Blake Ferguson will play against his former club for the first time as the Sydney Roosters take on their former premiership winning coach Ricky Stuart’s side, the Canberra Raiders. Join The Roar from 1.50pm (AEDT) for live scores and coverage.
Both sides have already been boosted before this clash with key forwards Sam Moa and Shaun Fensom being cleared of crusher tackles at the NRL judiciary.
This has allowed Roosters coach Trent Robinson to name the same 17 that edged out Penrith by eight points on Monday night. Willie Manu and Lagi Setu have also been added to an extended six man bench.
Meanwhile, the Raiders welcome the return of their impressive young fullback Jack Wighton who will unexpectedly make an early return despite a fractured eye socket.
His comeback results in Jordan Rapana shifting to the wing, with Bill Tupou dropping down to NSW cup. Josh McCrone also makes way for Glenn Buttriss.
Fensom and Dane Tilse are also selected to start this weekend, meaning Shannon Boyd and Paul Vaughn are on the interchange bench.
The Roosters were impressive on Monday in bouncing back from a loss to South Sydney. A win here will help to support popular opinion that they are the second best team in the competition at present.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are coming off a disastrous second half performance in their loss to a Dragons side that had scored just eight points prior to last week. However, the fact that they led 18-0 with Wighton out shows the potential this side has under Stuart.
Ferguson, who scored two tries on Monday, believes he is a changed man from his Canberra days.
“I was a big bomb, a big ticking time bomb back then (at the Raiders). A big bomb erupted and I had to try and find my way back into the game,” Ferguson said this week.
Prediction:
This one looks to be too tough an ask for the inexperienced Raiders. The Roosters look to be coming into form, whilst Canberra suffered a big setback last weekend. With a star-studded back line running around for the Roosters on what is expected to be a warm Sunday afternoon, I feel this could get ugly.
Roosters by 28
To find out whether Stuart can record an upset against his former side log on to The Roar from 1:50 (AEDT) and follow our live coverage. Be sure to leave your comments as the game progresses.
Jay C
Roar Guru
You can't stop TPA's. Restraint of trade and all that. If a business wants to pay Greg Inglis to sing at its daughters birthday party, there is no way to stop them. They can maybe tidy it up a bit, but big picture not really. The biggest single thing they could do would be to even up free to air time for all clubs. The comp is fairly even. The Roosters are flying at the moment but it was only 5 years ago when they got the spoon so... Likewise Rabbitohs. Manly are really the only team with any legitimate claims to consistency...
Dav
Guest
Jay C, when TPA's exist there is no salary cap, as players are earning money through the club, over and above the salary cap.
Spongebob
Guest
Top article Jim. Great score prediction!
George W
Guest
Jeez you guys are gullible, of course they're officially on next to nothing, but where do they live, what do they eat, which investments do they own, what do they drive? Which relo has a cushy job? Pre professional rugby those guys were bloody well off (the good ones), yet their salary - zero, tax - zero. You don't need money if someone sorts everything out for you. It doesn't happen for you, nor me.
George W
Guest
Finally something good comes out of yesterday. Having had two broken feet last year, it makes it hard to get around, even to the pub. Blake will work that out.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Off your rocker on that one. No salary cap would mean you could look forward to Broncos V Roosters Grand finals every second year. Works for me. The salary cap is probably as close as we are going to get to a fair system. No one wants to go back to the Fibros V Silvertails era, surely.
Dav
Guest
It is more fair to have no salary cap at all and all clubs are on a level playing field, than to have a salary cap which penalises clubs who don't take advantage of inflated erroneous promotional wages.
Dav
Guest
Jay C, if the league can't cope with the salary cap level as it stands and clubs need to inflate erroneous promotional wages to facilitate their requirements then the Salary Cap needs to be lifted and it has to include all promotional payments for equality. Club equality is what the salary cap is for. Otherwise there is no use in having the salary cap at all?
Dav
Guest
Muzz, lol, so 400,000+ people who like living & working in Canberra are wrong ... haha!
Jay C
Roar Guru
Lucky you guys didn't palm off SKD Marks. Looks like Fergo's in for a long rest
Benny
Guest
You know what amuses me Muzz? That bloody Napa's probably going to play origin pretty soon and he'll be another one of our 'star rep players' on hundreds of thousands a year when really, mid to late last year, nobody had even heard of him!
Muzz
Guest
Robbo would be able to turn half the Raiders squad into rep players.
Wolly
Guest
Why don't you do your list again for only players who had their representative debuts prior to playing for the Roosters?
Jay C
Roar Guru
You are both right. Muzz Canberra is terrible and no one wants to play for Ricky. Dav, the NRL does have a problem the TPA's. Not too sure how to fix it for the following reasons; Extremely hard to police We don't want to scare off sponsors by having forensic accountants going through their business There is no value to the NRL in fixing it, the status quo is cost effective. You cannot dictate to a sponsor who they should endorse The salary cap isn't perfect but it does a better job at levelling the playing field than any other system I have seen.
Muzz
Guest
I actually prefer wide open space near the water like the NSW South Coast but it's the players that are opting for what a bigger city has to offer.
Dav
Guest
Lol Muzz, now your comparing Brownsville to Canberra, keep the comedy going city boy!
Muzz
Guest
I'm not saying that it's a bad place and i'm sure the players that are rejecting these lucrative Raiders offers aren't either. There are just better places to live and play footy with coaches that'll help your game progress. The Raiders could offer JT 2 million a season and i'd bet he wouldn't be interested.
Dav
Guest
lol, back to your safety blanket there Muzz! your argumentative conspiracy for people whole live in Canberra that players don't sign there is that it is a bad place? you can do better than that Muzz?
Muzz
Guest
You must supports the Cows with all these conspiracies. Now i get it : )
Muzz
Guest
All your doing is highlighting the fact that no-one wants to go down there and play. Money is not the issue!