Canberra Raiders captain Elliott Whitehead is confident that the side can get another important victory this weekend when they face off against the Gold Coast Titans as the team pushes towards a top eight finish.
After crucial victories against the Melbourne Storm and the New Zealand Warriors over the past two rounds, the side now sits outside the top eight by two points following the Roosters win on Thursday night.
NRL Teams: Raiders v Titans
A win against the Titans this Saturday will go a long way to getting the Green Machine into the final’s positions with just six rounds remaining.
Whitehead is however not taking the Gold Coast lightly, with the second rower aware of the danger they possess, especially in attack.
“They are a dangerous side; they have some dangerous players who can score anywhere on the field, so we have to be at our best,” Whitehead said.
The captain is confident that the Green Machine can control the likes of David Fifita, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Alexander Brimson, just three of the numerous attacking options at the Titans’ disposal.
“As long as we are kicking to corners and backing our defence to not let them out of their half, we should be all good in that aspect,” he said.
“We just need to stick to our game plan, it has worked for the last couple of weeks and we need to keep building on what works for us.”
Match Preview: Raiders v Titans
Last weekend’s win against the Warriors marked Whitehead’s return, having missed the side’s win against the Storm due to a knee injury.
The Englishman was pleased to be back and contributing to the side, especially with the importance of the upcoming rounds in the context of the Raiders’ season.
“I couldn’t walk for two weeks when I got the infection in my knee; it was one of the worst pains that I have ever had,” he said.
“It was good to get back out with the boys and to get the win. We are going in the right direction and hopefully we can keep going in that way.”
Whitehead is confident of the side’s ability to make the top eight this season, with the captain even eyeing off a potential finish higher than eighth.
Roaming Elliott
He believes that the side can do some special things over the back end of the season, including a potential deep run in the finals.
“We want to win all our remaining games to give us the highest possible position in the top eight. We are capable of doing that and we have built confidence over the last couple of weeks and we are building,” he said.
“We just need to focus on getting in there and we can give it a real shake up. It is something that we all spoke about and something that we are capable of doing. We will be looking to build on the last few wins to push into that top eight.”
Whitehead and the Raiders will face off against the Gold Coast Titans this Saturday afternoon at Cbus Super Stadium, before hosting the Penrith Panthers at home next weekend.
