With another must-win showdown this Sunday, the Canberra Raiders SG Ball side will take on the Sydney Roosters at Lidcombe Oval, with a spot in the grand final on the line.
Match: Roosters v Raiders
Finals Week 3 -
home Team
Roosters
away Team
Raiders
Venue: Lidcombe Oval, Sydney
Following their statement 38-22 win against the Bulldogs last weekend, captain and five-eighth Braydan Darmody praised the team for showcasing their resilience and physicality, crediting those traits for giving them the edge over Canterbury.
“When times get tough, the boys just never shied away from a contact or the physicality of the game and stayed in it,” said the skipper.
With a tied scoreline going into halftime, the Raiders commanded the second half; scoring four tries to the Bulldogs’ one.
The Raiders last took on the Roosters in round four, where they edged a 30-28 win at Henson Park. While Darmody acknowledged the Roosters would be a tough side, he remains confident in coaches Rourke O’Sullivan and Kristian Nordin in steering the upcoming clash.
“Rourke and Nordo have done their job as coaches to give us what we need to beat the Roosters.”
“Sticking to the game plan like we do each week and sticking by what Rourke’s got set for us for the weekend. If we match their physicality early, we'll give ourselves a big chance.”
The Raiders will field an unchanged side for the match, with the only difference being Jayze Tuigamala, who will start at lock for Chaev Kolone who comes off the bench.
With the focus shifting away from drawing up new plays, Darmody emphasised on the little things that can make a huge difference in big games like this Sunday.
“We're just cleaning up our fundamentals this week. Coming out of yardage, we need to stay composed and take the tackle to play off the next one.”
Off the field, the Green Machine will look to mentally prepare for the clash as their captain urges them to stay calm and confident.
“We definitely just want to stay relaxed going into the game. We want tensions to stay low so we just go out there and do our job."
When asked about his main message to the boys going into the match, the skipper’s words were similar to Coach O’Sullivan’s advice for last week’s clash
“Just enjoy and embrace the moment. Not many people get an opportunity like we have right now so just enjoy every minute of it.”
The stage is set for Sunday afternoon at Lidcombe Oval and while the stakes are high, the Raiders look cool and calm.
