Canberra Raiders Cup 2021: Round Eight Preview
The competition is heating up as we head into round eight of the Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup.
Yass Magpies v Goulburn City Bulldogs, 3pm Saturday 5th June at Walker Park.
Yass will return to their home ground of Walker Park this weekend when they take on the Goulburn City Bulldogs.
Yass were defeated 30-24 last round to the Belconnen United Sharks while the Bulldogs bounced-back to defeat the Woden Valley Rams 36-20.
Goulburn Captain Coach Jesse Martin had a man-of-the-match performance in the club’s win last weekend, pushing them back in the top-four on the competition ladder.
Yass have been unfortunate to concede some losses by less than six points, however they have a great opportunity to leapfrog Goulburn this weekend into the top four.
Yass will need a big impact from front-rower Manu Vanisi, who will need to use his size and running ability against a very experienced Goulburn forward pack on Saturday.
Gungahlin Bulls v Queanbeyan Kangaroos, 3pm Saturday 5th June at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval.
Gungahlin remain on-top of the Canberra Raiders Cup ladder as they host the Queanbeyan Kangaroos, who will look to dethrone the undefeated side.
The Bulls had yet another convincing win last weekend, defeating the Tuggeranong Bushrangers 36-20.
The Roos will be well-rested after a bye round and prepared to take on the form team of the competition.
The Queanbeyan side will need to shut-down the Williams halves duo of Tre and Jordan, who have caused havoc on every side they’ve faced over the course of the season.
If the Roos can put the Bulls on the back-foot early, they have every chance to cause what may be the upset of the season.
Belconnen United Sharks v Woden Valley Rams, 3pm Saturday 5th June at NSWRL HQ Bruce.
The Sharks have now won back-to-back games over both Yass and Goulburn, edging one-step closer to their maiden finals birth.
The Sharks will host the Woden Valley Rams who are desperate for a win as they have lost four of their past five outings.
Sharks forward and former-NRL player Shaun Fensom has provided some much-needed leadership and experience to the young Belconnen outfit, which has proven vital to their last two victories.
The Rams will need to match the intensity in the middle of the field to go a long way in earning their side the important two competition points this weekend.
West Belconnen Warriors v Tuggeranong Bushrangers, 3pm Sunday 6th June at Raiders Belconnen.
The West Belconnen Warriors will host the Bushrangers to close out round eight of the Canberra Raiders Cup this Sunday.
The Warriors have solidified themselves as a top four team of the competition as they upset the Queanbeyan Blues last weekend to win 22-18 in the final minutes.
A try-scoring double to both Brandon Withers and Andrew McDonald proved too-much for the Blues as they secured back-to-back wins for the club.
The Bushrangers will need to tighten up their defence as they have conceded the most points of any team in the competition.
Bushranger’s halfback Jack Heyman was the man-of-the-match in a losing outfit against the Gungahlin Bulls last weekend.
Heyman will need to lift his side’s spirits for a big match against the Warriors on Sunday to stay near finals contention.
