Canberra Raiders Cup: Washout Round Preview

With Finals just around the corner there is still plenty to play for in the Canberra Raiders Cup, as there could still be some chopping and changing before week one.

Goulburn City Bulldogs v West Belconnen Warriors, Workers Arena, Saturday 29th August, 03:00pm

Goulburn host the West Belconnen Warriors on Saturday afternoon in what is a must win clash for the Bulldogs, as a finals birth is far from guaranteed.

Having won three of their last four outings, the Bulldogs enter Saturday’s matchup with an element of confidence in their stride, however, a loss could see them fall out of the top four at the final hurdle.

Their previous match was a defeat at the hands of the Queanbeyan Kangaroos, which edge backrower Shammah Tiumalu stating his side learnt plenty from the tough contest. 

"There were some good things to take out of that game, especially in the first half and we will take the learnings from the second half into the game this weekend," Tiumalu said. 

Under new coach Adam Taylor, the Bulldogs have become a really tight and connected group with this going to be key in the finals, if they are to qualify. 

"Our connectivity will be very important, hopefully we can take the club culture we have built and use that this weekend and moving into the finals if we make it."

A victory for the Bulldogs sees them qualify for the 2026 finals series and whilst they are aware of the dangers of the Warriors, the focus is solely on themselves. 

"They've got a lot of threats there, I think if we just focus on our own gameplan we should be fine."  

While the Warriors have nothing on the line this weekend, the Bulldogs round three loss to the Belconnen outfit will still be firmly in the back of their heads.

Entering this weekend fresh off the bye, the Warriors will be looking to bounce into their final weekend of the season and will be full of confidence after a strong performance against the Sharks, with Sam Green stating his side will be raring to go. 

"We spent the bye refocusing and preparing for this weekend's game, we are pretty fortunate with two wins in a row," Green said.  

"It was good, especially on old boys' day and it's always good to knock off a top two team especially when you are heading into a bye."

For West Belconnen, whilst not everything has fallen into place for them in 2026, they will be hoping to close out their campaign on a high and potentially take the Bulldogs with them and are expecting a tough encounter. 

"I think they are just an experienced side, they have a couple of big boys and are pretty tough around the park, but I think the main thing is their experience."

"I think there's nothing like it, no pressure on us and we just need to go out there and perform." 

If the Bulldogs are to solidify their spot in the finals, it will surely be off the back of the Cornish brother.

Queanbeyan Kangaroos v Queanbeyan Blues, Seears Workwear Oval, Saturday 29th August, 03:00pm

In what has the feeling of a final’s showdown already, the Roo’s welcome their cross-town rivals, the Blues, in what could very well be a grand final preview.

The Kangaroos head into Saturdays match having won six consecutive games, most recently defeating the Bullodgs 28-10 in round 18.

While their position is well and truly secured at the top of the table, the Roo’s will be hoping to fire a warning shot at a potential rival throughout finals.

The Blues also enter Saturday’s showdown boasting an impressive record of late, winning their last five games and surpassing 60 points twice along the way.

If the Blues are to win this weekend, they would jump the Sharks into second position and book themselves a qualifying final spot against the Roo’s in week one.

A matchup that would be circled in the calendar weeks in advance, the Roo’s and Blues have been made to wait since round three when the Roo’s scraped away with a 22-16 win.

Yass Magpies v Woden Valley Rams, Walker Park, Saturday 29th August, 03:00pm

The Rams travel to Yass this Saturday afternoon in what is a must win clash for the Woden based team, as stakes leading towards the finals don’t come any higher.

Having lost three of their last four, the Ramswill be hoping to keep their 2026 hopes alive with a win over the Magpies, despite hanging on by just a thread.

Whilst a finals birth is far from guaranteed for the Rams, a win this weekend could see them leapfrog the Bulldogs depending on results elsewhere.

On the other side of the ball, the Magpies are in search of their fourth win of the season to close out their 2026 campaign.

Coming off the back of a 38-16 defeat at the hand of the Bulls and not having won since round nine, Yass will be hoping to pull off something special and end Woden’s year in doing so.

When these two teams met in round three, Woden came away with the spoils defeating the Magpies 50-6 at Woden Park.

Tuggeranong Bushrangers v Gungahlin Bulls, Greenway Oval, Saturday 29th August, 03:00pm

Tuggeranong and Gungahlin will play their final game of the 2026 season this Saturday, as the Bulls travel across town to Greenway Oval.

Having lost four consecutive matches, the Bushrangers will be desperate to find a spark to close out their season on a winning note.

While wins have been few and far between for Tuggeranong, they have gone the distance with a number of finals bound teams in recent weeks, something they could take a bit of confidence from.

On the other side of the field, the Bulls have only won two of their last six games and have been on the receiving end of some huge scorelines.

However, their most recent victory in round 18 against the Magpies highlighted their ability to score points right across the field, something they will be hoping to draw from this weekend.

Last time these two teams met the Bushrangers secured the two points in a high scoring thriller, beating the Bulls 38-28 in round three.