The Canterbury Bulldogs will look to pick up their second win on the trot when they go back to Belmore again to play the Canberra Raiders, who are almost in a must-win position. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEST).
It’s approaching the stage where last-ditch efforts are required for the Green Machine to keep their season alive.
While it’s not over mathematically by any stretch of the equation, a virtual four-point game ending in a loss to the Brisbane Broncos last week away from home has hit them hard.
The loss means they sit six points out of the top eight alongside a few other teams including the Wests Tigers, and with the rounds starting to tick away (there are just eight remaining), they must start winning and hope teams ahead of them start faltering.
That doesn’t seem likely though, with so many poor teams in the competition this season. Points are more or less ticked off before they arrive for teams in the top eight, and so the run home for the Raiders will have to be something bordering on perfection.
Unfortunately for Canterbury, they are one of those sides who teams in the top eight are banking on beating.
They have been from fall to fall this season, with the lows a lot more regular than the high. Their much-publicised off field salary cap dramas are understandably wreaking havoc on the club, who have just released Moses Mbye and Aaron Woods.
They looked better for it last week as well, running up 36 points in a big win over the Newcastle Knights. Whether much can be taken from it in the long run is anyone’s guess, but if you’re only as good as your last game, then the Bulldogs are currently world-beaters.
This will be a much sterner test for last week’s halves debutant Lachlan Lewis though, who will play alongside Jeremy Marshall-King again.
Taking on a fired up Canberra, who constantly find ways to throw games away in the final 20 minutes after looking the better team for the most part will test them.
Prediction
The Raiders record at Belmore is appaling, but then, the Bulldogs haven’t been sensational since they started returning there a few years ago. With the records cancelling themselves out and taking note of the Raiders likely desperation, they should win here.
Raiders by 8.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this NRL match from 7:30pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
RoryStorm
Guest
I can't believe the rubbish from doggie supporters claiming the win to the Raiders was on the back of referees manufacturing the win for them with penalties at the right time, in the right places and whatever else. The Dogs thought all they had to do was just coast home in the last 10 & particuarly the last 5 minutes. Doggie supporters, your team effort at the end of the game was nothing short of atrocious. A team of under 10's could have made you look embarrassing. Enough said. Well done to Blake Austin for committing himself to the very end. What a great cameo performance from him.
sham
Guest
Dogs are improving and given all the players they have lost they are doing well
The Barry
Roar Guru
I know you’ve got a get out of jail boner but the way the game was reffed changed completely in the last five minutes. I said to the people I was watching the game with “watch this, the raiders will get every call from here to set up a close finish” and that’s exactly what happened. The only consolation is knowing it won’t make a squirt of difference to the Raiders season...
sham
Guest
Nonsense
sham
Guest
Motivated reasoning in action you cannot be serious
sham
Guest
First well done to Blake Austin — he won it for the Raiders. Also the way the Raiders defended on the right edge tonight shows that the issues on that side are not down to Austin alone. When you stand back and look at it the fall of the Raiders since 2016 has been stark. Why did it happen? Have they lost key players? No. Have the players lost speed and ability? Not from what I have seen. So what has happened? Three things I would put it down to. First some players just don’t get on — Ricky should have fixed this. Instead Austin will be leaving. Second Ricky has made some strange selection decisions and the team lacks mental toughness. Why did they have mental toughness in 2016 but not in 2017 or 2018? It is clearly a psychological issue for the Raiders — they haven’t lost physical ability since 2016 but until they admit they have an issue they won’t solve it.
Mick
Guest
WOW! Badger had a blinder. Bring back Sharon Woods.
The Barry
Roar Guru
About four minutes to go Lichaa had two defenders on him, Raiders strip the ball and then get a penalty awarded to them.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Dogs give away three penalties in 74 minutes, then get three soft, nothing penalties against them in the last six to march the Raiders up the field a couple of times. What a crock...
Sean
Guest
Penalties were about even. They always even out.. The end of the day they took the foot off the gas. Austin was fresh and killed it.
Sean
Guest
The dogs supporters are already going off about he refs. But to concede 18 points in 5-6 minutes, well, the players are the only ones to blame..
JD St George
Roar Pro
The apocalypse has come 13 days late!!!! https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/947946/end-of-the-world-2018-june-24-apocalypse-666-rapture-david-meade
The Barry
Roar Guru
Whatever. When it was a fair dinkum game the dogs smashed them. When the refs manufactured a close fixture the Raiders got all the calls. Yeah the defence was rubbish but the calls were atrocious and the dogs didn’t deserve to be in that position.
Robert F
Guest
I can never understand how teams leading by more then 10 can lose the game in last 10mins or less in a match. That's just pathetic effort allowing that to happen....
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this evening on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2018 NRL season as the Canberra Raiders got the better of the Canterbury Bulldogs. Hopefully you enjoyed the coverage. I have to run right now as there are a stack of Aussies on at Wimbledon. Alex De Minaur takes on Rafael Nadal at 10pm (AEST), so be sure to join me then. Bye for now.
Sean
Guest
And? Where was the defence? You were up by 14 with 6 minutes to go. No excuse..
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the game Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME Well that's quite unbelievable. After losing a stack of games in the last 20 this season, the Raiders have turned one around to come back and win at Belmore. They were down 28-14 with just five minutes to go, but came back from the dead to score three tries in that final period of play. Plenty of credit has to go to Blake Austin, who came off the bench and flipped the game on its head. Heartbreak for the Bulldogs though. They should have won tonight on the back of some inspired performances from halves Lachlan Lewis and Jeremy Marshall-King, along with second rower Rhyse Martin. Bulldogs 28 Raiders 32
Scott Pryde
Expert
CONVERSION SUCCESSFUL by JARROD CROKER Bulldogs 28 Raiders 32
Jon
Roar Rookie
I don't believe it. I just don't believe it.