NRL Round 22 Preview and Prediction - Cronulla Sharks v Canberra Raiders @ Shark Park

Cronulla Sharks (3rd) V Canberra Raiders (10th) @ Shark Park
 
Preview - The Sharks will be aiming to make it 3 wins on the trot when they host a desperate Raiders’ side at Shark Park on Saturday night. Whilst their win over the Warriors wasn't always pretty, it was another vital victory on the road as the Sharks pulled away late for a 26-12 victory, in a game that was played in slippery conditions. The Sharks have made a habit of winning ugly this season, and they showed last week they maintain good depth with both James Maloney and Jack Bird missing the victory. The Raiders kept their faint final’s hopes alive with a comprehensive 32-18 win over the struggling Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium. The Raiders remain a full 2 games behind both the Dragons and Panthers, with just 5 rounds remaining in the regular season. 

History - The away team has dominated matches between these 2 clubs over the past few years. The Sharks destroyed the Raiders way back in Round 2 of this season securing a thumping victory.  The Raiders have won five of their past seven at Shark Park, including their last three straight. 
 
Cronulla Sharks’ Scouting Report - The Sharks are still without James Maloney, however are expected to get representative centre Jack Bird back after he has missed the past 2 games through injury. Fa’amanu Brown suffered a bad concussion last week late in the game against the Warriors, however has been named to start at five-eight. 
 
Canberra Raiders’ Scouting Report - The Raiders welcome back two of their more explosive players with both Jordan Rapana and Josh Papalii back from suspension for this must win match up. Nick Cotric has been outstanding on the wing for the Raiders this year and looks a certainty to win Dally M Rookie of the Year. 
 
Verdict - Raiders by 1-6

Interesting game here with The Sharks starting to build momentum, and the Raiders hanging in there not able to afford another loss. The Raiders have a decent record at Shark Park over the past couple of years, and the Sharks have been scratchy at home this year, so I give the Raiders a big chance of causing an upset here. One thing about the Sharks this year is just when you think they are about to really hit their straps, they suffer a disappointing loss, and I think without Maloney they are vulnerable here against a Raiders’ side that will cause them more problems in attack than their last 2 opponents in the Rabbitohs and Warriors. This might be a stab in the dark, but I think the Raiders can cause a bit of an upset here in a relatively high scoring and close game, to keep the pressure on the Panthers and Dragons in the race for 8th spot.