Match Centre

Round 16: Raiders v Bulldogs preview

Plenty to play for in clash of contrasting fortunes

The Canberra Raiders will be pushing for a place in the top four when they host the last-placed Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at GIO Stadium on Sunday night.

Impressing over the past six weeks with five wins to sit in fifth position on the premiership ladder, the Canberra Raiders will be hoping to continue a dominant record over the Bulldogs in recent years.

Winning five out of the past six clashes against their 1994 Grand Final foes, coach Ricky Stuart will be looking to continue his side's momentum as they return to the nation's capital following a comprehensive 36-16 win over the Titans last week.

Resting mid-season signing Corey Harawira-Naera for the clash as per the conditions of his release from the Bulldogs, Auckland-born centre Matt Timoko will become the fourth player under the age of 21 to debut in first grade this season after being named on the bench.

Squandering leads in their past two matches to remain in 16th position with five rounds remaining, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will be hoping to record their first win at GIO Stadium since 2015.

Holding an eight-point lead early in the second half before allowing the Warriors to surge to a 20-14 victory last week, Bulldogs interim coach Steve Georgallis has responded with mass changes in an effort to move off the bottom of the premiership ladder.

Recalling Marcelo Montoya, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Lachlan Lewis, Renouf To'omaga and Dean Britt for the clash, Queensland representative Dylan Napa will also make his return after serving a one-match ban for dangerous contact.

Last meeting: Round 12 2019 - Bulldogs 10 Raiders 12

Who to watch: Stepping up to fill the void created by Josh Hodgson's season-ending injury, diminutive hooker Tom Starling has proven to be one of the year's great success stories.

Playing one game with Newcastle before adding a further three at Canberra last year, the 22-year-old has followed a similar trajectory to Damien Cook at Canterbury in making the most of an opportunity created through injury. 

Providing the side with a fresh attacking spark over the past six weeks - capped off with his maiden NRL try in the win over the Titans - look for Starling to cause the Bulldogs plenty of havoc when he enters the match midway through the first half.

Returning to the Bulldogs' ranks after serving a one-match ban, representative prop Dylan Napa will be looking to make up for lost time. 

Regarded as one of the most formidable forwards in the game at his best, the 27-year-old has been a willing contributor with 117 metres and 30 tackles on average in a dismal year for the former powerhouse club.

Yet to taste victory in Canberra after seven seasons in the top grade, Napa will be hoping for a personal breakthrough to lift the side off the bottom of the premiership ladder.

The favourite: Going down at home just once this season, the Raiders are heavily favoured to account for their lowly rivals.

My tip: With a loss potentially seeing the side fall as low as seventh, the Raiders are unlikely to relent on home soil. Raiders by 18.