With the Roosters set for their third consecutive Thursday night battle tonight at the Sydney Cricket Ground, let's run through the big talking points from the week.
Match: Roosters v Raiders
Round 10 -
home Team
Roosters
5th Position
away Team
Raiders
6th Position
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
THE LAST TIME WE MET
It makes perfect sense in the NRL that when you see a cracking contest of rugby league, you look forward to the next time those two teams face off.
There is no more investment in a rematch than when it's the two NRL Grand Finalists facing off, especially when the Grand Final was such a spectacular one.
The Last Time We Met the Canberra Raiders was on the biggest stage the NRL has to offer, and it's safe to say it was a memorable battle for the Sydney Roosters.
Last Time We Met The Raiders
THURSDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT
The Roosters will take to the turf tonight for their third consecutive Thursday night clash.
While it isn't common to play three Thursday's in a row, it has allowed for the Roosters to have two straight seven day turnarounds to prepare for matches after three six day turnarounds in a row.
"This is our third Thursday in a row and the boys are in good spirits," Assistant Coach Matt King said at Tuesday's Team Talk.
"We travelled up to North Queensland last week, they recovered from that and they're ready to go for the Raiders."
Team Talk with Matt King | Round 10
WE RETURN HOME
For the first time in 2020, the Roosters will play a fixture at their spiritual home, the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Roosters turned the SCG into a happy hunting ground in 2019, winning ten of the eleven matches they played there and ten of them consecutively.
What better way to kick off the home campaign than to do so against the 2019 Grand Finalists, who haven't faced the Roosters on their home soil since 2015.
On top of that, the Roosters will have a crowd in attendance to welcome them home.
"It's the best ground in Australia in my view," Trent Robinson said on the SCG.
"It's amazing walking out there, we love playing there so I can't wait to get back on there and I know the players feel the same way."
It's great to get home | Robinson
IKUVALU REWARDED WITH RETENTION
After a stunning Fan Voted Man Of The Match performance against the Cowboys, Matt Ikuvalu has retained his spot in the line-up for the Grand Final rematch.
Ikuvalu scored an incredible five tries for the Tricolours last week, but even Matt knows that this week is a different week.
While it's important to celebrate accomplishments, it's important to stay grounded and focused to play NRL football on a weekly basis.
"He'll be looking to go out there and build the foundation of the game that got him into the position that he did last week," Trent Robinson said of Ikuvalu.
Matt Ikuvalu - Round 10 Media
RETURN OF THE ICEMAN
After a short stint on the sidelines, Isaac Liu returns to the squad this week after officially being called into the starting line-up at yesterday's Squad Update.
Nat Butcher has been ruled out due to a minor injury late in the week, but Isaac Liu has been declared fit and ready for his first NRL start of the 2020 season.
Liu has missed the last two matches due to a broken rib sustained in Round 7.
