Canberra Raiders NRL News

Canberra Raiders trim squad ahead of Bulldogs showdown at Suncorp Stadium, aiming for victory.

LeagueNews.co

Raiders fans, strap yourselves in as the Canberra Raiders have trimmed their squad to 19 ahead of a showdown with the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night.

In a move reminiscent of Rugby League legend Mal Meninga's pinpoint accuracy on the field, Albert Hopoate and Zac Woolford have managed to hold on to their spots in the extended squad.

As the Raiders look to channel the spirit of past glories and create a new chapter in their history, the stage is set for an epic battle on the hallowed grounds of Suncorp Stadium.

So, gather your mates, grab a cold one, and get ready to cheer on the Green Machine as they aim to tackle the Bulldogs head on in this thrilling encounter.

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Low expectations turned to surprises as Raiders and Bulldogs show potential for finals contention in 2024.

League Unlimited

If you took in the outside noise heading into season 2024, it's fair to say not much was expected of the Green Machine nor the boys from Belmore, with the former tipped to take a step back following a surprise top 8 berth and the latter still deemed at least a season away from any significant improvements.

Fast forward to May and even the biggest cynics in Rugby League would consider that both sides are at least an outside chance of making the finals. The Raiders have maintained their scrappy identity of years past and are more than happy to take games into the trenches if that's what's needed to win, while the Bulldogs defence has become an elite unit, conceding just 17.22 points per game, a number good for third in the competition only behind frontrunners the Panthers and Sharks.

The two respective coaches of these sides deserve a lot of credit for how their teams are faring so far. Ricky Stuart, for all his flaws, always gets close to 100% out of his playing group, their unlikely 20-point comeback win over Manly two weeks ago without halfback Jamal Fogarty the newest addition to the mounting evidence of this.

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Jordan Rapana faced retirement fears after injury, but prepares for return to field.

Canberra Weekly

Jordan Rapana wasn't upset by those forecasting his latest injury would send him into early retirement, because the Canberra fullback was thinking the same thing.

But, just five games since injuring his knee against Parramatta, Rapana is set to wear the No.1 again.

With Rapana turning 35 in August and admitting that rehabilitation doesn't get any easier with age, the big question is how much longer he can keep going.

"I was probably writing myself off," he said ahead of the Raiders' Magic Round clash with Canterbury in Brisbane on Friday.

"It was pretty sore. A lot of emotions (were) going through my head at the...

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