Canberra Raiders Cup: Round 15 Preview
The race to the Canberra Raiders Cup finals is well under-way, with only two points separating the top four and another two sides still in the hunt for finals footy.
Match of the Round: Woden Valley Rams v Goulburn City Bulldogs, Phillip Oval, Saturday 30th July 3:00pm
This weekend's match of the round will see the Woden Valley Rams host the Goulburn City Bulldogs in a match that could have a huge say on where teams will finish on the ladder.
The Woden Valley Rams sit in third place after securing a big win over the top of the table Warriors in round 14.
The Rams sit just one point behind the Warriors and if results go their way, they could find themselves on top of the ladder by Sunday night.
However, Rams five-eighth Sean Maloney isn't looking too far ahead and was happy with his side's 80-minute performance against the Warriors.
“Yeah it was good to finally put in an 80 minute performance, we've been getting close in the past couple weeks,” Maloney said.
“[We've been] playing 20 to 30 minutes of good footy before letting ourselves down but it was good to finally put it all together against Westies on the weekend.”
It will be a tough match for the Rams against the Bulldogs who remain in fifth spot, tied with the sixth-placed Sharks but have a superior for and against.
The Bulldogs will have to endure a very tough run home against the Rams, Blues, Bushrangers and Kangaroos, so a win this weekend could be vital for them to keep finals hopes alive.
Bulldogs captain-coach Tyson Greenwood says that the side are all in on playing finals footy.
“Last night we identified that the semi finals are well and truly still available for us so that's a key concentration point heading into the next four weeks,” Greenwood said.
“It's definitely achievable to make the semi finals for us so we start this weekend with the Rams.
We're looking to put an 80 minute performance together and come away with two points, our run into the semis starts this weekend.”
Queanbeyan Blues v Belconnen United Sharks, Seiffert Oval, Saturday 30th July 3:00pm
The Queanbeyan Blues will see this weekend as a huge chance to go top of the ladder when they host the Sharks at Seiffert Oval this Saturday.
The Blues sit in second place, just one point behind the Warriors who will play the Bushrangers on Sunday.
The Blues are in that tightly contested top four but have the advantage of a stronger for and against than the other three sides.
The Blues winning streak came to an end in the Queanbeyan derby last week and the Sharks will see this as a great chance to secure a very valuable two points.
The Sharks currently sit in sixth, tied with the fifth placed Bulldogs on 12 competition points.
Both teams will see this weekend as a golden opportunity to climb the ladder with the finals right around the corner.
Yass Magpies v Queanbeyan Kangaroos, Walker Park, Saturday 30th July 3:00pm
The Yass Magpies will be looking to climb off the bottom of the ladder when they host the Queanbeyan Kangaroos this Saturday.
It's been a disappointing season for the Magpies who remain on the bottom of the ladder with just the one win all season.
These two teams met in round six earlier this year and it was the Kangaroos who walked away with a 20-12 win.
But the Kangaroos have improved out of sight since that match and their superstar recruit, Sam Williams, has been a huge part of that.
The Kangaroos now sit in seventh place where they're unfortunately out of finals contention, but still see this game as a massive opportunity to continue their form with four games remaining.
The Magpies will want to put in a strong 80-minute performance in one of their two remaining home games of the season, when they take the field this Saturday.
West Belconnen Warriors v Tuggeranong Bushrangers, Raiders Belconnen, Sunday 30th July 3:00pm
The final match of the round will see the Warriors host the Bushrangers at Raiders Belconnen in an epic top-four clash.
The Warriors remain in first place despite suffering their second loss of the season last weekend, going down to the Rams 22-12.
Meanwhile, the Bushrangers made it two in a row on the weekend, after comfortably defeating the Rams and Magpies over the last fortnight.
The Bushrangers remain comfortably inside the top four and are one of four teams who could be on top of the ladder by the end of the round.
These two teams have already met this season and nothing could separate them, as they drew 26-all at Greenway Oval.
If this Sunday is anything like their previous meeting then you can expect fireworks in this match that will give us an early finals footy preview.
