Friday only NRL Round 15 match is between Canberra Raiders and Canterbury Bulldogs with the opening kick to commence at 19:50 local time. The game is to be played at GIO Stadium which see’s away team Canterbury Bulldogs hold favouritism in the market. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between Canberra Raiders and Canterbury Bulldogs.
Where and when : 19:50 | Friday 20/06/2014 @ GIO Stadium
Preview:
After a rare win over the Cowboys and a spirited performance against the Roosters in rounds 11 and 12 respectively, more was expected from the Raiders when they hosted the Broncos in round 13.
The Raiders were defeated 28 – 4, their fifth loss from the past six rounds, and never looked likely to worry the Brisbane side who clinched their fourth straight win.
Their one try came to Shaun Fenson in the 69th minute, meaning that in their past two games, both against teams inside the top eight, the Raiders have only managed a combined total of 16 points.
Up against another top eight side here and one of the leading defensive teams in the competition this week, more in attack will have to be produced if they are to be competitive.
Josh Papalii and Paul Vaughan are out for the Raiders with Jake Foster starting in the back row.
BULLDOGS
The Origin period, injuries and a tough draw, have combined to hit the Bulldogs hard in the past month, with the one time competition leaders having now slid to sixth on the ladder after recording their third straight loss against Parramatta last weekend – 22 – 12.
The Bulldogs were without their regular halves and it was evident in attack as their replacements, Josh Jackson and Damien Cook, struggled to create opportunities for their side that remained scoreless in the first half.
The regular halves, Hodkinson and Reynolds, have been named in the starting line up for this clash after backing up from Wednesday night.
This will be the first side in a month that the Bulldogs have faced that haven’t been inside the top eight. That fact, combined with the return of key players, should see the Bulldogs able to return to the winner’s stall.
HEAD TO HEAD
In the six games played between the two sides since 2010, the ledger is surprisingly split at three wins a piece.
Like-wise, four of those games have been in Canberra where each side has won two.
Plenty points are also scored when these two sides meet, with four of the last six contests producing 40 points or more.
A good start is imperative to the Raiders’ chances. It gives them the confidence they need to go on with the job but against a stronger Dogs side, who defensively are strong, the opportunities will be limited for the Raiders and it’s hard to see them creating enough points to out-do the Dogs.
Teams:
RAIDERS: 1. Anthony Milford 2. Matthew Allwood 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Jack Wighton 5. Sami Sauiluma 6. Terry Campese 7. Josh McCrone 8. David Shillington 9. Glen Buttriss 10. Brett White 11. Jake Foster 12. Jarrad Kennedy 13. Shaun Fensom 14. Mitch Cornish 15. Kyle O’Donnell 16. Dane Tilse 17. Shannon Boyd.
BULLDOGS: 1. Mitch Brown 2. Corey Thompson 3. Krisnan Inu 4. Timoteo Lafai 5. Drury Low 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Trent Hodkinson 8. Sam Kasiano 9. Michael Ennis 10. James Graham 11. Josh Jackson 12. Tony Williams 13. Greg Eastwood 14. Dale Finucane 15. Tim Browne 16. Pat O’Hanlon 17. Reni Maitua 22. Lloyd Perrett.
News :
A bitterly disappointed Anthony Watmough says he’ll cop his four-game ban on the chin after failing to win a downgrade of his dangerous lifting charge at the NRL judiciary on Thursday.
The Manly and NSW back-rower will miss the final State of Origin clash in Brisbane on July 9 and the Sea Eagles’ encounters against Cronulla this Saturday in addition to meetings with the Sydney Roosters, Canterbury and the Wests Tigers.
The three-man panel of Don McKinnon, Paul Whatuira and Bob Lindner took less than 10 minutes to uphold the grading after Watmough was put on report for lifting Queensland prop Nate Myles into a dangerous position in Wednesday’s Origin II clash at ANZ Stadium.
“We thought we had a fair crack but it wasn’t to be,” Watmough said.
“It’s disappointing not just to miss games for Manly but also the Origin game.
“It was great to make a bit of history with the boys and it would have been good to go up there and win 3-0.
“We got a good hearing. I didn’t go into the tackle with any intent. I would never do that.
“It was one of those incidents that looked ugly and I’ll take it and move on.”
Watmough’s counsel Nick Ghabar argued that the incident, which also initially involved James Tamou merited a downgrade because Myles only fell to the ground after the prop released him while the back-rower held him around the legs.
He used an example of Penrith’s Adam Docker, who was hit with a grade-one charge for a lifting tackle on Canterbury’s James Graham after the ball had been played in round three this year.
However, Peter Kite for the NRL claimed successfully that Watmough had driven Myles towards the ground and, although he landed on his arm first, was unable to prevent himself from putting pressure on his neck and head as he fell.
Watmough will return to action for Manly against St George Illawarra in round 19.
