Laying a good foundation for their upcoming finals campaign will be the Canberra Raiders NYC side’s main objective when they take on the Canterbury Bulldogs on Saturday. The junior Raiders all but wrapped the minor premiership last weekend after registering a 38-32 win over the Sydney Roosters. Raiders’ coach Mick Mantelli said he was pleased with the win but emphasised that he would like to see a more controlled start from his team in the coming weeks. “We tried to force too many passes early on,” Mantelli said. “We have to learn how to compete with teams, grind with them a bit and put some early pressure on them. We need to take a breath and learn to score at the back end of our sets, we don’t have to score on the first tackle.”
With Canberra’s minor premiership now all but sewn up and the Bulldogs just a point away from second place after seven straight wins, this could be the Holden Cup match of the century, let alone Round 23.
Canberra’s most recent win was also one of their most hard-fought, overcoming a missed tackle count of 45 and a completion rate of 68 per cent to pip the currently second-placed Roosters 38-32.
The gutsy win will be remembered for the sheer brilliance of winger Jonathon Reuben, who dazzled a small green contingent at Allianz Stadium with four tries, 221 metres, 12 tackle-breaks and four line-breaks.
Back-rower Tevita Pangai was also close to perfect, scoring Canberra’s opening try and racking up 155 metres and 23 tackles.
They are the sorts of performances that make this Saturday afternoon clash so utterly mouth-watering.
The Bulldogs enter the block buster fresh from a mind-blowing 54-20 trouncing of the Gold Coast Titans.
Fullback Patrick Templeman and winger Dujean Manuel-Liolevave scored four of the Bulldogs’ ten tries between them, while second-rower Shaun Lane (one try, one try assist, 139 metres, five tackle-breaks, two line-breaks, 15 tackles) was astonishing.
In what should be a match for the ages, the competition leaders host a side that hasn’t scored less than 40 points in a month of football matches.
Home ground advantage and momentum, two of the most potent forces in rugby league, will clash in an explosion of class and when the 80 minutes are up, the eventual 2013 premiers may well be holding their fists aloft in victory.
Tip: Bulldogs by two points.
MY tip: Raiders By 16
Welcome to our coverage of this morning's Holden Cup clash between the Canberra Raiders and Canterbury Bulldogs. Late changes for Canberra and here's the final team line up:
The full team line-up is as follows:
1. Jack Ahearn
2. Jonathon Reuben
3. Andrew Heffernan
20. Brenko Lee
5. Eli Roberts
23. Jack Creith
7. Jordan Worboys
8. Mitchell Barnett
9. Trent Schubach
10. Dennis Tomarchio
11. Patrick Mago
12. Tevita Pangai
13. Luke Bateman
1st min TRY BULLDOGS under the posts if the back of an early penalty. Josh Vaartjes the scorer. The Raiders have not touched the ball. Converted from in front. Bad start.
8th min TRY BULLDOGS It must be too early in the morning for Canberra and thevBilldogs ave come out firing. Winger Liolevave is the scorer in the corner. Conversion misses from the sideline.
12th min TRY BULLDOGS Brilliant attacking play from Canterbury, fantastic passing. The fullback Patrick Templeman is the scorer near the posts. Could be a long day at this rate. Converted.
20th min TRY BULLDOGS to half Feeney. That one was pretty soft, just stepped through the defence with ease. Converted by Templeman from a difficult spot. The Raiders have barely been in the opposition half.
ok this is gettin embrassing now.... i dont see a way back from here, even though we are such a great 20's team. lets just hope we dont suffer the same fate in the main game
34th min TRY RAIDERS to Tevita Pangai. The Raiders broke away from their own try line, ended up with a penalty for offside and scored off the back of it. The Bulldogs are challenging, and the video referee rules NO TRY! Says its a knock on and overturns the referee.
36th min TRY BULLDOGS off the back of a penalty. Embarrassing one, the hooker Carter goes over untouched from a quick pass from dummy half on the try line, scores in the corner. No conversion.
ok time to put a postitive spin on this disgraceful performance. firstly, we wont need to worry about F/a costing us a minor premiership because of the draw earlier this year.... secondly, what are the odds of both our teams being down 40 nil at halftime, we actually might compete in 1st grade now
