NRL Match Preview: Raiders v Eels

The Raiders’ attacking game was on display in last week’s clash, trading tries in the first half with the Sharks, heading to the sheds with the scores levelled at 18-all.

After facing plenty of adversity, Canberra were able to turn the game around in its final minutes with a miracle try from Sebastian Kris sealing the win at home for the green machine.

The Eels were granted their first win of the season last week narrowly securing a 23-22 golden point win over the Dragons.

Talking Points

• Ricky Stuart has named an unchanged line-up from last week’s team that got the job done.
• Raiders Jamal Fogarty will play his 100th NRL game this weekend.
• Hudson Young scored a double last week despite being sin binned.
• Coming off a game winning try performance, Seb Kris has scored five tries in his last six games against the Eels.
• Eels winger Zac Lomax has been ruled out of the clash due to a foot fracture, his replacement has not yet been determined.
• The Eels have an advantage this weekend, having played ten matches at TIO Stadium in Darwin and winning six.
• The Raiders have only played at TIO Stadium twice, going down on both occasions.

Last time they met

Last time these two teams met the Raiders took out a mammoth win 41-8 against the Eels at GIO Stadium in round five of the 2024 season.

Key Matchup

Joseph Tapine vs Junior Paulo

When it comes to contributing to their team’s success, both of these players standout with their on-field performances and their leadership.

After taking over Elliott Whitehead’s captaincy, Joseph Tapine has displayed his leadership on and off the field, leading his team to victory and mentoring young players.

His passion for the game and competitive nature allows him to guide his fellow players and encourage them to put in strong and committed performances every time they are on the field.

An unstoppable prop, Tapine shows his strength in the Raiders’ forward pack, making strong hit ups through the middle. Only playing 59 minutes last week against the Sharks, the prop still managed 5 tackle breaks, 156 running metres and 43 tackles. He has an overall tackle efficiency of 95% which should worry the Eels when trying to break through the Raiders defensive line.

Junior Paulo is not far behind Tapine, with 3 tackle breaks and 28 tackles in last week's match. He did trump Tapine with an impressive 190 running metres.

When Paulo is at his peak his power and strength as a prop is hard to handle, with an average of 11 tackle breaks and 91% tackle efficiency. Paulo is taking over Mitchell Moses’s captaincy while he recovers from injury but has only managed to lead the Eels to victory on one occasion this season.

Paulo will be looking to replicate his strong form from last week and in doing so, add another win to the Parramatta Eels season.

Head-to-Head

Since 1998 these two teams have faced off 40 times, with the Raiders claiming victory on 23 occasions.