Canberra Raiders Cup: Round 14 Preview

Round 14 of the Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup sees four exciting matchups which will be sure to impact the finals make up, with the run home well and truly under way. 

Belconnen United Sharks vs Goulburn City Bulldogs 

3:00PM, NSWRL HQ Bruce 

The Belconnen United Sharks will face the Goulburn City Bulldogs this weekend at NSWRL HQ in the Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup Match of the Round.

Belconnen suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Tuggeranong Bushrangers last weekend, with forward James Dyball describing the game as one of two halves. 

"It was probably a story of two halves, in the first forty minutes we showed what type of team we can be when we are on and fast forward that to the second half there was a few moments that we needed to ice, and if we iced those two or three moments we are having a completely different conversation right now," Dyball said. 

The Sharks currently sit seventh and two wins outside of the top four, however with the way the competition has unfolded so far this season, they're still every chance of playing finals, with the side focused on themselves moving into the back end of the year. 

"We have had a little bit of a look and on our end, we just need to focus on winning games, as long as we are winning games the other results will take care of themselves. We need to give ourselves the best chance by not losing anymore."

Belconnen are wary of the dangers which the visitors pose with Dyball noting that shutting down the Cornish brothers will go a long way in deciding the outcome of this one.  

"Any team with the class of the three Cornish brothers are going to be hard to beat on their day. We expect nothing less, they'll show up and be tough and for us it's about focusing on ourselves and our strengths." 

Goulburn City currently sit in eighth position and will be looking for their first win since Round Five and will be well rested after having the bye last week, their latest performance was a defeat against the Gungahlin Bulls. 

Anything other than a win for the Belconnen United Sharks will spell the end of their 2025 finals chances, whilst the Bulldogs will be aiming for a win and keeping clear of the dreaded wooden spoon. 

Tuggeranong Bushrangers vs West Belconnen Warriors 

3:00PM, Greenway Oval 

The Tuggeranong Bushrangers welcome the West Belconnen Warriors to Greenway Oval on Saturday afternoon for a mouthwatering matchup. 

Tuggeranong enter Round 14 on a five-game win streak, which has seen the side rise from the bottom of the table to one point away from the top four, their latest victory came against the Sharks at NSWRL HQ, with two tries in the final ten minutes keeping the streak alive. 

Meanwhile, the Warriors suffered defeat in their last outing against the Blues which provided West Belconnen with an understanding of where they compare to fellow title contenders, Ryan McQueen impressed in his return and will be key in their run home to the finals. 

This matchup will be critical for both sides, as the Bushrangers will look to extend their win streak to six, whilst the Warriors will be striving to avoid two straight losses. 

Gungahlin Bulls vs Queanbeyan Blues 

3:00PM, Gungahlin Enclosed Oval

The Gungahlin Bulls welcome the Queanbeyan Blues to Gungahlin Enclosed Oval for an important clash which will have finals ramifications. 

The Bulls secured an impressive victory last start against the Yass Magpies and winning back-to-back games in the process. 

Whilst the Queanbeyan Blues secured a strong victory over the West Belconnen Warriors and will have their minds set on claiming five straight this weekend and continuing their push towards the minor premiership. 

With the race for the top four heating up as the season goes on, the Gungahlin Bulls will be desperate to claim the two points and gain confidence against one of the premiership fancies, whilst for the Blues a win will see them go top as the Kangaroos have the bye. 

Woden Valley Rams vs Yass Magpies 

3:00PM, Phillip Oval 

The Woden Valley Rams remain at Phillip Oval this weekend for a contest against the Yass Magpies on Saturday afternoon. 

For Woden Valley it has been a tough couple of weeks, with the side currently winless in their last three starts, the latest defeat at the hands of the defending premiers. 

Meanwhile, the Magpies will be looking to overturn their recent run of form, which includes three loses in as many weeks, with the last defeat in the Match of the Round last week against the Bulls. 

The two competition points are important for both sides, as the Rams will be looking to keep clear of the chasing pack in fourth position, whereas the Magpies will be desperate for the win as they look to avoid the wooden spoon.