The Toyota Forklift Canberra Raiders return home for their final home game of the season this weekend against the Penrith Panthers on a massive day of footy at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Canberra Raiders suffered a disappointing defeat last start at the hands of the North Queensland Cowboys and will be aiming for an improved performance when they run out in front of their home fans for the last time this year.
Meanwhile, the Penrith Panthers enter Round 25 off a rare defeat at home against the Melbourne Storm which was headlined by an injury to Nathan Cleary, with the reigning premiers looking to bounce back in the nation’s capital this week.
Match: Raiders v Panthers
Round 25 -
home Team
Raiders
12th Position
away Team
Panthers
4th Position
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Talking Points
- Jordan Rapana returns from concussion protocols this weekend in the fullback position, with a calf injury to Ethan Strange seeing Kaeo Weekes shift to five-eighth.
- Albert Hopate returns to the NRL side on the wing, with Sebastian Kris moving into centres to partner Matthew Timoko.
- Penrith co-captain Nathan Cleary misses the encounter with a shoulder injury with Brad Schneider partnering Jarome Luai in the halves, while Luke Sommerton replaces Mitch Kenny in the hooker position.
- Saturday afternoon marks the last home game for Canberra Raiders stalwart and captain Elliott Whitehead.
- The Raiders will be looking to claim their first victory against the Panthers at GIO Stadium since 2016, with the reigning premiers winning the last five games at all venues.
Last Time They Met
The Penrith Panthers proved too strong for the Canberra Raiders in round 5 last year securing a 53-12 win at GIO stadium.
Key Matchup
Matthew Timoko vs Izack Tago
The battle of the strike centres will be one which fans will be looking on with intrigue on Saturday afternoon as both players will look to break the game open for their respective teams.
Matt Timoko has been a reliable member for Ricky Stuart this season with his ability to defend the games best centres and strong ball carrying ability a key feature to his game.
Appearing in all games this season, the Raiders centre has scored four tries, set up a further four, broken 78 tackles and averages 157 metres carrying the football.
After making his debut in 2021, Izack Tago has been an integral member of the Penrith Panthers historic premiership run over the previous three seasons with and without the football.
This year the centre has only missed one game, crossing the try line on nine occasions, assisting his team mates six times, whilst also breaking 57 tackles and averaging 135 running metres.
The battle between these two exciting centres will be worth the price of admission for the fans entering GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon with the ability to neutralise their impact on the game going a long way to securing the two points.
Head to Head
This will be the fiftieth encounter between the two sides, with the Canberra Raiders experiencing 22 wins, whilst the Penrith Panthers hold the advantage with 27 wins.
