2017 Rd 22 V Sharks: Game Day
Posted: August 1, 2017, 4:33 pm
2017 Rd 22 V Sharks: Game Day
Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
Saturday 5 August 7:30pm
Shark Park
Tickets: Click here
TV coverage: Nine, Fox League Channel 502 live
Radio: ABC, 2CC
Weather: Sunny. Winds north to northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h tending west to northwesterly 30 to 45 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Possible rainfall: 0 mm Min 9 Max 18
Round 21 2017. The Raiders season is still alive after a 32-18 win over the Rabbitohs. Canberra was without Josh Papalii, Jordan Rapana and Sia Soliola so it was a courageous performance. There were a lot of errors from South Sydney, particularly in the first half, and that helped build momentum for the Raiders. But they built their own momentum too. They played direct, there was energy from the forwards with the ball in hand, and there was energy in defence as well. And that provided the platform for the attack. Some might say the game was a little scrappy... but it was a good, desperately needed win.
2017 Round 21 Canberra Raiders V South Sydney Rabbitohs
More on Round 21: As I saw it
The Raiders travel to Sydney again in Round 22 in yet another must win match - to face the 2016 premiers, the Sharks. Josh Papalii and Jordan Rapana return from suspension in the starting line up for Canberra. Joseph Tapine drops back to the bench, while and Michael Oldfield and Jeff Lima drop to the reserves list. Luke Bateman is named to start at lock with Kurt Baptiste named on the bench.
For the Sharks, Jack Bird returns at centre, Luke Capewell moves back to the bench. Former Raiders hooker Adam Clydsdale drops to the reserves list. Former Raiders winger Edrick Lee is also named on the reserves list.
Late changes: Jeff Lima and Michael Oldfield remain on the Canberra Raiders reserves list, after Erin Clark and Royce Hunt were omitted from the squad of 21 on Friday night. Sam Tagatese and Edrick Lee are the Sharks players to drop out.
Matt's Match-ups: Which players are going head to head?
Franko's Five: Coming soon
History: Canberra has won just 32 of 71 matches against the Cronulla Sharks... but have outscored the team in blue and black by 1480 points to 1479. That couldn't be a lot closer. In recent times, the Sharks have been a bit of a bogey team, the Green Machine winning only four of the last 10 contests. The Raiders produced a classic performance around this time last year at Shark Park, defeating the home team 30-14. It was the first time last season that Cronulla had been beaten at the venue. But in Week 1 of the 2016 finals, Cronulla inflicted a two point defeat on the Raiders at Canberra Stadium. And things just got worse in Round 2 this season... when Canberra had been hoping for some revenge.
At Shark Park, Canberra has won only 11 of 31 matches. Between 1994 and 2002, the Raiders recorded an eight game losing streak in the Shire, but the record has turned around more recently. Canberra has won four of the past five contests at the venue.
2017 Round 2 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
2016 Finals Week 1 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
2016 Round 22 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
2016 Round 7 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
In this week's "History Happens" we go back to Round 1 of 2011 - a match when Sam Williams made his first grade debut. He was man of the match... and the Raiders went on to put on 40 points. More of the same on Saturday night, please!
2011 Round 1 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
Form: The Raiders have a LLWLW record in their past five matches, while the Sharks are on a LWLWW form line. The Sharks have lost to the Sea Eagles and Titans in that period, while they were 26-12 winners over the Warriors in their last start.
Betting: The Sharks are firm favourites, paying $1.52. The Raiders are paying $2.60 and have 4.5 points start. The Sharks odds have eased slightly over the course of the week.
Stat attack: It's a match up between third and 10th on the competition ladder. The Sharks have a 13-6 record, while the Raiders are 8-11.
Attack: The Raiders are ranked fifth in the NRL in attack (22 points and 3.8 tries per match), while the Sharks rank 10th (20.4 points and 3.4 tries per match).
The Sharks have the lowest completion rate in the league (73 per cent), but the Raiders are just slightly ahead of them (74 per cent). The Sharks produce more errors than the Raiders (12-11.3 per match) and are less disciplined. Canberra ranks top two for penalties awarded, while Cronulla ranks top three for penalties conceded. Only the Storm and Sea Eagles concede more penalties than the Sharks... but that tells you something about how some teams play. They're prepared to spoil and concede penalties rather than points. This year Canberra has received 136 penalties and conceded 122; the Sharks have received 121 penalties and conceded 130.
The Raiders will need to watch this: the Sharks are top two for forced line drop outs, the Raiders bottom two. They average two per match, the Raiders one. The worry is the Raiders have been conceding more than two per match, up until last weekend.
The Sharks rank top three in running metres and regularly post more than the Raiders (1489 metres per match, 1389 metres for the Raiders). Canberra ranks last in the league for average kicking metres, but the Sharks are not too far in front (431-400 metres per match).
The Raiders rank second in the NRL for tackle breaks (34 per match, 26 for the Sharks). Both teams make around five line breaks and 11 offloads per match, while Canberra produces more try assists (3.4-2.8 per match).
Defence: The Sharks have a clear advantage in defence. They concede just 16 points (2.6 tries) per match, compared with 20 (3.4 tries) for the Raiders. The Sharks are top three for fewest running metres conceded (1337 per match, compared with 1423 metres for the Raiders). No team concedes fewer line breaks than Cronulla, but both teams concede around 3.5 per match. Both teams concede around 9.5 offloads per match, while the Raiders miss slightly fewer tackles (26-28 per match).
Our tip: The statistics reveal a lot about the styles of both teams. The Sharks are experts at the grind. They have the better defence and are prepared to do anything to maintain their line. The Raiders have the better attack, but it's probably not enough if Canberra try and get in the grind with this team.
The Raiders showed that they're going to be prepared to chance their arm in the Rabbitohs match. It's not a moment too soon... it may already be too late. But Canberra are also going to have to do what they did against the Rabbitohs... The forwards need to be energetic with the ball in hand, make metres and dominate. The team also needs to be energetic in defence and get off the line quickly. It's rugby league 101. I'm just not sure why the team hasn't executed it for much of the season. The absence of James Maloney and Jayden Brailey for the Sharks won't hurt the Raiders' chances either. If Canberra is switched on, I think they can win. Raiders by six.
What they're saying:
Joe Tapine on Josh Papalii: "You can see in his eyes when he was giving me tips last week on how to play back-row, you can tell he can't wait to come back and the boys can wait for him to be back either."
Clay Priest on the return of Jordan Rapana: "He brings so much to the team. His enthusiasm in around the ruck is remarkable, so to have him back there will be a big plus."
Canberra Raiders
1. Jack Wighton
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker (C)
4. Joey Leilua
5. Jordan Rapana
6. Blake Austin
7. Aidan Sezer
8. Junior Paulo
9. Josh Hodgson
10. Shannon Boyd
11. Josh Papalii
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Luke Bateman
14. Kurt Baptiste
15. Clay Priest
16. Dave Taylor
17. Joe Tapine
18. Michael Oldfield
19. Jeff Lima
Cronulla Sharks
1. Valentine Holmes
2. Sosaia Feki
3. Jack Bird
4. Ricky Leutele
5. Gerard Beale
6. Fa’amanu Brown
7. Chad Townsend
8. Andrew Fifita
9. James Segeyaro
10. Matt Prior
11. Luke Lewis
12. Wade Graham
13. Paul Gallen
14. Jayson Bukuya
15. Chris Heighington
16. Jeremy Latimore
17. Kurt Capewell
18. Adam Clydsdale
19. Joseph Paulo
Officials:
Referees: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee
Sideline Officials: Michael Wise, Jeff Younis
Video Referees: Luke Patten, Bernard Sutton
Match Hashtags: #NRL #WeareRaiders #BleedGreen #NRLSharksRaiders
The Greenhouse Hashtags: #WearGreen2017 #FromAllAngles
Holden Cup teams: Click here
Plus follow us on Twitter: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders
Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
Saturday 5 August 7:30pm
Shark Park
Tickets: Click here
TV coverage: Nine, Fox League Channel 502 live
Radio: ABC, 2CC
Weather: Sunny. Winds north to northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h tending west to northwesterly 30 to 45 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Possible rainfall: 0 mm Min 9 Max 18
Round 21 2017. The Raiders season is still alive after a 32-18 win over the Rabbitohs. Canberra was without Josh Papalii, Jordan Rapana and Sia Soliola so it was a courageous performance. There were a lot of errors from South Sydney, particularly in the first half, and that helped build momentum for the Raiders. But they built their own momentum too. They played direct, there was energy from the forwards with the ball in hand, and there was energy in defence as well. And that provided the platform for the attack. Some might say the game was a little scrappy... but it was a good, desperately needed win.
2017 Round 21 Canberra Raiders V South Sydney Rabbitohs
More on Round 21: As I saw it
The Raiders travel to Sydney again in Round 22 in yet another must win match - to face the 2016 premiers, the Sharks. Josh Papalii and Jordan Rapana return from suspension in the starting line up for Canberra. Joseph Tapine drops back to the bench, while and Michael Oldfield and Jeff Lima drop to the reserves list. Luke Bateman is named to start at lock with Kurt Baptiste named on the bench.
For the Sharks, Jack Bird returns at centre, Luke Capewell moves back to the bench. Former Raiders hooker Adam Clydsdale drops to the reserves list. Former Raiders winger Edrick Lee is also named on the reserves list.
Late changes: Jeff Lima and Michael Oldfield remain on the Canberra Raiders reserves list, after Erin Clark and Royce Hunt were omitted from the squad of 21 on Friday night. Sam Tagatese and Edrick Lee are the Sharks players to drop out.
Matt's Match-ups: Which players are going head to head?
Franko's Five: Coming soon
History: Canberra has won just 32 of 71 matches against the Cronulla Sharks... but have outscored the team in blue and black by 1480 points to 1479. That couldn't be a lot closer. In recent times, the Sharks have been a bit of a bogey team, the Green Machine winning only four of the last 10 contests. The Raiders produced a classic performance around this time last year at Shark Park, defeating the home team 30-14. It was the first time last season that Cronulla had been beaten at the venue. But in Week 1 of the 2016 finals, Cronulla inflicted a two point defeat on the Raiders at Canberra Stadium. And things just got worse in Round 2 this season... when Canberra had been hoping for some revenge.
At Shark Park, Canberra has won only 11 of 31 matches. Between 1994 and 2002, the Raiders recorded an eight game losing streak in the Shire, but the record has turned around more recently. Canberra has won four of the past five contests at the venue.
2017 Round 2 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
2016 Finals Week 1 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
2016 Round 22 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
2016 Round 7 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
In this week's "History Happens" we go back to Round 1 of 2011 - a match when Sam Williams made his first grade debut. He was man of the match... and the Raiders went on to put on 40 points. More of the same on Saturday night, please!
2011 Round 1 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
Form: The Raiders have a LLWLW record in their past five matches, while the Sharks are on a LWLWW form line. The Sharks have lost to the Sea Eagles and Titans in that period, while they were 26-12 winners over the Warriors in their last start.
Betting: The Sharks are firm favourites, paying $1.52. The Raiders are paying $2.60 and have 4.5 points start. The Sharks odds have eased slightly over the course of the week.
Stat attack: It's a match up between third and 10th on the competition ladder. The Sharks have a 13-6 record, while the Raiders are 8-11.
Attack: The Raiders are ranked fifth in the NRL in attack (22 points and 3.8 tries per match), while the Sharks rank 10th (20.4 points and 3.4 tries per match).
The Sharks have the lowest completion rate in the league (73 per cent), but the Raiders are just slightly ahead of them (74 per cent). The Sharks produce more errors than the Raiders (12-11.3 per match) and are less disciplined. Canberra ranks top two for penalties awarded, while Cronulla ranks top three for penalties conceded. Only the Storm and Sea Eagles concede more penalties than the Sharks... but that tells you something about how some teams play. They're prepared to spoil and concede penalties rather than points. This year Canberra has received 136 penalties and conceded 122; the Sharks have received 121 penalties and conceded 130.
The Raiders will need to watch this: the Sharks are top two for forced line drop outs, the Raiders bottom two. They average two per match, the Raiders one. The worry is the Raiders have been conceding more than two per match, up until last weekend.
The Sharks rank top three in running metres and regularly post more than the Raiders (1489 metres per match, 1389 metres for the Raiders). Canberra ranks last in the league for average kicking metres, but the Sharks are not too far in front (431-400 metres per match).
The Raiders rank second in the NRL for tackle breaks (34 per match, 26 for the Sharks). Both teams make around five line breaks and 11 offloads per match, while Canberra produces more try assists (3.4-2.8 per match).
Defence: The Sharks have a clear advantage in defence. They concede just 16 points (2.6 tries) per match, compared with 20 (3.4 tries) for the Raiders. The Sharks are top three for fewest running metres conceded (1337 per match, compared with 1423 metres for the Raiders). No team concedes fewer line breaks than Cronulla, but both teams concede around 3.5 per match. Both teams concede around 9.5 offloads per match, while the Raiders miss slightly fewer tackles (26-28 per match).
Our tip: The statistics reveal a lot about the styles of both teams. The Sharks are experts at the grind. They have the better defence and are prepared to do anything to maintain their line. The Raiders have the better attack, but it's probably not enough if Canberra try and get in the grind with this team.
The Raiders showed that they're going to be prepared to chance their arm in the Rabbitohs match. It's not a moment too soon... it may already be too late. But Canberra are also going to have to do what they did against the Rabbitohs... The forwards need to be energetic with the ball in hand, make metres and dominate. The team also needs to be energetic in defence and get off the line quickly. It's rugby league 101. I'm just not sure why the team hasn't executed it for much of the season. The absence of James Maloney and Jayden Brailey for the Sharks won't hurt the Raiders' chances either. If Canberra is switched on, I think they can win. Raiders by six.
What they're saying:
Joe Tapine on Josh Papalii: "You can see in his eyes when he was giving me tips last week on how to play back-row, you can tell he can't wait to come back and the boys can wait for him to be back either."
Clay Priest on the return of Jordan Rapana: "He brings so much to the team. His enthusiasm in around the ruck is remarkable, so to have him back there will be a big plus."
Canberra Raiders
1. Jack Wighton
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker (C)
4. Joey Leilua
5. Jordan Rapana
6. Blake Austin
7. Aidan Sezer
8. Junior Paulo
9. Josh Hodgson
10. Shannon Boyd
11. Josh Papalii
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Luke Bateman
14. Kurt Baptiste
15. Clay Priest
16. Dave Taylor
17. Joe Tapine
18. Michael Oldfield
19. Jeff Lima
Cronulla Sharks
1. Valentine Holmes
2. Sosaia Feki
3. Jack Bird
4. Ricky Leutele
5. Gerard Beale
6. Fa’amanu Brown
7. Chad Townsend
8. Andrew Fifita
9. James Segeyaro
10. Matt Prior
11. Luke Lewis
12. Wade Graham
13. Paul Gallen
14. Jayson Bukuya
15. Chris Heighington
16. Jeremy Latimore
17. Kurt Capewell
18. Adam Clydsdale
19. Joseph Paulo
Officials:
Referees: Gerard Sutton, Adam Gee
Sideline Officials: Michael Wise, Jeff Younis
Video Referees: Luke Patten, Bernard Sutton
Match Hashtags: #NRL #WeareRaiders #BleedGreen #NRLSharksRaiders
The Greenhouse Hashtags: #WearGreen2017 #FromAllAngles
Holden Cup teams: Click here
Plus follow us on Twitter: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders