Saturday’s NRL 2018 Round 18 match is between Canberra Raiders and Nth Queensland Cowboys. The opening kick is set to commence at 19:35 local time with the game to be played at GIO Stadium, Canberra. The home team Canberra Raiders are the favourites for the match.
View our preview and teams for the game between Canberra Raiders and Nth Queensland Cowboys.
When: 19:35 | Saturday 14/07/2018
Where: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Preview:
Footy comes at a price and for some it comes with great expectations.
Blake Austin (pictured above) has copped his fair share over the years for his performances in the lime green but on the weekend, he was fantastic off the bench.
I feel this is his best position to be honest.
He’s ability to be able to come on and destruct defensive lines with his potent running game when the sting has gone out is a real weapon.
The Raiders would be a hard team to follow in the sense that they give you so much promise at times and come up with the goods and other times they don’t.
Their 15min fightback against the Bulldogs will give them confidence but they will have to be great to beat the Cowboys who for me have faulted badly this year.
There has been speculation that the Cowboys coach Paul Green has lost the playing group in regards to what they are delivering on the field but my response to that is it’s a cop out if you think it’s the case.
Players are proud of their performances and strive to do their best at all times.
Unfortunately, it’s not always the case.
The Cowboys have an aging roster which has hindered them I feel this year but make no mistake they will be doing everything in their power to perform for the jersey.
KEY BATTLE: Josh Hodgson v Jake Granville
I’m looking forward to the matchup of the two hookers.
Both are quality players and both have the biggest influence in their team’s result.
I love the way Josh Hodgson has come back from injury and quite frankly can’t believe the type of footy he’s playing.
The Verdict
Playing in Canberra in the middle of Winter is no easy feat particularly when you’re from the north.
I think the Raiders will get the job done and breathe a little hope into the remainder of their season.
Canberra has a 34-23 (59.6 percent) O/U record as a home team, after an interstate game since 2011.
Unibet Odds:
Canberra at $1.52
North Queensland at $2.55
Odds:
Tip: Canberra Raiders at $1.52
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Jordan Rapana at $9.00
More Info:
Teams:
Canberra Raiders:
1 Nick Cotric, 2 Michael Oldfield, 3 Jarrod Croker (c), 4 Joseph Leilua, 5 Jordan Rapana, 6 Sam Williams, 7 Aidan Sezer, 8 Dunamis Lui, 9 Josh Hodgson, 10 Junior Paulo, 11 Joseph Tapine, 12 Elliott Whitehead, 13 Josh Papalii
Interchange: 14 Blake Austin, 15 Luke Bateman, 16 Siliva Havili, 17 Iosia Soliola
Reserves: 18 Liam Knight, 19 Jack Murchie, 20 Royce Hunt, 21 Craig Garvey.
Nth Queensland Cowboys: 
1 Lachlan Coote, 2 Kyle Feldt, 3 Enari Tuala, 4 Kane Linnett, 5 Antonio Winterstein, 6 Te Maire Martin, 7 Johnathan Thurston (c), 8 John Asiata, 9 Jake Granville, 10 Scott Bolton, 11 Gavin Cooper, 12 Coen Hess, 13 Jason Taumalolo
Interchange: 14 Ben Hampton, 15 Shaun Fensom, 16 Shane Wright, 17 Corey Jensen
Reserves: 18 Justin O’Neill, 19 Ethan Lowe, 20 Mitchell Dunn, 21 Francis Molo, 23 Jake Clifford.
NRL News:
Battling Canberra have received another blow as they look to go on an unlikely run to make the NRL finals with forward Joseph Tapine copping a two-week ban from the NRL judiciary.
Tapine was hit with a grade one dangerous contact charge for his incident with Canterbury hooker Michael Lichaa in the first half at Belmore Sportsground on Saturday.
With carry-over points ensuring he’d be looking at a two-match ban, the 24 year-old second rower opted to fight the charge.
He’ll now miss Saturday night’s match against North Queensland at GIO Stadium and next week’s away clash with Cronulla.
With star forward Shannon Boyd out with a calf injury, Tapine’s loss comes as another significant hit to the Raiders.
Already six points out of the eight and with a tough run home the Green Machine will likely need to bank a win against the Cowboys to stay in the hunt for post-season action.
