The Brisbane Broncos will travel away to a fiery ‘Papa’s House’, where the Canberra Raiders are still awaiting their revenge after last year’s heartbreaking finals week one loss. The Raiders will also be looking to keep their finals hopes alive as they build momentum towards the end of the season.

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Matchday Details

Friday, 21 August 2026 – 6:00pm AEST – GIO Stadium, Canberra
📺 Foxtel / Kayo
Referee: Adam Gee | Senior Review Official: Chris Butler

Canberra Raiders: 1. Kaeo Weekes, 2. Jed Stuart, 3. Simi Sasagi, 4. Matthew Timoko, 5. Xavier Savage, 6. Ethan Strange, 7. Ethan Sanders, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Owen Pattie, 10. Joseph Tapine (c), 11. Zac Hosking, 12. Matty Nicholson, 13. Ata Mariota, 14. Tom Starling, 15. Joe Roddy, 16. Corey Horsburgh, 17. Daine Laurie, 18. Vena Patuki-Case, 19. Savelio Tamale, 20. Coby Black, 21. Sebastian Kris, 22. Jayden Brailey

Brisbane Broncos: 1. Hayze Perham, 2. Josiah Karapani, 3. Kotoni Staggs, 4. Deine Mariner, 5. Grant Anderson, 6. Ezra Mam, 7. Ben Hunt, 8. Xavier Willison, 9. Billy Walters, 10. Payne Haas, 11. Jaiyden Hunt, 12. Jordan Riki, 13. Patrick Carrigan (c), 14. Blake Mozer, 15. Aublix Tawha, 16. Jack Gosiewski, 17. Va’a Semu, 18. Thomas Duffy, 19. Gehamat Shibasaki, 20. Ben Talty, 21. Jesse Arthars, 22. Luke Gale

Match Preview

Yes, the Canberra Raiders are still shockingly in finals contention and can still make a late push for the 2026 finals series, while the Broncos are currently sitting in 16th and could finish last if they don’t win one of their next three games. They could be the first team in the NRL era to win the premiership and finish last the following season.

The Brisbane Broncos’ woes continue to grow after they were thumped 40-6 against a strong Warriors pack to lose their fourth straight game. Brisbane will be looking to head to Canberra in the hope of drawing out a massive upset to see them pull away from their second wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, the Raiders pack will be fronting to give Josh Papalii the fairytale ending to his career after announcing he will retire at the end of the season on Monday. No doubt Ricky Stuart will be reminding his team about the last time Brisbane came down to Canberra, as they will be looking to get payback with a big win against their rivals.

It’s been a remarkable career for Papalii, and Friday night’s celebration in Canberra (with GIO Stadium renamed ‘Papa’s House’ for this game) is something no NRL fan will want to miss. The one-club man has bled green since making his debut for the Raiders in 2011 against the Storm. Papalii will no doubt be hoping to finish his career the same way it began, having scored his first try for the Raiders against the Broncos back in 2011. Now, 15 years later, he’ll be hoping to add one more try against the same opposition before calling time on his incredible career.

The Broncos’ star fullback, Reece Walsh, will not finish the season after a devastating Syndesmosis injury, which sees Hayze Perham takes his spot in the number one jersey, Ben Hunt shifts to halfback, with Thomas Duffy moving to the bench.

The Raiders have multiple stars returning for them, with Simi Sasagi starting in the centres, which sees Savelio Tamale move back to the six-man bench. Ata Mariota starts at lock with Morgan Smithies sidelined by a head knock. Papalii will be in the starting eight jersey for the last time at home, and Corey Horsburgh also returns to the side on the bench.

The battle of the forward packs could be where Friday night’s game is won and lost. With Joe Tapine, Papalii, Mariota, Zac Hosking, and Horsburgh leading the way, the Raiders pack will no doubt take it right to the Broncos forwards in Xavier Willison, Payne Haas, Patrick Carrigan, and Jordan Riki.

Although the Broncos’ forward pack hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations many fans had coming into the season, you can never underestimate the size and impact of Haas and Willison. The pair have been among Brisbane’s most consistent forwards throughout the season.

Haas has racked up a whopping 50 tackle breaks while averaging an impressive 158 running metres per game. Meanwhile, Willison has enjoyed a breakout year, scoring seven tries, making 38 tackle breaks, and averaging 123 metres per game.

With both forwards capable of making a huge impact through the middle, the Raiders will have their work cut out for them trying to contain the Broncos’ big men.

On the other side of the coin, Tapine hasn’t quite had the same impact he had last year. Still, his numbers continue to get better and better, with the Raiders captain averaging 136 metres per game and an incredible 49 tackle breaks. He remains an unstoppable force and is coming off a season-best performance against the Sharks last weekend.

Meanwhile, Hosking has enjoyed an unbelievable 2026 campaign, adapting to multiple positions throughout the season. The Raiders’ second-rower has crossed for five tries, while maintaining an impressive 95% tackle efficiency. Now, as he prepares to play his 50th game for the Raiders, Hosking will be looking to celebrate the milestone by adding another try to his tally.

The size and power of both packs is unbelievable, and whichever forward pack can establish dominance early and maintain that control throughout the game will go a long way towards securing the win.

Prediction

RLZ Tip: Raiders by 16.
Full Round 25 tips → /nrl-round-25-predictions-2026/
Bold call: Josh Papalii to score the last try of his career in front of the Canberra faithful.

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Declan Connell

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