Round 7: Raiders v Dragons preview
Raiders look to keep the wins coming in Canberra
The Canberra Raiders will be looking to go back-to-back on Sunday afternoon when they host the St George Illawarra Dragons at GIO Stadium.
Recording a stirring victory against the odds in Brisbane last week, the Canberra Raiders will be out to prove they can be equally effective playing as favourites on home soil.
Stunning the undefeated Broncos with a resilient 20-14 victory last Saturday, coach Ricky Stuart will welcome back a trio of experienced campaigners with Nick Cotric, Jack Wighton and Joseph Tapine coming into the side in place of Jordan Rapana, Brad Schneider and Peter Hola.
Holding a below average record of six wins from 13 meetings against the joint venture during Stuart's tenure at the club, both matches between the two sides were decided by just two points last season.
Enduring the elation of apparent victory quickly followed by the dagger of defeat last week, the St George Illawarra Dragons will be hoping for a change of luck in the nation's capital.
Conceding a try with minutes remaining in a 20-18 defeat to the Titans last Sunday, coach Anthony Griffin has been forced into changes through injury and suspension.
Handing journeyman Tautau Moga his first start of the season in place of Mikaele Ravalawa, representative forward Francis Molo will miss the next three matches in a reshuffle which sees Zane Musgrove recalled into the starting pack.
Last tasting victory in the ACT way back in 2015, the Dragons have won just four of their 18 visits to Canberra, including their first ever win as a merged entity in the early rounds of 1999.
Last meeting: Round 22 2022 - Raiders 24 Dragons 22
Who to watch: Returning to GIO Stadium for the first time in close to a year, club veteran Jarrod Croker will be determined to make an impression in front of the Canberra faithful. Enduring a tragic run with injury over the past two seasons, the 32-year-old centre made an immediate impact in his return to the top grade last week with his experience coming to the fore in the shock win over the Broncos.
Edging closer to becoming only the second player to appear in 300 first grade matches for the Raiders, another strong performance from Croker may be the circuit-breaker the Green Machine need to kick-start their top eight hopes.
Only one current player remains from the last Dragons team to prevail in the nation's capital: Jack de Belin. Coming off the bench during the early rounds after returning from a calf injury sustained during the pre season, the 30-year-old forward has struggled to recapture the form that saw him represent New South Wales at the peak of his power.
Capable of much more with the ball than simply making metres, a strong showing from de Belin will go a long way towards revitalising the side's stilled attack.
The favourite: The buoyant Raiders are expected to continue the strides made last week with a win on home soil.
My tip: Time will tell whether last week was an off night for the Broncos or the start of better things for the Raiders. Coming off a win and with the home ground advantage the latter seems more likely. Raiders by 12.
