The Sydney Roosters return home to Allianz Stadium, hosting the Canberra Raiders in the Club’s only Sunday night fixture of the 2023 NRL season.
Recent History: Sydney Roosters vs Canberra Raiders
Sunday will mark the 70th match between the Roosters and Raiders since the 1982 season, which has seen the Tricolours take home 38 victories, including the 2019 NRL Grand Final.
Canberra claimed a 22-16 win in the last meeting, but the Roosters were dominant the year before in Mackay, prevailing in a 40-16 victory. In 2023, both teams have played 14 games so far, with Easts winning seven matches, while the Raiders have won eight.
The Roosters will be hungry to piece together back-to-back victories after defeating the Knights last week, but the Raiders are fresh off a bye and will be looking to avenge their Round 15 loss to the Warriors in Jarrod Croker’s 300th.
With only two competition points separating the sides and Origin players backing up, a win will be pivotal this week as the back end of the season approaches.
How They Line Up
Trent Robinson has named a handful of changes to the line-up this week, with the inclusion of James Tedesco, Lindsay Collins and Victor Radley.
Tedesco returns from State of Origin duties to lead the team from fullback, with Daniel Tupou and Junior Pauga on the wings. Joseph Manu has been named in the centres, alongside Billy Smith, completing the back line.
Luke Keary has been named at five-eighth, partnering 20-year-old Sandon Smith in the halves, after a CT scan confirmed the vice captain’s jaw is not broken.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jake Turpin and Collins make up the front row, with Egan Butcher, Sitili Tupouniua and Radley in the back row.
Angus Crichton will make his 150th NRL appearance off the bench this week, with Nathan Brown, Nat Butcher and Naufahu Whyte completing the line-up.
The extended bench includes Terrell May, Drew Hutchison, Corey Allan, Jaxson Paulo and Zach Dockar-Clay.
Match: Roosters v Raiders
Round 17 -
home Team
Roosters
away Team
Raiders
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Roosters is number 1 James TedescoFullback for Raiders is number 1 Sebastian Kris
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Winger for Roosters is number 2 Daniel TupouWinger for Raiders is number 2 Albert Hopoate
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Centre for Roosters is number 3 Billy SmithCentre for Raiders is number 3 Jarrod Croker
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Centre for Roosters is number 4 Joseph ManuCentre for Raiders is number 4 Matthew Timoko
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Winger for Roosters is number 5 Fetalaiga PaugaWinger for Raiders is number 5 Jordan Rapana
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Five-Eighth for Roosters is number 6 Luke KearyFive-Eighth for Raiders is number 6 Jack Wighton
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Halfback for Roosters is number 7 Sandon SmithHalfback for Raiders is number 7 Jamal Fogarty
Forwards
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Prop for Roosters is number 8 Jared Waerea-HargreavesProp for Raiders is number 8 Josh Papalii
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Hooker for Roosters is number 9 Jake TurpinHooker for Raiders is number 9 Zac Woolford
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Prop for Roosters is number 10 Lindsay CollinsProp for Raiders is number 10 Joseph Tapine
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2nd Row for Roosters is number 11 Egan Butcher2nd Row for Raiders is number 11 Hudson Young
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2nd Row for Roosters is number 14 Angus Crichton2nd Row for Raiders is number 12 Elliott Whitehead
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Lock for Roosters is number 13 Victor RadleyLock for Raiders is number 13 Corey Horsburgh
Interchange
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Interchange for Roosters is number 15 Nathan BrownInterchange for Raiders is number 14 Tom Starling
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Interchange for Roosters is number 17 Naufahu WhyteInterchange for Raiders is number 15 Emre Guler
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Interchange for Roosters is number 18 Terrell MayInterchange for Raiders is number 16 Nick Cotric
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Interchange for Roosters is number 19 Drew HutchisonInterchange for Raiders is number 17 Pasami Saulo
Reserves
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Replacement for Roosters is number 22 Zach Dockar-ClayReplacement for Raiders is number 18 Matt Frawley
Match Officials
- Referee: Ashley Klein
- Touch Judge: Matt Noyen
- Touch Judge: Liam Kennedy
- Senior Review Official: Grant Atkins
Last updated:
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has named the same 17 players that lost to Warriors in Round 15, with Hudson Young to back up from Origin duties for NSW.
Key Match Up: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves vs Josh Papali’i
Two veteran enforcers go head-to-head up front this week in what will no doubt be a brutal battle when Jared Waerea-Hargreaves meets Josh Papali’i.
For the past decade, both Waerea-Hargreaves and Papali’i have proven their ability to lead from the front, making tough carries and hard-hitting tackles on the national and International stages.
Waerea-Hargreaves has been in superb form this season, averaging 12 hit-ups and 119 run metres per match. The hulking front rower has been strong in defence too, making 237 tackles for a 91.2% tackle efficiency.
His counterpart has been equally as powerful for the Raiders, notching 288 tackles for a 96% tackle efficiency rating, while dominating in attack with 138 average run metres per match and 22 tackle breaks.
With two competition points on the line, expect both powerhouses to rise to the occasion when the clock strikes 6:15pm on Sunday evening.
What They Said
Whyte: 'I Need To Keep Playing My Part'
Final Verdict
The Roosters will be aiming to secure back-to-back wins to temporarily farewell Allianz Stadium in style, with games moving to the SCG until Round 24 due to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
With the Raiders venturing East to play at Allianz Stadium for the first time since 2015, expect another thrilling encounter as the Clubs meet for the only time in 2023.
You can purchase your tickets for our Round 17 clash here. If you can’t make it to Allianz Stadium, be sure to attend Easts Bondi Junction where you can watch the game live from Artie’s Bar. Easts are also running happy hour for two hours post-match.
It's not too late to Call yourself a Rooster in 2023! With NRLW Memberships now on sale, show your support for the Women’s Game.
