Canberra Raiders Cup: Round Three Preview
Teams are fired up to return from the Easter break for a massive Round Three in the Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup.
Yass Magpies vs Woden Valley Rams
3:00pm, Saturday at Walker Park
The Yass Magpies welcome the Woden Valley Rams to Walker Park on Saturday, hoping the home ground advantage can help kickstart their season.
Yass are winless after two rounds, with promising starts undone by fade-outs in losses to Goulburn and West Belconnen.
Woden have had just one outing, a 16-all draw with the Warriors, and will be eager to return from a two-week break with a statement victory.
"We're all raring to go again after getting the draw - it's not ideal for round one, we really wanted to start with a win," Rams fullback Daine Spencer said.
Spencer believes the key this weekend is "playing to their strengths," something the Rams failed to do in their season opener.
"We did a lot of one-out running, and it paid off for Westies - we were pretty cooked by the end of it.
"We’ve got a lot of big bodies this year, a whole new side, with good impact through the middle, so we'll look to roll off them and use our speed on the edges to target their centres and wingers.
"We've been working hard on that the last few weeks, and I think we’ll be a totally different side coming into this round."
The Magpies aim for a complete 80-minute performance, while the Rams look to assert themselves as contenders in their second game of the season.
Queanbeyan Blues vs Gungahlin Bulls
3:00pm, Saturday at Seiffert Oval
The Queanbeyan Blues host the Gungahlin Bulls at Seiffert Oval on Saturday, eyeing a third straight win to remain unbeaten.
The Blues have impressed early in 2025 with two solid wins and will be confident at home once again.
Gungahlin opened the season strongly against Tuggeranong but couldn’t hold off the Sharks last week in a 34-24 loss, with defence a key area to tighten up.
With three consecutive games at Seiffert, Queanbeyan are chasing the perfect start, while the Bulls will be determined to bounce back and disrupt their run.
Goulburn City Bulldogs vs Belconnen United Sharks
3:00pm, Saturday at Workers Arena
The Goulburn City Bulldogs return to Workers Arena on Saturday to face the Belconnen United Sharks in a clash between two strong teams.
Goulburn have shown promising signs in 2025, starting with a big round one win and making the Blues earn the two points in round two.
The Sharks opened their campaign with a 34-24 victory over Gungahlin and will be looking to build on that momentum.
With both sides producing quality footy early on, this matchup offers a strong test of where each team stands.
West Belconnen Warriors vs Tuggeranong Bushrangers
3:00pm, Saturday at Raiders Belconnen
The West Belconnen Warriors host the Tuggeranong Bushrangers on Saturday, riding high in their 50th anniversary season.
The Warriors have impressed early, drawing with the Rams before putting on a 44-6 clinic against Yass last week.
Tuggeranong have had a tough start with two heavy defeats, but their squad is full of quality and still building cohesion.
While West Belconnen enter as favourites, the Bushrangers have the ability to click and cause an upset if it all comes together.
