NRL Match Preview: Raiders v Rabbitohs

The Canberra Raiders will be looking to hit the ground running when they take on an in-form South Sydney Rabbitohs outfit this Saturday at GIO Stadium.

After conceding an early lead against the Sydney Roosters, the Raiders were down 24-6 at halftime before surging into contention during the second half.

With a number of international representatives on display and both teams sitting inside the top four, the clash promises to be an exciting battle between two in-form sides.

The Green Machine are currently sitting in fourth place with six wins and three losses, meanwhile, the Rabbitohs have only lost one match this season.

South Sydney impressed in their last fixture as they claimed a 32-16 win against the North Queensland Cowboys.

Last Time:

The Raiders defeated the Rabbitohs 24-12 at GIO Stadium in the last home game of the season. On that day, centre Michael Oldfield scored a double to help the team come back from a 4-12 halftime deficit.

Key Match-ups

Hodgson vs Cook

Two of the world’s best hookers will face off at GIO Stadium this weekend when English international Josh Hodgson meets Australian International Damien Cook.

Hodgson will be looking to continue his strong kicking ability, the Raiders Co-captain averages 115 kicking metres this season.

NSW Representative Damien Cook will also be looking to continue his dominant form, the South Sydney hooker has a total of 828 running metres in 2019.

The Raiders will have to stay focused on defence, with Cook leading the league in dummy half runs with 83.

Croker vs Gagai

After a solid start to the season from two in-form centres, Raiders’ Jarrod Croker and Rabbitohs’ Dane Gagai will line up against each other in Canberra.

The Raiders Co-captain once again showed his dominance last week against the Roosters, scoring a try early in the first half, coming one step closer to being the all-time leading try scorer for the club.

Gagai will be looking to continue his solid form, with the Queensland representative showing signs of his dominance last week with five tackle breaks against the Cowboys.

Dunamis Lui vs Tom Burgess

Raiders’ Dunamis Lui will have a tough match-up this week with Englishman Tom Burgess coming to town.

Lui has been an unsung hero for the Raiders once again this season with prop proving a strong presence in defence and ever reliable with the ball in hand.

So far this season Lui has made 184 tackles in 2019 with a 90% tackle efficiency.

Just like his brothers, Tom Burgess is a powerful ball runner and dangerman for the Rabbitohs. So far this season, the English international has racked up 1,110 total running metres.

Head to Head:

The Raiders have met the Rabbitohs on 56 occasions, with Canberra winning 32 times and South Sydney winning 23 times, with the remaining match ending in a draw.