Canberra Raiders Cup Reserve Grade: Grand Final Preview

The Woden Valley Rams and Gungahlin Bulls will face off this Sunday for the 2024 Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup Reserve Grade premiership title. 

Kicking off at 1:40pm and setting the stage for the first grade decider, Gungahlin will seek back-to-back premierships, while the Rams aim to spoil their legacy in quest of their own glory.

The Rams finished second on the ladder after the regular season, and matched up against the minor premiers, the West Belconnen Warriors, in the major semi final. 

Despite losing twice to the Warriors earlier in the season, Woden stunned spectators with a 24-0 victory, securing their spot in the Grand Final.

Rams captain Kayne Taws says they focused inward to get the important win. 

"We came into that game trying to fix what we knew we could work on, and try to take control of the game away from them and put it in our own hands by focusing on us," Taws said. 

"It definitely filled us with confidence." 

Taws believes that if they can "replicate that [performance] and stick to the basics," it'll put them in a good position to claim the win. 

The Bulls, who had comfortably beaten Yass 26-4 in the minor semi final, faced a tough challenge in the Grand Final qualifying prelim against a West Belconnen side looking to bounce back.

In a gripping back-and-forth contest, the Bulls emerged victorious with a 28-26 win, earning their place in the Grand Final and the chance for back-to-back titles, while the Warriors bowed out in straight sets.

"We scraped in, we've done it hard, they came to play," Bulls captain Cody Smith said. 

Smith sees the tough match as valuable preparation for this Sunday's Grand Final against the Rams.

"It was good to get the win and a hard game in before the Grand Final," Smith said. 

"It gives us a lot of confidence, there's a lot of positives coming out of it so hopefully we can take that in.

"They've [Woden] have probably been the best team all year, so it'll be a grudge match." 

This Sunday's matchup boasts significant talent, including back-to-back Leedon Shield winner Cody Smith and top try scorer Kane Allan, both from the Bulls, along with top point scorer Liam Howard from the Rams, all recognised at the McIntyre Medal awards night.

With both teams scoring over 20 points in their last games, expect an entertaining display of attacking football as they put it all on the line in the most important game of the year.