Round 16: Wests Tigers v Raiders preview
In years not too far gone by, the Tigers fans and, many would argue, players and club officials, wet themselves at the prospect of facing the Raiders.
Since Round 25 of 2014, these two sides have met 18 times with the Tigers being winners just 4 times, while the Raiders have racked up 551 points - 30.6 points per game.
The Tigers did win the last outing though, 48-24 in Round 16 last year. The last time the Tigers won back-to-back games against the Raiders was 2014 - when current new five-eighth Heath Mason was 9 years old.
The Tigers are on a 4 game losing run right now, but it's not quite a slump, as the last 2 losses have been by just 4 points against the Cowboys and Panthers. Not the sort of form you want to take into a match against a hoodoo side.
And speaking of that hoodoo side, Canberra are second the ladder and have won their last 4 games and 9 of their last 10 matches. Their attack looks unstoppable. Their defence is largely reliable but has shown to have a few vulnerabilities, although recent form tends to suggest that they're improving in this area.
A win for the Tigers puts them on the cusp of the top 9, while a win for the Raiders will see them stay within 2 points of the competition leading Bulldogs, who have a bye this week.
A loss for the Tigers could sink them to the bottom 3 of the ladder, a place they are very keen to steer clear of. A Raiders loss could see them get overtaken by the Warriors and Melbourne. Both sides will be hungry for a win here.
Last meeting: Round 16 2024 - Wests Tigers 48 Raiders 24
Who to watch: Both sides are going to be pushing hard through the middle using speed and strength from their respective rakes.
Api Koroisau is fast and strong and on the bench is the zippy and creative Tallyn Da Silva, while the Raiders have the nippy guile of Tom Starling and the reliably sharp service of Owen Pattie on the bench.
Terrell May has been an absolute beast for the Tigers this year, but he'll have an almighty challenge here, up against powerhouse props Josh Papalii and Joseph Tapine.
There's plenty of creativity and speed in the halves and backs and both sides have the potential to put on quite a show, but this match will be set up by the big blokes in the middle.
Favourite: Canberra are clear favourites here and rightfully so. The Tigers will be trying to break them up with a lot of second phase play, which can prove to be high risk.
If the Raiders are patient and strong in defence, which they've shown they can be more often than not in recent weeks, they could put on another pile of points against the Tigers.
My tip: The Tigers are a different beast to past seasons. They will remain competitive here but Canberra should be able to claim the honours here. Raiders by 8.
