Sharks host Raiders in crucial Sunday showdown

Author: Sharks Media
Timestamp: Sat 2 Sep 2023, 04:02 PM

It will be two desperate teams, with positions in the top eight dependent on the result, in a match set to be played in front of a full house at PointsBet Stadium.

On a day where the Sharks will farewell one of their favourite sons in skipper Wade Graham, everything points towards an exciting Sunday showdown when they battle the Raiders in a crucial round 27 clash.

The occasion isn’t lost on Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon, however the focus of his team is firmly on the Raiders and Sunday’s game rather than anything that might come in the future.

After the Roosters win last night a Sharks victory would ensure their place in the Finals, but that’s certainly not something which is front of mind for the Cronulla coach.

“We’re keeping an eye on what’s around the corner but definitely not focused on doing anything for anyone except the Sharks. We’ve got a tough opponent coming and we’ve got to prepare for that and focus on that only,” Fitzgibbon said.

Despite going into the contest warm favourites, the Sharks will have to turn around a recent run of outs against Canberra, having lost nine straight against the Raiders, with their last win coming way back in 2018.

It is the Sharks second worst losing streak against an opponent, all time, after the Roosters managed to beat Cronulla 12 times in a row between 1967 and 1973.

In a positive for the home team, they welcome back Nicho Hynes after the Sharks half back missed the loss to the Knights due to a quad strain, in the only change to last weeks team.

Like the Sharks, Canberra also come into the game following a loss, the Raiders going down 29-18 to Broncos last week despite leading 18-16 in the 62nd minute of the match.

Although the final make-up of the top eight is still unclear, what is known is that the winner of this match will secure a home elimination final next week, taking fifth or sixth position depending on the result of the Knights game against the Dragons later today.

The Cowboys match against the Panthers, scheduled for tonight will also have a bearing on the Finals, with a win by the Panthers meaning both Cronulla and Canberra are guaranteed a top eight finish regardless of Sunday’s result.

If the Cowboys win, then the Raiders must win to qualify for the finals, however if North Queensland lose, and Canberra lose, the Raiders will likely drop to eighth place.

There is also a chance the Sharks and Raiders will meet again next week depending on results, especially if Canberra were successful in taking the points on Sunday afternoon.

Overall, in the head-to-head statistics, the Sharks have 39 wins and the Raiders 41 in the 80 matches played, with the Canberra side winning the most recent encounter in round one of the 2023 season.

It is however the first time the Raiders have faced the Sharks at PointsBet Stadium since round 24, 2019, with an 89th minute Aiden Sezer field goal resulting in a 15-14 Golden Point win for Canberra.

The Raiders won both games at Kogarah while PointsBet was unavailable during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, while the teams met during Magic Round in Brisbane in 2022.

While their record against Canberra is concerning, giving the Sharks some confidence is their home record, with five wins in their past seven games at PointsBet, the last four by 30 points or more.

The Sharks four defeats at their home ground in 2023 have all been by single digit margins.

As for coach and player milestones, Fitzgibbon, with 31 wins and 18 losses, for a 63 per cent win percentage, will take charge of his 50th game for the Sharks, however he is yet to beat Canberra as Sharks coach, with his three defeats his most against any club.

Canberra’s Jordan Rapana will play his 200th NRL game, after taking an early guilty plea on a tripping charge from last week, with the Raiders winger having scored 104 career tries, including 99 for Canberra. Rapana has scored six tries in five games at PointsBet and can become the fourth Raider to score 100 four-pointers for the club, joining a group including Jarrod and Jason Croker and Brett Mullins.

For the Sharks, Ronaldo Mulitalo’s next try will see him reach 20 in a season for the first time, with only one Cronulla playing having scored more in a season, that player being Valentine Holmes who scored 22, 21 in the regular season, back in 2018.

Mulitalo has scored 25 tries in 23 games at PointsBet, including one in each of his past four games

After being cleared to play, Nicho Hynes who has scored 183 points this year, can become the first Shark since James Maloney in 2016 to score 200 points in a season (219). Hynes scored 194 points in 2022. Jesse Ramien has also scored in four straight home games.

Sunday’s match also marks the last regular season appearance at PointsBet Stadium for Wade Graham, with a celebration of his career and contribution to the Club of 13 seasons to be featured in pre and post game activities.

The Sharks v Raiders clash is scheduled for a 4.05pm kick-off, with the two 19-man squads listed below.

Round 27 - Round 27 - Sunday 3 Sep

Full Time

Sharks

Raiders

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Sharks is number 1 Connor Tracey

Fullback for Raiders is number 1 Jordan Rapana
Winger for Sharks is number 2 Sione Katoa

Winger for Raiders is number 2 Sebastian Kris
Centre for Sharks is number 3 Jesse Ramien

Centre for Raiders is number 3 Jack Wighton
Centre for Sharks is number 4 Siosifa Talakai

Centre for Raiders is number 4 Matthew Timoko
Winger for Sharks is number 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo

Winger for Raiders is number 5 Nick Cotric
Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Braydon Trindall

Five-Eighth for Raiders is number 6 Matt Frawley
Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Nicholas Hynes

Halfback for Raiders is number 7 Jamal Fogarty

Forwards

Prop for Sharks is number 8 Toby Rudolf

Prop for Raiders is number 10 Joseph Tapine
Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Blayke Brailey

Hooker for Raiders is number 9 Zac Woolford
Prop for Sharks is number 10 Braden Hamlin-Uele

Prop for Raiders is number 15 Ata Mariota
2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Briton Nikora

2nd Row for Raiders is number 11 Hudson Young
2nd Row for Sharks is number 12 Wade Graham

2nd Row for Raiders is number 12 Elliott Whitehead
Lock for Sharks is number 13 Cameron McInnes

Lock for Raiders is number 17 Hohepa Puru

Interchange

Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Jack Williams

Interchange for Raiders is number 8 Emre Guler
Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Royce Hunt

Interchange for Raiders is number 14 Tom Starling
Interchange for Sharks is number 16 Thomas Hazelton

Interchange for Raiders is number 18 Pasami Saulo
Interchange for Sharks is number 20 Oregon Kaufusi

Interchange for Raiders is number 20 Trey Mooney