Check out the match preview and prediction for the 2025 National Rugby League round 10 clash between the Canberra Raiders and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Canberra Raiders Vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra.
Date: Saturday 10 May, 3:00pm (ADST)
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Raiders: 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Savelio Tamale 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Corey Horsburgh 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Matt Nicholson 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Owen Pattie 15. Zac Hosking 16. Josh Papali’i 17. Ata Mariota 18. Manaia Waitere 19. Simi Sasagi 20. Pasami Saulo 21. Trey Mooney 22. Danny Levi
Bulldogs: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Matt Burton 7. Toby Sexton 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Daniel Suluka-Fifita 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Jaeman Salmon 14. Kurt Mann 15. Harry Hayes 16. Kurtis Morrin 17. Bailey Hayward 19. Blake Taaffe 20. Blake Wilson 21. Lipoi Hopoi 22. Luke Smith 23. Drew Hutchison
Referee: Adam Gee
Bunker: Grant Atkins
MATCHDAY PREVIEW
The first game of NRL’s Super Saturday brings you the game of the season thus far, a proper top-of-the-table clash with the first-placed Bulldogs travelling to Canberra to face the second-placed Raiders. Canberra will be on a high after closing Magic Round with a thrilling Golden Point victory over the Melbourne Storm (20-18), while the Bulldogs continue doing their business comfortably, putting away the Titans 38-18.
For at least the third week in a row the Raiders have the luxury of naming the same starting 17 as the week before. The only player questionable heading into team lists being announced was prop Corey Horsburgh, who left the field under HIA protocols. If he is unable to suit up, I would imagine either Pasami Saulo or Trey Mooney would be the favourites to come into Ricky Stuart’s 17. The Bulldogs have a massive in with the return of their five eighth Matt Burton. Burton has the general kicking game, particularly his sometimes near impossible-to-catch aerial kicks, that will test Raiders fullback Kaeo Weekes: who more than found his mojo scoring the thrilling match-levelling solo try of the year (which, if you haven’t seen, I must recommend you go and see). As equally devastating to the Dogs as exciting the inclusion of Burton is, in form back rower Jacob Preston has been whacked with a significant ban for his crusher tackle and will miss a month of football to suspension. At the time of writing this Preston was named in the starting line-up, so watch for this change later in the week.
History suggests the Canberra Raiders are rightfully favourites heading into this game with a dominant record against the Bulldogs since 2016 (the Raiders have won 11 of the last 13 matches); although Bulldogs fans, you have had the last laugh beating Canberra 22-18 at Belmore in round 22 last season. Since we are going back a decade in the history books of rugby league, Canterbury have not tasted victory at GIO Stadium since 2015. In saying all this, the Bulldogs haven’t looked this good in 10 years and they have a big statement to make this week, with suggestions that their good run of form has come without any significant resistance from teams in the top six of the competition thus far. They have played the 16th-placed Titans twice, 13th-placed South Sydney, 12th-placed Newcastle, 17th-placed Parramatta, and 10th-placed St. George Illawarra. When they played the fifth-placed Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp, they lost 42-18, so the Bulldogs will be aware of this and the time is right now to show the competition that they are here to win it all.
This match is flooded with exciting match-ups, with the form players of multiple positions on the field coming head-to-head. The battle of the centres is going to be big. Seb Kris lining up against Stephen Crichton, and Matt Timoko lining up against Bronson Xerri. Kris is in career-best form, Xerri a try-scoring threat every week: I don’t even know who truly has the bigger edge here and I cannot wait to see who wins these individual battles. A Bulldogs forward I have been massively impressed with, and who I believe has been an underrated catalyst in this Canterbury run, is prop Max King. He doesn’t get enough praise as other front rowers in the game like the one he lines up against Joe Tapine do. King averages 152 run metres and 31.3 tackles per game: his work rate and go forward can disrupt the Raiders and will lay the platform the Dogs need to obtain two points in the nation’s capital.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Canberra by 4 points.
Check out our round 10 predictions here.
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