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Raiders v Warriors: Taunoa-Brown banned, loan stars exit

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Canberra will be keen to keep the pressure on fourth-placed Parramatta, and stay one step ahead of surging South Sydney, with a win over the resilient Warriors. 

The Raiders sit two points behind the out-of-sorts Eels and have the for-and-against advantage to pounce should Parramatta stumble in their final two regular season games.

Encouragingly Canberra's attacking woes appear to be a thing of the past with the Raiders racking up winning scores of between 34 and 37 points in taking four of their past five - the exception being an 18-6 loss to the defending premiers.

The Warriors, who have been magnificent in overcoming obstacle after obstacle in 2020, must pick themselves up again after seeing their slim finals hopes crushed by last week's 22-14 loss to Cronulla.

The rundown

Team news

Raiders: Canberra will start 1-17 after Matt Frawley and Matt Timoko were the two players dropped from the squad an hour before kick-off. Prop Sia Soliola's return from a facial fracture has been delayed by another week, with Soliola and Sam Williams omitted from the reserves list 24 hours before kick-off.

Siliva Havili is named to start at hooker with Tom Starling going to the bench. The Raiders have scored 34 points or more in four of their past five games.

Warriors: Tohu Harris and Isaiah Papali'i have swapped their prop and second-row positions in the starting side and Paul Turner and Gerard Beale were the last two players omitted from the squad.

With the team now mathematically out of the finals running and the loan players departing, plus prop Jamayne Taunoa-Brown suspended, Adam Keighran will start at centre with Hayze Perham replacing George Jennings on the wing.

Lachlan Burr will start at prop with Tom Ale to debut off the bench. Josh Curran was promoted to the bench on Saturday with Eliesa Katoa (hand) and Rocco Berry dropping out of the extended squad. The Warriors have won three of their past five games against the Raiders.

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Raiders is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
    Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 
  • Winger for Raiders is number 2 Semi Valemei
    Winger for Warriors is number 2 Adam Pompey
  • Centre for Raiders is number 3 Jarrod Croker
    Centre for Warriors is number 3 Adam Keighran
  • Centre for Raiders is number 4 Jordan Rapana
    Centre for Warriors is number 4 Peta Hiku
  • Winger for Raiders is number 5 Nick Cotric
    Winger for Warriors is number 5 Hayze Perham
  • Five-Eighth for Raiders is number 6 Jack Wighton
    Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Kodi Nikorima
  • Halfback for Raiders is number 7 George Williams
    Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Chanel Harris-Tavita 

Forwards

  • Prop for Raiders is number 8 Josh Papali'i
    Prop for Warriors is number 8 Lachlan Burr
  • Hooker for Raiders is number 9 Siliva Havili
    Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Karl Lawton
  • Prop for Raiders is number 10 Dunamis Lui
    Prop for Warriors is number 12 Tohu Harris
  • 2nd Row for Raiders is number 11 John Bateman
    2nd Row for Warriors is number 10 Isaiah Papali'i
  • 2nd Row for Raiders is number 12 Elliott Whitehead
    2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Jack Murchie
  • Lock for Raiders is number 13 Joseph Tapine
    Lock for Warriors is number 13 Jazz Tevaga

Interchange

  • Interchange for Raiders is number 14 Tom Starling
    Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Wayde Egan
  • Interchange for Raiders is number 15 Ryan Sutton
    Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Adam Blair
  • Interchange for Raiders is number 16 Hudson Young
    Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Tom Ale
  • Interchange for Raiders is number 17 Corey Harawira-Naera
    Interchange for Warriors is number 18 Josh Curran

Match Officials

  • Referee: Chris Sutton
  • Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
  • Touch Judge: Drew Oultram

Last updated:

Key match-up

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad v Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: In the round two match-up between these former Warriors teammates the apprentice got the better of the master. Tuivasa-Scheck leads the NRL in runs and run metres but Nicoll-Klokstad edged him in run metres (232-216) despite carrying the ball five fewer times that day.

The Raiders No.1, who has enjoyed a rapid rise since stepping out of Tuivasa-Sheck's shadow and joining Canberra last season, will be looking to come out on top again despite ranking only 6th (runs) and 12th (run metres) behind the top-ranked Warrior.

Stat attack

Coach Ricky Stuart would have been happy with the way his forwards shared the defensive workload in last Saturday's win over the Dragons.

Tom Starling and John Bateman shared top billing with 38 tackles, but Hudson Young (37), Elliott Whitehead (29), Dunamis Lui (27) and Ryan Sutton (26) also made strong contributions. The spread of work in defence would have helped keep the forwards fresh for when it came time to go on the attack.

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Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.