The Toyota Forklifts Canberra Raiders return home to Canberra for NRL Indigenous Round, for an intriguing contest against the Sydney Roosters at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon at 3pm.
The Raiders secured an impressive comeback victory over the Bulldogs last weekend at NRL Magic Round, while the Roosters suffered an eight point defeat against the Cronulla Sharks.
Talking Points
- Peter Hola comes onto the interchange bench replacing Josh Papalii who serves a one-week suspension for a dangerous tackle.
- Joseph Manu returns from concussion protocols replacing Junior Pauga while Radley transitions to the edge and Sandon Smith replaces the injured Connor Watson.
- Canberra Raider #336 Joe Tapine will play his 200th NRL game this weekend.
- Roosters flyer Dominic Young has impressed in his past four games scoring six tries in the past month.
- The Canberra Raiders have secured six victories in their past eight games against the Sydney Roosters at GIO Stadium.
Joe is a really good leader and enforcer for this club. You never know what you're going to get with him... he can pop the ball, palm you, step you. I love being on his side.
Kaeo Weekes on Joe Tapine's 200th NRL game #397
Last Time They Met
The Canberra Raiders defeated the Sydney Roosters 20-18 at Allianz Stadium Sydney in Round 17 last season.
Key Match-Up
Sebastian Kris vs Joseph Manu
The battle of the centres will be one which fans will be looking on with anticipation this Saturday afternoon.
Sebastian Kris has quickly ascended himself as one of the most reliable outside backs for Ricky Stuart.
The Kiwi international has played eight games throughout this season, in which he has scored two tries while also setting up another two.
Along with this, Kris has displayed strong ball carrying ability averaging 123 running metres and breaking 17 tackles.
Joseph Manu returns for this week from concussion protocols and the Raiders defence will need to ensure they are on in order to stop one of the best strike centres in the NRL.
Manu’s try scoring ability has been on display throughout his 2024 campaign, scoring eight tries in ten games while setting up a further four more tries.
The strike centre is a handful for defenders breaking 51 tackles and averaging 142 running metres this season.
The contest between these two outside backs will be one for the fans to watch and could be instrumental in determining the outcome of the match.
Head to Head
This Saturday will be the 45th matchup between the two sides. The Canberra Raiders have won 16, while the Roosters hold the advantage at 28 wins.
