2020 Finals Week 1 V Sharks: Teams and Previews *Teams p1*

[greeneyed]

John Bateman back for Canberra Raiders' NRL final against the Sharks

John Bateman headlines a list of nine returnees for the Raiders as they look to end Cronulla's NRL season in their elimination final on Saturday night in Canberra.

"If I really wanted to I could have played last week but the physios and doctors said to give it the week off and give it some rest coming into this week.

Read more: https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league ... -c-1350281

Canberra Raiders eye another anomaly in weird 2020

In a year of NRL anomalies, Canberra captain Jarrod Croker can't see why his team can't create one more from outside the top four.

"We've spoken about that (top-four record) for a while," Croker said. "If ever there was a year a side was going to win it from outside the top four, I think this year is the year. It's a strange old year. All the top four allows you to do is have a weekend off. We just had a weekend off, so we're right to go anyway."

Read more: https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league ... -c-1350259

AUDIO: Canberra Raiders captain Jarrod Croker speaks to Laurie Daley about the Green Machine's finals prospects: http://media.skyracing.com.au/POD/1/FJEbxE.mp3

[Mickey_Raider]

So do we still give it to Dugan or what?

I don't think he's worth the effort.

Funny how the hatred fades a bit once a player starts becoming irrelevant.

[greeneyed]

2020 Finals Week 1 NRL teams: Raiders V Sharks



Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
Canberra Stadium
Saturday 3 October, 5:40pm
TV coverage: Nine, Fox League Channel 502
Radio: ABC, 2CC, Mix 106.3

Canberra Raiders

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Semi Valemi
3. Jarrod Croker
4. Jordan Rapana
5. Nick Cotric
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Tom Starling
10. Dunamis Lui
11. John Bateman
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Joseph Tapine

14. Siliva Havili
15. Sia Soliola
16. Hudson Young
17. Corey Harawira-Naera

18. Sam Williams
19. Kai O'Donnell
20. Michael Oldfield
21. Matt Timoko

Injury/Suspension

Corey Horsburgh, Foot (Indefinite, possibly season)
Emre Guler, Ankle (Indefinite, likely season)
Ryan Sutton, Knee, MCL (Season)
Bailey Simonsson, Shoulder (Season)
Josh Hodgson, Knee, ACL (Season)
Curtis Scott, Leg (Season)
Andre Niko, Knee (Season)
Sebastian Kris, Extended personal leave

Cronulla Sharks

1. Will Kennedy
2. Sione Katoa
3. Josh Dugan
4. Jesse Ramien
5. Ronaldo Mulitalo
6. Connor Tracey
7. Chad Townsend
8. Braden Hamlin-Uele
9. Blayke Brailey
10. Aaron Woods
11. Briton Nikora
12. Wade Graham
13. Toby Rudolf

14. Siosifi Talakai
15. Scott Sorensen
16. Andrew Fifita
17. Jack Williams

18. Tieg Wilton
19. Braydon Trindall
20. Mawene Hiroti
21. Bryson Goodwin

Officials

Referee: Grand Atkins
Touch judges: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Phil Henderson
Video referee: Jared Maxwell

Match Hashtags: #NRL #WeareRaiders #NRLRaidersSharks

The Greenhouse Hashtags: #WearGreen2020 #FromAllAngles



Plus follow us on Twitter: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders

[Bay53]

Gee Tom Starling is earning his new contract. He is taking up two spots in that team!!

I am pretty sure it is Starling to start and Havilli on the bench.

[The Nickman]

Gee Tom Starling is earning his new contract. He is taking up two spots in that team!!

I am pretty sure it is Starling to start and Havilli on the bench.

And Sutton has made a miraculous comeback from his MCL injury!

[Toviii]

That’s a much stronger Sharks team on paper. I hope we stick to a similar game plan as last week - we need to be relentless in targeting them up the middle. Their biggest weakness is their big forwards who are poor lateral movers in defense - Woods, Fafita, Hamlin-Uele, etc.

[Bay53]

That’s a much stronger Sharks team on paper.

Yes as good as last week's result was, we were playing a very weak team.

I expect they will throw the kitchen sink at us this week. If we play well we will win but the game last week is really irrelevant to this match.

[Bay53]

Basically it is Sutton out Soliola in from the team that beat the Warriors two weeks ago.

[Northern Raider]

That’s a much stronger Sharks team on paper. I hope we stick to a similar game plan as last week - we need to be relentless in targeting them up the middle. Their biggest weakness is their big forwards who are poor lateral movers in defense - Woods, Fafita, Hamlin-Uele, etc.

Neither side resembles the two that clashed last week. Gives very little guide to this week's game. Agree their forwards got found out by quicker play around the ruck and their pack hasn't changed much.

[greeneyed]

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart recalls nine stars for Sharks elimination final

Canberra ironman Elliott Whitehead is one of nine Raiders Ricky Stuart has brought back in for Saturday's elimination final against the Cronulla Sharks.

"They've got some quality players, Wade Graham, Andrew Fifita, we're going to have to be on," Whitehead said. "We know the young kids did a good job this weekend but I'm sure it's going to be a totally different game. We'll be ready for that. They've got a good record down here. "

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Semi Valemei 3. Jarrod Croker (C) 4. Jordan Rapana 5. Nick Cotric 6. Jack Wighton 7. George Williams 8. Josh Papalii 9. Tom Starling 10. Dunamis Lui 11. John Bateman 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Joe Tapine 14. Siliva Havili 15. Sia Soliola 16. Hudson Young 17. Corey Harawira-Naera 18. Sam Williams 19. Kai O'Donnell 20. Michael Oldfield 21. Matt Timoko

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... /?cs=14239

‘Ahead of where we were last year’: Star Raider’s warning for rivals

Canberra back-rower John Bateman has put the remaining finals teams on notice, proclaiming the Raiders are more prepared to win the premiership than last season when they fell at the last hurdle to the Roosters.

“We are probably ahead of where we were last year,” Bateman said. “We know where we are as a team, and we know what we need to do as a team to win those big games. Having that year of experience last year has helped us massively going into this year.

Read more: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 231725c807

MATCH PREVIEW: Raiders V Sharks: https://thegh.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34272

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/09/28/rai ... -ban-ends/

[Old School Green]

Massive test. Sharks underdogs; written off; in Canberra; Raiders by how much; who we have in Wk2 etc.
These types of scenarios have been our Achilles heel in the past.
Must be switched on and ready to fire and be professional and be disciplined.

[1992]

Massive test. Sharks underdogs; written off; in Canberra; Raiders by how much; who we have in Wk2 etc.
These types of scenarios have been our Achilles heel in the past.
Must be switched on and ready to fire and be professional and be disciplined.

We have turned a corner on that this season-except against Manly as usual.

[Old School Green]

Massive test. Sharks underdogs; written off; in Canberra; Raiders by how much; who we have in Wk2 etc.
These types of scenarios have been our Achilles heel in the past.
Must be switched on and ready to fire and be professional and be disciplined.

We have turned a corner on that this season-except against Manly as usual.

I hope so too.

[Mickey_Raider]

There is no rational reason to be nervous about this game. Doesn't stop me from being just that.

If we are switched on and not complacent then we should be able to give them a lesson.

[BJ]

Sharks team is stronger than I expected. Fifita, Dugan and Wade Graham are all capable of a big game when their at the best. Graham being the only one to do it regularly.

[zim]

Lucky for us Fifita is past his best.

[Raiders666]

Wow that Sharks team is absolute trash....hahaha imagine being worried

[GreenMachine]

I'm expecting it to be tight.
We have a knack of playing to our oppositions level....wherever that might be.

[-TW-]

Game has finally sold out, took longer than I expected

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

[BadnMean]

With Starling starting I expect him to play probably 55-60 minutes and Havilii to get those + significant middle time. Which is good all round. Sia will be the one getting least minutes I suspect (maybe for Papa) and I'll be paying close watch to CHN now that I think he's had a fair chance to get fit and build up his minutes. I love the strong lines he runs and his offloads- our lineup really needs that, but I want to see him stay alert and active in defence for an entire stint.

[1992]

What is the capacity for this game?

[Sid]

I’ve never felt more confident of a finals win.. the boys still need to show up though

[raiderskater]

So do we still give it to Dugan or what?

Of course. Particularly once the captain throws him down.

[greeneyed]

What is the capacity for this game?

Just under 10,000.

[Sid]

To accept his fan player of the year award?

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

[Ilanraiders]

The guys on nrl 360 was saying If we win we play the loser from Parra n storm????

[raiderskater]

The guys on nrl 360 was saying If we win we play the loser from Parra n storm????

I'm looking at last year. 1v4 (Melbourne vs us) was QF1. 5v8 (Parramatta vs Broncos) was EF1. Melbourne (loser QF1) played Parramatta (winner EF1) week 2.

So I don't know what NRL 360 was saying, because clearly we are EF1, and if we win, we play whoever loses QF1, so either Penrith or Roosters.

[pickles]

The guys on nrl 360 was saying If we win we play the loser from Parra n storm????

The NRL site has the draw and we play the loser of chooks and panthers.

[Cranky Old Man]

I don't know how much of a "last hurrah" factor Fifita can conjure up but looking at a few of his recent performances he is just a shadow of his former self (metophorically speaking only, he actually looks like he just ate a pig whole.) Injuries to his legs seem to have ruined him. His turning circle wouldn't fit inside Randwick race course.

[1992]

We all know Cronulla will aim up.

Our poor starts cannot happen in the finals.

Confident of a win regardless.

[pickles]

If both teams to play to their potential we win this comfortably but we know what the sharks will bring and they will niggle us as much as they possibly can and to try to drag us down to their level.

Bateman and Hudson-young in particular will need to keep their emotions in check.

I am confident and we should be. The sharks haven’t beaten a top 8 team all year but we can’t afford to be off our game.

[The Nickman]

I’m not concerned about this game but I am worried that the eels leapfrogging the roosters has scuppered our chances somewhat

Our Finals Week 2 is now infinitely harder, which makes the whole four weeks a lot tougher. Would’ve been delicious to start with sharks and then eels

[KingDynamite]

I think Cronulla match up against us quite well. Hoping we can outclass them on the edges

[simo]

I think Cronulla match up against us quite well. Hoping we can outclass them on the edges

The edges would be the last place im looking in this game. Unders lines back into their bigger middles is genuinely the best way to beat them.

[Wiki Special]

I think Cronulla match up against us quite well. Hoping we can outclass them on the edges

The edges would be the last place im looking in this game. Unders lines back into their bigger middles is genuinely the best way to beat them.

Absolutely, we will be looking to beat them through the middle. Our starts to the sets will be huge for us also.