Canberra Raiders Cup: Round 11 Preview

Round 11 of the Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup is set to be nothing short of entertaining, as two of the competitions underdogs go head-to-head to prove their worth in the match of the round.

Yass Magpies v Queanbeyan Blues, 3:00pm, Sunday 2nd July at Walker Park

The Magpies host the Blues this weekend as they try to redeem their round 2 efforts, where they went down to the Blues 32-24 at Seiffert Oval.

Both underdogs have had a difficult 2023 campaign and will look to lock-in some strong performances before the season ends.

Yass Magpies have recently lost two star players in Tremayne Chatfield and Aublix Tawha as they have signed to play in the QCup, forcing Dave Barrie to move from hooker to five-eighth as he tries to gel the side back together.

Barrie said that discipline is their main focus this week, and if they do the fundamental things right, they will win.

“Our focus is primarily on us, just hanging onto the football and being more disciplined, then we can compete much better with other teams,” Barrie said.

Although Yass have only won a single game this season, Barrie is adamant his side can get the job done at home this weekend against the struggling Queanbeyan outfit.

“Can we beat the Blues this weekend? Yes we can,” Barrie said.

As we approach the seasons’ end and finals seem out of reach for both sides, Barrie says the desire to not finish on the bottom of the ladder two years running is what’s giving his side motivation this week.

“We have a young team and a new coach this year and obviously we don’t want to be on the bottom of the ladder, nor at the seasons end,” said Barrie.

This match of the round is a must-watch clash, as the two underdogs desperately try to turn their season around.

Tuggeranong Bushrangers v Goulburn City Bulldogs, 3:00pm, Sunday 2nd July at Greenway Oval

The battle for fourth spot kicks off this weekend as the Bulldogs try to maintain their position on the ladder, with the Bushies looking to steal their finals ticket.

Both sides have had mixed results this season, and they will look to find their feet again as every point counts from now on with finals beginning to approach.

Goulburn are coming off the back of a disappointing 32-10 loss to the Roos last week while the Bushies narrowly missed out on a victory, drawing with the Queanbeyan Blues 32-all.

The last time these two sides met there was just two-points in it, with the Bushies taking a nail biting 32-30 victory away from home and we expect nothing different this time around.

This game could make or break the season for both teams as fourth place takes on fifth, making this game their most crucial clash of the season.

West Belconnen Warriors v Gungahlin Bulls, 3:00pm, Sunday 2nd July at Raiders Belconnen

The Warriors are hosting the Bulls this weekend as they try to prove they’re still a dominant force in the competition.

The Warriors won the competition last year and are currently sitting in sixth spot. The side will need to return to their winning ways in hope of replicating their premiership winning form of last season.

Gungahlin have had a lacklustre season, having not won a game since round six which sees them sit in second last position.

However, they are coming off the back of valiant effort against the Sharks where they narrowly lost 34-32.  

The Bulls will look to carry this momentum into their clash against the warriors as they attempt to salvage their season and prove they’re still a competitive team to face.

It will be a fantastic battle as both teams have something to prove this weekend. The Warriors are desperate to make finals and they will be sure to throw everything at Gungahlin and wrangle the Bull.

Queanbeyan Kangaroos v Woden Valley Rams, 3:00pm, Sunday 2nd July at Seears Workwear Oval

First place takes on second place this week in what could be a grand final preview. The Roos will be looking to stay on top of the ladder, with the Rams looking to shake up the competition and dethrone the competition heavyweights.

The Roos still remain undefeated as they dominate the competition, but the Rams are not far behind, having only lost three out of nine games.

The Rams will be feeling more confident than ever as they return this week off the back of a 46-6 thrashing over the Yass Magpies.

Although this is great for the Rams, it will not be easy to take down the Roos who are also returning from a dominant win, defeating the Bulldogs 32-10.

With finals spots still not cemented, some quality footy is sure to be on display this weekend as these two sides battle it out in what should be a physical encounter.