NRL Match Preview: Raiders v Dragons

The Raiders scraped through a gutsy second-half effort with the match-winning try to Jed Stuart, after surviving the Knights' late comeback.

Canberra have now made it six on the trot and have pushed past the Bulldogs to take top spot on the competition ladder.

Meanwhile, the Dragons scored a 34-20 win over the Eels in what was an electrifying clash between the two clubs.

The Dragons will be aiming to string a couple of wins together to make a surge into the top eight.

With players being called into Origin camp, both teams have been forced to make a reshuffle to cover those Origin stars. The Dragons have also been hit with multiple injuries after last week’s win.

Talking Points

• The Raiders are aiming for seven consecutive wins for the first time since 2016.
• Josh Papalii will return to the Origin arena this Wednesday night for Queensland, meaning Horsburgh will start in the front row with Trey Mooney the new man on the bench.
• Simi Sasagi holds his starting position with Hudson Young being called into the Origin camp.
• With Nathan Lawson out and Valentine Holmes called into Origin camp, the reshuffled Dragons' backline sees Corey Allan move into the centres and Sione Finau and Tyrell Sloan come into the side on the wings.
• Multiple new faces join the bench for the Dragons with Loko Pasifiki Tonga, Hame Sele and Michael Molo all joining the squad. Raymond Faitala-Mariner will also come in for the injured Luciano Leilua.
• Xavier Savage has scored five tries in four games at GIO Stadium.
• Dragons haven’t won at GIO Stadium since 2015

Last time they met

Last time these two teams met, the Raiders beat the Dragons 26-24 at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Sydney during round 27, 2024.

Key Match-up

Ethan Strange v Lyhkan King-Togia

Since debuting in 2023, Ethan Strange has been one of the stand-out five-eighths in the comp as is tipped as one of the young guns who will lead Canberra’s spine for years to come.

His pairing with Fogarty in the halves seems to be a strange mix of experience and x-factor as they make up one of the NRL’s odd couples, but as the Raiders enter round 18 sitting atop the ladder; you couldn’t say it hasn’t been effective.

Out of attack, he’s recorded eight try assists to complement the 12 recorded by Fogarty, putting him in the top 25 in the competition.

His kicking metres drop slightly to an average of 33 per game, but in Fogarty’s absence, he’s more than capable of stepping up and handling the kicking duties.

His standout performance this season came in the round 13 bout against the Roosters, where Strange took the reins and partnered up with debutant Ethan Sanders in the halves to deliver 192 kicking metres, a career high 115 metres run, 100% tackle efficiency and a try to cap it off.

From the Dragons, 20-year-old Lyhkan King-Togia stands against Strange after being planted in the halves midway through this season.

After sustaining a broken jaw during pre-season, the young five-eighth finally found a regular starting spot in the Dragons side alongside Kyle Flanagan in the halves.

King-Togia has demonstrated a masterful kicking game, averaging 107 metres this season, with a standout performance delivered in round 12 against the Broncos where he dispensed 245 off the boot.

As an auxiliary player, he’s made himself incredibly useful with five try assists in seven appearances this season.

Defensively, he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Strange – with both men averaging 87% tackle efficiency this season.

However, as a ball-running threat to the line, the Dragons currently concede more tries to the five-eighth position than anywhere else on the field.

And as Strange becomes more equipped to take on the line each week, this could provide another opportunity nab a few points for himself, having scored seven tries this year.

Head-to-Head

Since 1999, the Raiders have played the Dragons 39 times, winning 25 of them for a 64.10% efficiency rate.