Josh Papalii on the march for the Raiders. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph
CANBERRA have received a big boost as they prepare to take on a sizeable Newcastle forward pack on Sunday with the late inclusion of enforcer Josh Papalii.
After missing the past two weeks due to minor surgery on both knees, Papalii was on Saturday included in the matchday 17 for the Canberra Stadium clash.
The 20-year-old second-rower will be joined in the run-on side by representative prop David Shillington, who's back from a rib cartilage injury.
With Papalii's return, coach David Furner will move Joe Picker to the bench and Jake Foster drops out of the squad.
"We need that aggression - they're a big side,'' Furner said.
"(Newcastle) play that sort of power completion game so we need to make sure we're nice and aggressive in defence and Papalii brings that.''
Their return is a massive lift for the Raiders, who were already without key injured players Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (foot), Jarrod Croker (knee) Glen Buttriss (finger) and Joel Thompson (toe).
Having defeated Melbourne 24-20 at AAMI Park last Saturday, the 10th-placed Raiders head into the match buoyed with confidence as they look to extend a seven-match winning streak at home.
Newcastle travel to Canberra on the back of a 21-20 golden-point home loss to Cronulla and will likely be without playmaker Jarrod Mullen, who is set to undergo a last-minute fitness test on Saturday.
Captain Kurt Gidley, playing his 200th NRL game, is in line to replace Mullen at five-eighth.
Tyrone Roberts will start at halfback behind a large pack led by Willie Mason and Kade Snowden.
"Over the past couple of weeks, Snowy's been outstanding for us,'' Gidley said.
"We need (Snowden and Mason) laying a good platform, because the rest of the team revolves around them.''
In the fifth-placed Knights' favour is the 28-12 victory over the Raiders in round four, as well as wins in their past two visits to the nation's capital.
"They do have the wood on us so far,'' Raiders captain Terry Campese said.
"It would be good to get out there and repeat last week's effort and get one back on the Knights.''
Campese said it was important his team didn't become complacent after ending the Storm's 15-game winning streak.
"The past couple of seasons, we've knocked off sides like Melbourne and then come out the next week and lost,'' he said.
"This year, we've got to turn that around and keep our home record intact.''
No comments:
Post a Comment