NRL Round 23 Preview and Prediction - New Zealand Warriors v Canberra Raiders @ Mount Smart Stadium
New Zealand Warriors (12th) v Canberra Raiders (10th) @ Mount Smart Stadium
Preview - The Raiders will be going for a 3rd straight victory when they clash with the hapless Warriors at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Raiders put in their best performance of the season last week, with a thumping 30-12 victory over the defending Premiers at Shark Park. The Raiders remain 2 games outside of the Top 8, with 4 rounds to go. However they are the type of side capable of winning 4 games straight and surging into the finals should they play in the same vein they did on Saturday night. The Warriors put in another insipid performance in going down 26-10 to the Knights in Newcastle last week. Remarkably, Coach Steven Kearney admitted certain players were not putting in enough effort, in yet another woeful season for a side big on talent but low on application and effort throughout a long gruelling season.
History - The Raiders have dominated the Warriors in the past 2 season Warriorr claiming 3 straight wins against the Kiwi side. Earlier this season the sides met in Canberra with the Raiders grinding out a 20-8 victory. Whilst the Warriors belted the Warriors last season in New Zealand that game was in Christchurch. The raiders record at at Mount Smart Stadium is not great with the Warriors having won 11 of 17 against Canberra.
New Zealand Warriors’ Scouting Report - Steven Kearney has dropped Issac Luke to the interchange bench after his insipid performance last week against the Knights. Nathaniel Roache has been named to start at hooker, with Ryan Hoffman returning to add a bit of steel to the back row. Kieran Foran has been particularly poor the last few weeks as his stint at the Warriors continues to fizzle out.
Canberra Raiders’ Scouting Report - No surprise to see Ricky Stuart has named an unchanged side from the one that demolished the Sharks on their own patch last week. The Raiders’ forward pack really dominated the middle of the field, with Shannon Boyd having one of his best games of the season. Josh Hodgson also got back to somewhere near his best with a dynamic display reminiscent of some of his magnificent performances from last season.
Verdict - Raiders by 30+
The Raiders will win this game by 50 points if they play to the level they did last week, and the Warriors put in the same abject effort they put in against the Knights. I think the Raiders are a real confidence side, and I have been waiting all season for them to put in a barnstorming performance like that. That was the first time this season I have seen their forwards really roll down the middle with purpose and intent and destroy the opposition pack. The Warriors are a complete mess right now and I think they have well and truly flown the white flag, like they usually do, this season. I have no idea what is wrong at the Club, however the problems appear widespread because year in, year out, they fail to produce with talented players at their disposal.