Round 9: Raiders v Titans preview
Tip a winner? Yeah, good luck.
This NRL season has been increasingly unpredictable - but this game offers up something else. On one hand we have a Raiders team that can get thumped one week, then head to Townsville and jag a win the next. They lost their opening three games by narrow margins and their only scalps thus far are the bottom three sides. But somehow, they're favourites to take the choccies in this contest.
Looking across to the away sheds and we have the Titans. Arguably the poster child for inconsistency. They've been able to record wins against Brisbane, Manly - and indeed the Raiders in the opening round, but lost to the Cowboys just a fortnight ago, and earlier in the season copped a 54-8 shellacking from leaders St George Illawarra.
There's just no solid marker for either side and it's made this game nearly impossible to predict. One thing we know is the Raiders haven't made any changes to the side that downed North Queensland last week, and are expected to go into Saturday's contest as named. The Titans made sweeping changes last week and as a result were ultra-competitive against Cronulla, having dropped Kane Elgey and moved Bryce Cartwright to the five-eighth role. This week coach Garth Brennan has been a little more conservative, with Morgan Boyle dropping off the bench, Ryan Simpkins named in jumper 17.
Last meeting: Round 1 2018 - Titans 30 Raiders 28
These sides have met on 21 occasions since the Titans' inception in 2007, and it's the Gold Coast who lead the way with 12 wins. At GIO Stadium the Raiders hold sway - just - with 5 wins from 9 games.
Who to watch: After dropping Blake Austin earlier in the year, coach Ricky Stuart has been forced to recall the goatee'd five-eighth after injury to Sam Williams, with mixed results. He looked solid in their win last weekend in Townsville, but he'll need to keep up his performance standards to avoid heading back to Mounties when Williams is fit - which could be as soon as next week.
After a tense thriller against the Sharks where his side fell just short, Gold Coast's current five-eighth Bryce Cartwright has plenty of eyes on him. A talented back-rower, he wouldn't have wanted to be thrust into the halves, but a lack of form and confidence from Kane Elgey has seen him shifted from his preferred spot. Whether it's a stroke of genius or a desperate move from a rookie coach in Brennan? That remains to be seen.
The favourite: Canberra's home ground advantage and last-start victory gives them the edge in the markets.
My tip: Based on form and the venue it's difficult to tip against the Raiders here, despite their poor form prior to last week. Until Brennan stops shuffling the deck chairs on the Titan(ic)... they might struggle. Raiders by 6.
