2024 Round 1 v Knights: Teams and Previews *Teams p1

[The Greenhouse]

2024 Round 1 v Knights: Teams and Previews



Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights
Thursday 7 March, 8:00pm AEDT
Hunter Stadium
Tickets: Click here
TV coverage: Nine, Fox League Channel 502
Radio coverage: ABC, Mix106.3, 2CC

The Canberra Raiders play the Newcastle Knights at Hunter Stadium in Round 1 - a re-match of the classic 2023 Week 1 finals clash. Who would you like to see line up in green in this match? Name your own team, and then see how close you were when the official teams are named on the Tuesday before the match. We will have the official squads in the first post of this thread, once they are announced.

Canberra Raiders

1. Jordan Rapana
2. Nick Cotric
3. Matt Timoko
4. Albert Hopoate
5. Xavier Savage
6. Ethan Strange
7. Jamal Fogarty
8. Josh Papalii
9. Danny Levi
10. Joe Tapine (c)
11. Hudson Young
12. Zac Hosking
13. Morgan Smithies

14. Tom Starling
15. Emre Guler
16. Ata Mariota
17. Pasami Saulo

18. Kaeo Weekes
19. Simi Sasagi
20. Zac Woolford
21. James Schiller
22. Trey Mooney

Injury/Suspension
Sebastian Kris, Suspension (Round 2)
Corey Horsburgh, Suspension (Round 3)
Elliott Whitehead, Calf (Round 4-5)
Corey Harawira-Naera, Seizure (TBA)

Newcastle Knights

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Enari Tuala
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Tyson Gamble
7. Jackson Hastings
8. Jacob Saifiti
9. Phoenix Crossland
10. Leo Thompson
11. Tyson Frizell
12. Dylan Lucas
13. Adam Elliott

14. Jack Cogger
15. Daniel Saifiti
16. Jack Hetherington
17. Kai Pearce-Paul

18. Jed Cartwright
19. Thomas Jenkins
20. Will Pryce
21. Brodie Jones
22. Thomas Cant

Injury/Suspension
Jayden Brailey, Hamstring (Round 2)

Officials

Referee: Todd Smith
Touch judges: Kasey Badger, Jon Stone
Video referee: Chris Butler

Match Hashtags: #NRL #WeareRaiders #NRLKnightsRaiders

[The Nickman]

Same team that beat the Tigers!

[Neeeegz]

1. Savage
2. Rapana
3. Kris
4. Timoko
5. Schiller
6. Weekes
7. Fogarty (c)
8. Papalli
9. Woolford
10. Tapine (c)
11. Young
12. Horse, sorry, suspended.. Whitehead
13. Smithies

14. Puru
15. Ata
16. Mooney
17. Whitehead, starting, Guler

[reptar]

Same team that beat the Tigers!

No. Not that team. I’d rather the one that beat the Tigers!

[Hoppa29]

1.Savage
2. Hopoate
3. Kris
4. Timoko
5. Rapana
6. Weekes
7. Fogarty
8. Papalii
9. Woolford
10. Tapine
11. Young
12. Whitehead
13. Puru
14. Starling
15. Mariota
16. Guler
17. Mooney

[Dylan’s Raiders]

1. Xavier Savage
2. Nick Cotric
3. Ethan Strange
4. Matt Timoko
5. Jordan Rapana
6. Kaeo Weekes
7. Jamal Fogarty
8. Ata Mariota
9. Zac Woolford
10. Joseph Tapine
11. Hudson Young
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Morgan Smithies

14. Hohepa Puru
15. Josh Papali’i
16. Trey Mooney
17. Zac Hosking

[greeneyed]

Canberra Raiders centre Sebastian Kris to return from suspension in Round 2

Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Rabbitohs recruit Jack Wighton have been cleared to make early returns from suspension but the pair will still miss the historic opening round in Las Vegas. Waerea-Hargreaves, Wighton and Raiders centre Sebastian Kris successfully applied to have representative fixtures they were expected to be selected for included as part of bans imposed before the end of the 2023 season.

Kris and Waerea-Hargreaves will return in Round 2, while Wighton will have to wait an extra week to make his debut for the Rabbitohs in their Round 3 clash with the Roosters on March 22.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/01/29/jwh ... d-in-bans/

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/01/01/nrl ... d-details/

The story doesn’t say it directly, but this story reveals the Raiders’ application to count the All Stars game to Kris’s suspension has been turned down. The Indigenous All Stars wrote a letter indicating the Kiwis Test player Kris would have been selected but for his suspension. This appears to have not been accepted. He has not yet represented the Indigenous All Stars, but would have last year. He was ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is also unable to count All Stars to his suspension (selected last year for Māori All Stars for the first time, but did not play). Jack Wighton was approved to count All Stars to his suspension. Three other players (Toluta'u Koula, Latu Fainu and Siliva Havili) will also serve suspensions in the All Stars game, on the basis they are allowed to do so because they were “charged by an International Rugby League match review committee”.

As we know, Corey Horsburgh returns from suspension in Round 3.

[Rick]

So if the All Stars game does not count in Kris’ suspension does that mean he can be selected and play?


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[greeneyed]

So if the All Stars game does not count in Kris’ suspension does that mean he can be selected and play?

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You would have to think so. But the NRL announcement doesn’t make that clear.

[greeneyed]

Wighton gets the all-star treatment ahead of Kris and Waerea-Hargreaves

The NRL has allowed Jack Wighton to serve one game of his suspension during February's All Stars game despite blocking Sebastian Kris and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves' attempts to do the same.

NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew shot down hopes of Kris serving his suspension in the fixture, despite a letter of support from the Indigenous All Stars team confirming the Raider would be picked for the clash against the Maori All Stars at Townsville on February 16.

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

[-PJ-]

Wighton gets the all-star treatment ahead of Kris and Waerea-Hargreaves

The NRL has allowed Jack Wighton to serve one game of his suspension during February's All Stars game despite blocking Sebastian Kris and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves' attempts to do the same.

NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew shot down hopes of Kris serving his suspension in the fixture, despite a letter of support from the Indigenous All Stars team confirming the Raider would be picked for the clash against the Maori All Stars at Townsville on February 16.

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

Jack gets paid.

[Rick]

Wighton gets the all-star treatment ahead of Kris and Waerea-Hargreaves

The NRL has allowed Jack Wighton to serve one game of his suspension during February's All Stars game despite blocking Sebastian Kris and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves' attempts to do the same.

NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew shot down hopes of Kris serving his suspension in the fixture, despite a letter of support from the Indigenous All Stars team confirming the Raider would be picked for the clash against the Maori All Stars at Townsville on February 16.

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

This is so weird.

All Stars have already said he would be picked but NRL said no.

Now they need to select him and then what happens? It has to count.

You cannot have a scenario where both Wighton and Kris both have a ban and one is allowed to play and the other is not.

So this begs the question; why did the NRL not accept the letter. I get that Kris has not yet played for All Stars but sure the letter would have to be taken on face value?


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[greeneyed]

Wighton gets the all-star treatment ahead of Kris and Waerea-Hargreaves

The NRL has allowed Jack Wighton to serve one game of his suspension during February's All Stars game despite blocking Sebastian Kris and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves' attempts to do the same.

NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew shot down hopes of Kris serving his suspension in the fixture, despite a letter of support from the Indigenous All Stars team confirming the Raider would be picked for the clash against the Maori All Stars at Townsville on February 16.

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

This is so weird.

All Stars have already said he would be picked but NRL said no.

Now they need to select him and then what happens? It has to count.

You cannot have a scenario where both Wighton and Kris both have a ban and one is allowed to play and the other is not.

So this begs the question; why did the NRL not accept the letter. I get that Kris has not yet played for All Stars but sure the letter would have to be taken on face value?

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The judiciary chairman is basically saying, I don’t believe the word of the Indigenous All Stars management. It’s outrageous really.

[gangrenous]

Hope the team name him formally then to bring this to a head.

[Botman]

Funniest outcomes, from a GH content POV

1. The team name him, they make him sit that game out AND round 1.
2. The team don't name him, and the NRL correctly called the bluff.

Exciting off season times!
(FWIW pulling for option 1. This place will be ON FIRE if that happens, and tbh rightly so, but that'd be a good time for me)

[gangrenous]

Me too, I’ll get the popcorn. You get the choc-tops and I’ll meet you on the couch!

[greeneyed]

Funniest outcomes, from a GH content POV

1. The Maori team name him, they make him sit that game out AND round 1.
2. The Maori team don't name him, and the NRL correctly called the bluff.

Exciting off season times!
(FWIW pulling for option 1. This place will be ON FIRE if that happens, and tbh rightly so, but that'd be a good time for me)

There’s a third option. The team name him, he is allowed to play by the NRL… but Ricky finds he has another shoulder injury and can’t play. Thereby…

[Botman]

Yeah but that's not very fun for GH content. No one could have a scorching hot take on that

[Rick]

Then when the NRL make him sit out, the team hit the NRL up for compensation after making all the arrangements (flights from Canberra, kit, medical etc) for him.


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[The Nickman]

This decision is just based purely on the fact that Wighton played in the fixture last year and the other two didn’t, right?

[greeneyed]

Just to correct the record, the Indigenous All Stars wrote the letter, not the Māori All Stars. He is of Indigenous descent, and while the NRL believed he was eligible for both teams it seems he does not have Māori heritage. He does have New Zealand heritage.

[BadnMean]

I had a little bit of a connection with Seb when he was a kid and I had the impression had Qld Torres Straight Islander heritage so the Indigenous All Stars selection lines up. (i also didn't know him well, had no clue about the NZ connection)

[Rick]

This decision is just based purely on the fact that Wighton played in the fixture last year and the other two didn’t, right?

That is mentioned in the article that Wighton played. It also said Kris was due to play but had to withdraw.


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[NoMan]

I know its a minor thing really but the club should really kick up a stink when the NRL makes decisions this silly. At least until there's a reasonable explanation given.

[bonehead]

I know its a minor thing really but the club should really kick up a stink when the NRL makes decisions this silly. At least until there's a reasonable explanation given.

It's Souths, there's your reasonable answer

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[Canberra Milk]

Was any reason given by the NRL? Seems most strange. I guess their fallback argument is that Kris didn't play last year, therefore isn't eligible for the "would have played" benefit

[President Clinton]

I haven’t read through the thread - but it seems to me that they are counting this game as a suspension for Wighton because none of the other rep games counted for him. Whereas Kris and JHW had three (?) NZ games count already, I presume.

[Dylan’s Raiders]

Whatever you cut it, it doesn’t make sense. Wighton isn’t eligible for anything other than the All Stars and even then that’s arguable because he retired from “representative football” which I believe this falls under the umbrella of.

If both players (Kris and JWH) were to be selected and there was evidence of this (such as previous selections or a letter from the team) then it should have been included. Just another example of the NRL making an incompetent decision and outthinking the room.

[cat]

I thought Jack retired from rep footy......

I'm sitting on the fence now getting splinters, particularly of me wants Seb selected for the game now. That would
A) prove a point to the NRL
B) give him some game time before round 2

But then I don't want him picked and then injured.....

[bonehead]

I thought Jack retired from rep footy......

I'm sitting on the fence now getting splinters, particularly of me wants Seb selected for the game now. That would
A) prove a point to the NRL
B) give him some game time before round 2

But then I don't want him picked and then injured.....

jack backflipped after blackbaggate

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[cat]

I thought Jack retired from rep footy......

I'm sitting on the fence now getting splinters, particularly of me wants Seb selected for the game now. That would
A) prove a point to the NRL
B) give him some game time before round 2

But then I don't want him picked and then injured.....

jack backflipped after blackbaggate

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Was there a brown paper bag from souths involved too?

I thought he was still thinking about backslapping, not actually flipped yet

[cat]

Those coming tickets are now on sale
Same for the Christchurch game

[bonehead]

I'm 50/50 pending work being a Thurs night

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[cat]

I'm 50/50 pending work being a Thurs night

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Knights expecting a sell out

[greeneyed]

'I knew it was going to be a long shot': Canberra Raiders star Sebastian Kris opens up on NRL All Stars decision

Sebastian Kris always thought counting the NRL All Stars game towards his suspension was a "long shot". It's why he instantly moved on and switched his focus to being ready for the Canberra Raiders' pre-season trials and then Round 2.

"I knew it was going to be a long shot, considering I haven't played in that yet," Kris said. "I can't do anything about it, just focus on getting my body ready for Round 2."

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

Confirmed he’s mostly training at centre. Thinks Schiller or Hopoate favourites for left centre Round 1.