Round 15 kicks off on Friday night with the Canterbury Bulldogs travelling to the nation’s capital for their clash with the Canberra Raiders, with the Round 15 match kicking off at 7:45pm (AEST).
The Bulldogs won their only meeting of last season, recording a 28 to 16 victory in their Round 23 match.
Both sides will enter the match knowing the importance of a victory on Friday after sub-par performances in the last month.
With a logjam of teams in the top eight, the Bulldogs three straight losses have seen the side fall from top spot down to sixth position.
Injuries to fullback Sam Perrett and prop David Klemmer will see them miss the match on Friday, although the side will be buoyed by the return of Origin halves Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds.
The Raiders have struggled this season – their loss against the Broncos in Round 13 seeing the side drop five of their last six matches.
Ricky Stuart has put his Canberra side on notice, with Reece Robinson dropped after committing costly errors in their last match against Brisbane.
In a further blow for the side, they’ll be without the injured Josh Papalii and the suspended Paul Vaughan for Friday’s clash.
With the season past its halfway point, a victory is crucial for the Raiders if they are any chance of mounting a late finals push this year.
For the Bulldogs, they’ll be hoping the return of their New South Wales winning halves will be enough to lift their side to a victory in Canberra.
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kickoff: 7:45pm (AEST)
TV: Nine Network (LIVE)
Betting: Raiders $2.25, Bulldogs $1.65
Form: Raiders (LLWLL), Bulldogs (LLLWW)
Last Meeting: Raiders 16 – Bulldogs 28
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of the Raiders vs Bulldogs clash from 7:45pm (AEST) on Friday.
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