Manly faces Bulldogs in crucial match, Raiders aim to maintain top 8 spot. Papalii's 300th game.
With Manly in seventh place and with a guaranteed two points this week by virtue of their final bye, it is a must win match for both sides.
Both sides are coming off exceptional wins last weekend, with the Bulldogs putting some serious water on a flickering flame that is the Broncos finals hopes. A 41-16 win at Suncorp Stadium for the most improved team of 2024, it cemented the Bulldogs as an underdog who can be ignored no longer come September. It also proved that the Bulldogs recruitment of Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau and Connor Tracey, amongst a multitude of other signings and juniors, is finally paying off after a couple of woeful seasons.
The Raiders put the Rabbitohs to the sword at GIO Stadium to ensure they were at least even with the eighth placed Dolphins at the end of the round, with a convincing 32-12 win last Sunday night. It was not always pretty for the Green Machine, but a controlled game from Jamal Fogarty with some fantastic support from the whole side gave Canberra fans plenty to cheer about.
Josh Papalii plays his 300th game in the NRL this weekend and you know the man called Big Papi will be fired up to walk away with a win! That said, the Raiders have a formidable challenge in that they play the Sunday afternoon game at the spiritual home of the Bulldogs, Belmore Oval - a place no team wants to go, and a place where Canterbury always step up.