Canberra Raiders Cup: Round Seven Preview

Round seven of the Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup is set to be a crucial weekend, featuring four thrilling matchups.

West Belconnen Warriors v Gungahlin Bulls

3:00pm, Saturday 24th May at Raiders Belconnen

The second-placed West Belconnen Warriors will host the Gungahlin Bulls this weekend at Raiders Belconnen.

After a commanding 38-4 win last weekend against the Bulldogs, the second-placed Warriors remain undefeated this season and will look to maintain their dominance this weekend.

However, Warriors Captain Coach Ryan McQueen has noted that his side still has plenty of room for improvement as the season continues. 

"It's always nice to be undefeated but we've still got plenty to work on and still got to rock up every day and who ever turns up on the day in this competition generally gets the win," he said. 

This weekend threatens as a danger game for the Warriors, with the Bulls being the big improvers in the early stage of the season, with McQueen commenting on the need for his side to be aware of Gungahlin's threats. 

"They're solid all over the park, they've got a good forward pack that gets them going, a couple of damaging backrowers and their halves can be crafty, we've definitely got to be on this week otherwise that undefeated status will be gone."

Saturday marks a significant day for the West Belconnen Warriors with it being their old boys day in their 50th season, with the side wanting to honor this day with a victory in front of their fans. 

"We had a fifty year dinner at the start of the year, which was a very successful night and hoping to continue that into this weekend with plenty of Old Boy's around and hopefully put a good performance on for them," McQueen said. 

Meanwhile, the Bulls sit at fourth place on the ladder, having posted three wins and three losses. They edged out the Rams 28-24 in a tight contest last weekend, but will no doubt be looking for something a bit more decisive this round.

Bulls front rower Jayden Ford noted how challenging last week's performance, but was impressed with his side ability to stay in the contest. 

"It was a challenging game but we produce an 80 minute performance and that's all we are asking for at the moment, we are still a very young team and we are still learning, with the focus staying in the game and winning those games where we can," Ford said. 

Gungahlin currently sit third in the competition in points scored, however the side has been focusing on their ability to prevent the opposition from scoring to avoid playing in consistent shoot-outs. 

"We are scoring a lot of points but also leaking as many, so that's a big focus for us at the moment and just tuning up that defence." 

Ford is aware that his side will be walking into a hostile environment against the undefeated Warriors on Old Boys, with the game providing them an opportunity to see where they are at. 

"They are undefeated for a reason and we see it as a big challenge this week to test ourselves against that ... , yeah looking forward to it [facing the Warriors on Old Boys day]," he said. 

The Bulls have a bye round to look for in round eight, so expect big performances this weekend as nothing will be left out on the field.

Tuggeranong Bushrangers v Yass Magpies

3:00pm, Saturday 24th May at Greenway Oval

The Tuggeranong Bushrangers will host the Yass Magpies at Greenway Oval this Saturday afternoon, marking the first match of the round.

The Bushrangers have had a rocky start to the 2025 season and are still searching for their first win as they sit eighth on the ladder.

Meanwhile, the Magpies aren’t fairing any better as they sit a rung below at ninth on the ladder, similarly looking for a win to kickstart their season.

This match is crucial for both teams, as the Bushrangers and the Magpies each look to secure a win that could build valuable momentum.

Belconnen United Sharks v Woden Valley Rams

3:00pm, Saturday 24th May at NSWRL HQ Bruce

The Belconnen United Sharks will host the Woden Valley Rams at NSWRL HQ in a tight clash with only a point separating the teams on the ladder.

The Sharks will be looking to bounce back after two losses in their last two rounds, going down hard to the Kangaroos last weekend 50-16.

Similarly, after a tight 28–24 loss to the Bulls last weekend, the Rams will be determined to bounce back this round.

With both sides hungry for win, this middle-of-the-pack showdown is shaping up to be a thrilling one.

Goulburn City Bulldogs v Queanbeyan Kangaroos

3:00pm, Saturday 24th May at Workers Arena

The Goulburn City Bulldogs will host the Queanbeyan Kangaroos at Workers Arena this weekend.

The Bulldogs sit at seventh on the ladder after round six with two wins and three losses. They haven’t tasted victory since round five and will be looking for a win to separate themselves from the bottom of the pack.

Meanwhile, the Kangaroos sit at third place after blowing the Sharks out of the water last week 50-16 and post a record of four wins and one loss.

The Bulldogs will be licking their wounds after a heavy 38-4 loss to the Warriors last weekend – and what better opportunity to bounce back than against a Kangaroos side that may be caught off guard following a dominant win.