first game in the Bushrangers jersey, and for the first time, he will be playing alongside his older brother Zac, which will be a very special moment for the family.

The Tuggeranong side does not have an easy task on their hands, coming up against the inform Queanbeyan Roos side who will be looking to continue to wreak havoc in this weekend’s match.

The Roos defeated the West Belconnen Warriors before the bye round in a 26-16 win at Raiders Belconnen.

Queanbeyan halfback Sam Williams has said that this weekend will be an important game for his team.

“It will be a good yardstick to see where we are at, and they will think the same too," Williams said.

“I have no doubt that a lot of the momentum will be won through the middle, we will try and stop them, and they will try and stop us, and someone will come out on top."

The halfback was also keen to see development after only having around a 50% completion last week in their win over the Warriors.

The last time these two sides met was in round eight of this year when the Roos defeated the Bushrangers 44-10.

This game will be massive for both teams as this will likely be an early finals preview with only four weeks remaining in the competition.

Queanbeyan Blues v West Belconnen Warriors, 3pm, Saturday 5 August at Seiffert Oval

The West Belconnen Warriors will be looking to change their fate after going down to the Roos last game 26-16.

The Warriors are currently sitting in fifth position, needing to win all their remaining games to jump into the top four for finals football in September.

Winger Brandon Withers has been massive for the Warriors this season showing off his talents in last games loss against the Roos, scoring the first two tries for his side.

Withers also gained a double the last time the Warriors and Blues played each other, so he will be sure to make the same input come Saturday.

They will be coming up against the Blues who have looked to be improving after going down to the Rams by two points in their last game.

The Blues have not had the best start to the season and are currently sitting in eighth position so their goals now will point to improving for next season.

The last time these sides met was in round eight of this year when the Blues took the win beating the Warriors by two points 20-18.

This will be a great game as both teams will be itching for a win, especially given the team’s history after the Warriors defeated the Blues in last year’s Grand Final.

Yass Magpies v Belconnen United Sharks, 3pm, Saturday 5 August at Walker Park

The Yass Magpies will be well-rested going into this game after having two weeks off with a bye and the wet weather round last weekend.

Yass has been looking to improve their performance with only two wins under their belt this season.

The Belconnen United Sharks will be going into the game with some confidence after defeating Goulburn 24-16 last game.

The Sharks are currently sitting in fourth place on the ladder with the Warriors creeping up behind them with only three points between the two.

Belconnen will be sure to interject some more points coming from fullback Darcy Leadbitter as he currently sits high in the try-scoring leader board with eight tries for this season.  

The next four games will be must-wins for the Sharks side if they intend on making the finals.

The last time these sides met in round eight the Sharks took home the win beating Yass 42-14.

Goulburn City Bulldogs v Gungahlin Bulls, 3pm, Saturday 5 August at Workers Arena

The Bulldogs will be looking to get the win this weekend with them sitting in sixth position after going down to the Sharks last game in a 24-16 defeat.

The side is not yet a write-off for the finals as they currently are only four points out of the top four.

Goulburn’s halves combination of the Cornish brothers has provided the side with serious guidance this season despite their place on the ladder.

The Bulldogs are coming up against the Gungahlin Bulls who went down to the Bushrangers in the last game 32-16.

The Bulls have had a rough year so far but will be looking to build at the end of this season in hopes for next year as they currently sit in seventh place.

This will be a must-win for Goulburn if they want to remain knocking at the door come finals.

Woden Valley Rams v Bye