We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
Joe Tapine's emotional journey to 250 NRL games meets a crucial match for the Raiders against the Eels tonight.
It's been a long, emotional journey to 250 NRL games for Joe Tapine.
But the Canberra Raiders will have to put that aside as they desperately need to beat the Parramatta Eels tonight.
Follow the blog below.
Mitchell Moses trained well, boosting hopes for Origin II after overcoming a hamstring injury and doubts about his fitness.
NSW five-eighth Mitchell Moses is on track to play in Origin II on Wednesday after the Eels superstar took part in Saturday's training session in Gosford before the team flies out to Melbourne later today.
His fitness has been the biggest talking point in Blues camp all week, with doubts over his condition after he trained separately from his Blues teammates on Thursday despite coach Laurie Daley saying earlier in the week that he had to get through that session.
But he looked unencumbered on Saturday in a positive sign that he'll play next week after he suffered a setback before the opener.
Moses injured his left hamstring while doing extras at Monday's training session two days before the Origin opener in Sydney and was ruled out the following day which saw Ethan Strange rushed into the starting side.
The Raiders star was tremendous on debut for the Blues as he and Nathan Cleary helped spark a second-half comeback, and Strange is the logical choice to come in if Moses is again ruled out.
Vena Patuki-Case debuts for the Raiders after overcoming multiple injuries, showcasing his determination and resilience.
On Saturday night, Vena Patuki-Case will become the latest Canberra Raiders player to make his NRL debut, earning his opportunity after years of persistence and injury setbacks.
Confirmed to take the field when the Raiders face off against the Parramatta Eels, Patuki-Case's journey to first-grade hasn't been the easiest and is the culmination of determination, hard work and resilience.
In his first match for the Raiders - after joining the club from the Sydney Roosters - the forward sustained a Lisfranc fracture, ruling him out for the remainder of the season at the time.
After overcoming that, his injury woes continued when he broke his leg and in an extraordinary complication, the titanium plate inserted to help repair his leg also snapped.
The freak incident left his treating doctor stunned, with the specialist describing it as the "first time in 30 years" he had ever seen it happen.