Canberra is just one win outside the top four, but a finals spot is not yet assured after a massive beatdown last Sunday and a couple of tough games to come. A home win over battling Canterbury is an absolute must for Ricky Stuarts charges.
The Raiders have lost three of their last four, bookending a nervy 22-18 win over Wests Tigers with an insipid 28-6 defat to the Knights and an embarrassing 48-2 capitulation in Melbourne. The fact they have 12-9 record with a -120 points differential says plenty about the way Canberra wins and loses.
Soon-to-retire Jarrod Croker returns in the centres for debutant Ethan Strange this week, while James Schiller and Tom Starling join the bench with Adrian Trevilyan and Pasami Saulo dropping out.
The 7-14 Bulldogs are limping towards the finish line, winning just two of their last nine. They showed plenty of spirit in a 23-22 eclipse of the Dolphins in Bundaberg in Round 22, but they came out of the bye with a 42-6 loss in Newcastle.
Jacob Prestons suspension sees Corey Waddell go into the second-row, while Ryan Sutton (neck) is back at lock. Raymond Faitala-Mariner gets a bench spot with Harrison Edwards missing out.
The Raiders are on a seven-match winning streak against the Bulldogs, but in trademark 2023 fashion they made unnecessarily hard work of a 34-30 victory in Magic Round.
Ten of the teams last 13 games were decided by 1-12 margins and the Raiders are yet to win a game this season by more than 10 points. With so much at stake the hosts should find a way but count on it being another tough watch for Raiders fans.
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