Bulldogs v Knights preview
8 hours ago | Andy P
Raiders v Sharks preview
Canberra Raiders v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
GIO Stadium - Saturday 3:00pm 
Two top eight hopefuls do battle in the ACT.
After demolishing Newcastle last Friday night, the Raiders return to GIO Stadium to take on Cronulla in a match that will play a major role in determining which side progresses through to the finals. Canberra have mixed news on the injury front with Joey Leilua returning on the bench after missing last week at the request of his former club, while coach Ricky Stuart has delivered a major surprise be replacing the injured Sam Williams with regular impact hooker Kurt Baptiste at halfback. Despite the experienced Josh McCrone and highly-touted Mitch Cornish plying away in NSW Cup, Stuart has opted to go for the untried former Bronco as his chief playmaker in a move that may prove to be a masterstroke or highly detrimental to the sides success.
Cronulla have retained the same side that dismantled St. George Illawarra last Sunday at Remondis Stadium, with Matt Prior named on an extended bench. Having gone down at home in the opening round against the Raiders, the Sharks will be eager to bounce back with another strong performance built around the mix of experienced forwards and exciting backs. The Sharks will have extra motivation to come away from Canberra with a win, with three players set to celebrate major milestones; Ricky Leutele (50 games), Jeff Robson (150 games) and Paul Gallen (250 games). In recent times Cronulla have achieved mixed results in the nations capital, managing two victories from the past five visits.
Last Meeting: Round 1, 2015 - Cronulla Sharks 20 Canberra Raiders 24
Who to wacth: It's no surprise that if the Raiders are to record only their third win at home this season, Blake Austin will have to be at his best. Since arriving from Wests Tigers this season, Austin has been in superb form at five-eighth, with his support play resulting in numerous tries including a hat-trick last week against the Knights. Without his preferred halfback Sam Williams alongside him, Austin will need to shoulder the majority of the playmaker responsibility as well as retaining his trademark flair if the Raiders are to emerge victorious.
After several mixed seasons at Canterbury and Brisbane, Ben Barba looks to be hitting his best form for the Sharks. Since returning from injury a month ago, the former Dally M winner has provided a genuine spark off the bench for Cronulla along with displaying a resolve in defence rarely associated with the enigmatic speedster. Pulling off the tackle of the year on Ben Creagh last week, Barba will be buoyed by the confidence and will be out to continue his good form against the Raiders.
The favourite: Despite losing Sam Williams through injury, the Raiders are expected to come away with the win at home.
My tip: With the ladder so congested around the bottom of the top eight, the winner of this match will likely go along way towards featuring in September. After impressing against the Dragons and with so many milestones to celebrate, expect the Sharks to come away with a hard-fought win. Sharks by 12.
1. Jack Wighton 2. Edrick Lee 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Sisa Waqa 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Blake Austin 7. Kurt Baptiste 8. Paul Vaughan 9. Josh Hodgson 10. David Shillington 11. Josh Papalii 12. Iosia Soliola 13. Shaun Fensom
Interchange: 14. Joseph Leilua 15. Frank Paul Nuuausala 16. Jarrad Kennedy 19. Shannon Boyd
1. Michael Gordon 2. Sosaia Feki 3. Gerard Beale 4. Ricky Leutele 5. Valentine Holmes 6. Jack Bird 7. Jeff Robson 8. Andrew Fifita 9. Michael Ennis 10. Sam Tagataese 11. Luke Lewis 12. Wade Graham 13. Paul Gallen
Interchange: 14. Ben Barba 15. Chris Heighington 16. David Fifita 17. Jayson Bukuya 18. Matt Prior
Referees: Ashley Klein, Chris Butler; Sideline Officials: Jeff Younis, Phil Henderson; Video Referees: Shayne Hayne, Daniel Irvine;