The Canberra Raiders will be out to break a four-game losing streak when they tackle the mercurial New Zealand Warriors in the nation’s capital tonight. Join The Roar for live scores and a live blog of the game, starting from 7:50pm AEST.
This game is quite a tough one to call.
On the one hand, you have the Canberra Raiders who are clinging on to their top eight dreams with a grip looser than NSW’s affinity to Origin football.
On the other, you have a Dragons side who started the season in red hot form, but have whimpered to a halt in recent weeks, recording a sole win over the Knights when they came back from an 18-point half time deficit to steal it at the death.
So, where is the game won and lost between two sides who are at extremely crucial points in their season?
The Raiders will welcome back Josh Hodgson at hooker, who should bring a level head to a directionless Raiders spine.
This could be the inclusion needed to steady a flailing backline, and the cool head necessary to keep their big forwards going for the entire eighty minutes.
If Hodgson shows up and finds his rhythm early in the game, expect the Raiders to have a high completion rate, and to apply a significant amount of pressure to the inconsistent Dragons.
For the Dragons, Josh Dugan will sit on the pine, while in a major blow for the Red Vs, enforcer Tyson Frizell has been ruled out of the clash. Taane Milne starts in the centres owing to Euan Aitken’s troublesome hamstring.
The St George bench is more potent than Canberra’s, and if they are within reach with 20 to go, they could steal this late.
Prediction
This will be an absolute belter. Two sides clashing in the nations capital with literally it all to play for. Lose, and you’re probably no chance of making the eight. With that in mind, I predict the green machine will click tonight, and will be a different beast to the sides the Dragons have encountered in recent weeks.
There’ll be a viking clap around GIO Stadium when the referee blows his full-time whistle.
Raiders by 14.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 7:50pm AEST.
Neville Gray
Guest
Can anyone tell me how Papali can be allowed to stay on the field after a deliberately shoulder charge that ended Dugans night was allowed to stay on the field?? Although the Dragons got a penalty the advantage was clearly with the Raiders. The Dragons lost Dugan while the Raiders still had Papali how is that fair???
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
So good to see Sezer come up with the two clutch plays that win the match. The intercept try and 40/20 were absolute doozies. The bloke has copped a lot of stick from frustrated fans this season for his failure to close out matches but he's silenced his critics tonight. Hope this is the start of some good things for him and the rest of the team.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
That's it guys. That was the first. The first win in the Sticky era at Canberra where the Raiders won a game and scored less than 20. Can't believe it.
Harry
Guest
Wighton made a bad error but he also made the run that gave Sezer space to kick his 40/20 after previous plays in that set had been going nowhere. Credit where it's due.
sham
Guest
Just back from the game. Great to see a Raiders win. The Dragons got so many drop outs as the Raiders often put no pressure on the Dragon kickers. They let playmakers effectively play in a dinner suit. They have to fix this just nominate a forward to really put pressure on the opposition kickers. The Raider's defence was way better than in previous weeks and Sezer really played well.
Swannies
Guest
The Raiders kicking game is letting them down badly. If Ricky fixes this in the off-season they are going to be back to 2016 vintage. Will be interesting to see if Sezer can replicate more of what we saw tonight.
Jon
Roar Rookie
Sezer hasn't been great for most of this year, but to say this was his only good game for the Raiders is some re-remembering of history.
Taree Raider
Guest
Dave Taylor has the x factor the Raiders need. Bateman & Wighton are the weaknesses in the team. Wighton made his usual error early in the game. Why Ricky can keep playing him is to the detriment of the team. The only reason the Dragons stayed in the game was because they forced 6 drop outs. The Raiders didn't make the Dragons do any. Why can't we build pressure & get repeat sets. Siezer played his only good game, ever for the Raiders, perhaps it could be the start of something from him. I have given up on the semi's this year, this game didn't convince me to think any other way, bugger all offloads & a boring style of play.
Harry
Guest
Second blatant sideline-to-sideline play-the-ball in a row after last week's unpenalised Tom Burgess effort for the Rabbitohs. That one should've been a penalty, Channel 9 kicked up a fuss over it, and I wouldn't be surprised if that all contributed to tonight's one being penalised.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Great game...Both sides really wanted the two points. Dragons unlucky but they made silly mistakes at crucial times especially the hooker. Sezer won this for the Raiders. Two big plays with the intercept and 40/20. Dave Taylor looking pretty good out there...adds to the massive forward pack the Raiders have. That said I thought the Dragons pack won the contest...they tackle with gusto...like swarming angry red ants. Just lost out to some brilliance from Sezer.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
FULL TIME Raiders 18 Def. Dragons 14. Match Result: It was a golden point thriller, and Aidan Sezar was the hero as the Green Machine downed the Dragons to keep their season alive - In the process, breaking a four game losing streak. What a belter of a game, and it was one that the Raiders probably didn't deserve to win. After an early try to the in form Nick Codrick, it was all the Dragons, even though they had none of the ball. The Raiders looked so directionless in attack for the majority of the match, it took an Aidan Sezar intercept in the 60th minute where he ran 90m to tie the game up. Croker and Widdop then traded penalties, and the score remained 14-14 when the full time whistle blew. Golden point was short, but exciting. Sezar's 40/20 on the 4th tackle was as impressive as it was gutsy - and fittingly, the match ended with a delightful offload from Dave Taylor who was enormous all night. In the end, the Raiders escaped with that game. Ricky Stuart was doing handstands on the sidelines when Elliot Whitehead crashed over to seal it, and in the context of keeping their season alive, you can understand why. What a match, what a comeback from the Raiders, and what a hand from Aiden Sezar.
jamesb
Guest
Damn!
M.O.C.
Roar Guru
Old rule, for every shoulder charge to the head, the team loses a player!
Swannies
Guest
Magnificent kick by Sezer under pressure! The match-winner.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
83′ TRY RAIDERS!! Raiders 18 – 14 Dragons It's all over! All over!! Dave Taylor hunts up, and somehow gets an arm free where Elliot Whitehead crashes over from close to the line. Take a bow Aidan Sezar. Unbelievable 40/20, unbelievable 40/20. Ricky Stuart is going bananas on the sidelines, and he can give his little #7 a kiss on the forehead for his efforts. The Green Machine win it in golden point 18-14. Incredible game, and an incredible finish.
Rob
Guest
Well done Seizer. What a great kick.
Adam
Guest
That's actually the best idea
Jon
Roar Rookie
I'm glad to have my negativity proven wrong. Taylor having a hand in that try was just reward for how he played tonight. Big doubter when the Raiders signed him this year, but if he can commit to footy, avoid injury and have a good pre-season he could be back to being a force in 2018.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I am not surprised at all the the game was not won with a field goal
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
83′ Raiders 14 – 14 Dragons McCrane's kick is fielded by Wighton who just gets out of his dead ball area. The raiders kick on the fourth and it's a 40/20!!! WHAT A KICK BY AIDAN SEZAR!!! SO CLUTCH!