Canberra Raiders Cup: Round Five Preview
Round Five of the Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup commences on Saturday, 16th May, with four matches kicking off at 3 pm across the region.
Gungahlin Bulls v West Belconnen Warriors, Saturday 16th May, 3:00pm, Gungahlin Enclosed Oval
For our Match of the Round, the Gungahlin Bulls will host the West Belconnen Warriors at Gungahlin Oval.
Off the back of a close 18-10 defeat against the Roos, the Bulls currently sit last on the ladder; however, the team remain positive leading into Round five, with five eighth Noah Marcantonio stating his side is starting to establish themselves in 2026.
"I feel like we are just starting to find our feet, the first few weeks were pretty hard because we had a bye, so we are only just getting to our feet but big improvements," Marcantonio said.
Marcantonio partners Captain Coach Matt Frawley in the halves, with the five-eighth commentating on the calmness the former Canberra Raiders playmaker.
"With Frawls everything feels much calmer, everyone else can just play their game and he just leads and with Josh there as well, everyone is just calm."
Alongside the goal of claiming their first win of the season, the Bulls will be striving for a strong performance on the club's Old Boys Day.
"It's a big game for the club being old boys' day, hopefully we can get the win."
Gungahlin’s Nofoasa Lemalu will be a player to look out for as the centre has contributed to every match so far this season.
For the away side, the Warriors will be looking to bounce back and regroup after their tough 32-6 loss to the Blues in Round Four.
Currently sitting in sixth with only one win out of four matches, with Captain Coach Brandon Withers declaring his side needs to be better with ball in hand.
"We only completed at about 37% in that first half which isn't ideal and you can't win games when you are completing that low," Withers said.
Last year's Semi Finalists haven't started the campaign the way they've liked with the sole victory with Withers stating the side needs to go back to basics.
"It's been really disappointing this year from the get-go, only having the one win but we just need to complete, kick to the corner and start playing some footy."
The Warriors have blooded through multiple Under 19s players through the season with this filling the Captain Coach with confidence moving forward.
"One of the positives is, we have a lot of young blokes in the squad this year who are coming through into first grade which has been good, we had about 8 play against the Blues that were still eligible for the Under 19s."
Withers is excited about the opportunity to play against the Bulls on their Old Boys Day and knows his side will need to be up to the task.
"They haven't had a win so they are going to come out firing, it's their old boys and I think every club grows an extra leg when it is there old boys' day so we definitely need to be switched on come Saturday and we will be ready for them."
Warriors’ winger Brandon Withers will be a player to look out for in the match, as he has made hefty contributions in both goal-kicking and try-scoring so far this season.
This will be the match to watch against two very competitive sides, with both teams looking to build and grow upon their earlier-season form.
Belconnen United Sharks v Goulburn City Bulldogs, Saturday 16th May, 3:00pm, NSWRL HQ Bruce
The Sharks will be looking for back-to-back wins when they host the Bulldogs back at home at NSWRL HQ.
The home side triumphed 50-22 against the Magpies in Round Four and are currently sitting third on the table.
Belconnen centre Gideon Afemui continues to be a standout player for the squad, scoring a hat-trick in Round four.
Meanwhile, for the Bulldogs, they are currently sitting fifth on the ladder going into Saturday’s match and will travel to Canberra ready to play some quality football after having the bye last week.
Queanbeyan Kangaroos v Woden Valley Rams, Saturday 16th May, 3:00pm, Seears Workwear Oval
The Queanbeyan Kangaroos will take hosting duties again this week, with the Rams travelling over the border to Seears Oval.
With the Roos still sitting first on the ladder, they prove each week that they are worthy of that top spot by sealing another 18-10 win against the Bulls.
Meanwhile, for the Rams, who currently sit second, they will be looking to continue their winning momentum following their 45-18 win against the Bushrangers at home.
Halfback Josh Fattore continues to be a standout player with all tries converted last week, plus a try to add to his total points.
With the first and second-placed teams going head-to-head, this match will be a showcase of classic local weekend footy.
Tuggeranong Bushrangers v Yass Magpies, Saturday 16th May, 3:00pm, Greenway Oval
The Bushrangers are back at home for Round Five, where they will host the Magpies at Greenway Oval.
Currently sitting seventh on the ladder, the Bushrangers will be looking to bounce back after their 45-18 deficit against the Rams.
Tuggeranong’s forward pack will be a threat to Yass following their numerous contributions throughout the season, particularly halfback Trae Bennetto with his goal-kicking rate.
Looking to gain some position on the ladder while sitting eighth, the Magpies will travel back into Canberra looking for a win after their 50-22 loss against the Sharks.
The Queanbeyan Blues have the bye in Round Five following their 32-6 win at Seffiert Oval against the Warriors.
The Blues will match up against the Gungahlin Bulls in Round Six at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval.
