Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks
Shark Park
Sunday, March 8, 6:30pm
Tickets: Click here
TV coverage: Fox Sports live
ABC radio
The Nines, over. The All Stars, over. The trials, over! And finally we know the Canberra Raiders Round 1 team to take on the Cronulla Sharks!
The Raiders are completely injury free after Shaun Fensom was passed fit. He made a successful comeback from an ACL reconstruction in the Raiders' second pre season trial against the Newcastle Knights at Seiffert Oval, but was in some doubt due to a hamstring injury suffered at training.
There are no big surprises in the selections for the Green Machine. The new spine is as predicted, with Jack Wighton confirmed at fullback, Blake Austin and Mitch Cornish in the halves, and Josh Hodgson at starting hooker. Jordan Rapana was the player who eventually snatched the vacant three quarters spot on the right wing. Sisa Waqa, Sia Soliola, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, along with Hodgson and Austin make their debuts with the Green Machine.
Paul Gallen, Wade Graham, Anthony Tupou make their NRL return for the Sharks. They were banned, in effect, for just weeks, after they admitted taking performance enhancing drugs. Coach Shane Flanagan also makes his return after the NRL suspended him in the wake of the drug scandal. The Sharks will debut new recruits Michael Ennis, Ben Barba and Gerard Beale - and a new halves partnership in Barba and Jeff Robson. Jayson Bukuya has won a place in the starting side in his first game back at the club following a season at the New Zealand Warriors in 2014. The Sharks have named an extended bench for the Raiders match, with Valentine Holmes and Jack Bird included in a 19-man squad.
Matt's Match-ups: Click here
The Hooter: Click here for an alternative take on the game
UPDATE
Late changes: David Shillington and Shannon Boyd played for Mounties in NSW Cup in Round 1 on Saturday; Jarrad Kennedy and Luke Bateman are expected to be late additions to the Raiders' team. It would be Bateman's NRL debut.
History: The Raiders last met in Round 24 last year in a match billed the battle for the spoon. The Raiders won 22-12, against a Sharks outfit weakened by Cronulla's involvement in the drugs crisis, at Shark Park. It was the start of a three game winning streak for Canberra, to give a positive end to a poor season.
2014 Round 24 Canberra Raiders V Cronulla Sharks highlights
It won't be as easy at the Shire this time. In fact, it's never easy at Shark Park for the Raiders. Head to head, the Raiders have won 30 of 67 matches, drawing two. In the last ten matches, it is five apiece. At Shark Park, the Raiders have won just nine of 30 games. It really is a bit of a hoodoo ground for Canberra. On the plus side, the Raiders have won three of their last five games at Shark Park.
Form: Nothing to see here really. The Raiders won a "B team" trial against the Storm at Griffith, and lost badly in an "A team" trial against the Knights at Seiffert Oval. But that second trial was hardly a serious hit out, with 30 players rotated by Canberra. Defence on the edges was a worry in the Seiffert trial, as was spark in attack. The Raiders won just one match at the Nines, but the squad was a weak one.
The Sharks made a big impression at the Nines, making the final against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, forcing it to extra time, but not quite getting there. In the trials, the Sharks lost to the Sea Eagles 44-22 and then to the Wests Tigers 22-8 - but the games were impacted by large number of players revolving through the matches.
In NRL matches, the Raiders have a LLWWW form line from the last five rounds of 2014, the Sharks are LLLLL.
Betting: The Sharks are $1.42 favourites in the match, the Raiders $2.90 outsiders.
Our tip: Everyone is tipping the Sharks to win big time. It's hard to go past the Sharks at home. But it's Round 1! It's a Raiders supporters site! Raiders by 2!
What they're saying:
Shaun Fensom on his return from serious injury: "We had a pretty solid session and I got through it sweet, I'm good to go. It would have been a blow but I have to make sure I'm right and not going out there less than 100 per cent, I wouldn't do that."
Paul Gallen on his return from a performance enhancing drugs ban: "We are turning up to training worrying about football and worrying about what training we have to do other than just turning up here and our bodies basically being here and not our minds."
Canberra Raiders
1 Jack Wighton, 2 Sisa Waqa, 3 Jarrod Croker (c), 4 Edrick Lee, 5 Jordan Rapana, 6 Blake Austin, 7 Mitchell Cornish, 8 David Shillington, 9 Josh Hodgson, 10 Dane Tilse, 11 Josh Papalii, 12 Sia Soliola, 13 Shaun Fensom
14 Josh McCrone, 15 Frank-Paul Nuuausala, 16 Paul Vaughan, 17 Shannon Boyd
Coach: Ricky Stuart
Cronulla Sharks
1 Michael Gordon, 2 Sosaia Feki, 3 Gerard Beale, 4 Ricky Leutele, 5 Mitch Brown, 6 Ben Barba, 7 Jeff Robson, 8 Andrew Fifita, 9 Michael Ennis, 10 Matt Prior, 11 Jayson Bukuya, 12 Wade Graham, 13 Paul Gallen (c)
14 Chris Heighington, 15 Tinirau Arona, 16 Anthony Tupou, 17 David Fifita, 18 Valentine Holmes, 19 Jack Bird
Coach: Shane Flanagan
Officials
Referees: Gavin Morris, Alan Shortall; Sideline Officials: Nick Beashel, Dave Ryan; Video Referees: Matt Cecchin, Luke Patten
Official Match Hashtags: #NRLCROCAN #NRL #WeareRaiders #BleedGreen
The Greenhouse Hashtags: #COYR2015 #WearGreen2015 #GreenNation #GreenMachine #FromAllAngles
Oh you have done it now....
