VENUE & TIME: Canberra Stadium – Monday, March 22, 9.05pm (NZDT).
COVERAGE: Fox Sports
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 37 – Broncos 21, Raiders 15, Drawn 1.
LAST TIME: Round 26, 2009 – Broncos 22-10.
BETTING TAB NZ: Raiders $1.75, Broncos $2
WALKING WOUNDED: Broncos duo Israel Folau (shoulder) and Antonio Winterstein (hamstring) will carry injuries to the nation's capital but are expected to play. The luckless Raiders have had a horror start to the year with injury, Joel Monaghan, Justin Carney, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Josh Miller yet to appear. You can now add Danny Galea (broken thumb) to the list. They do get Joe Picker back for this one.
FORM: The Broncos raced to a 24-0 lead against the Cowboys before putting the cue, chalk and frame in the rack. They held on to claim a six-point win but it could have been all the more impressive. The Raiders were in their match against the Panthers for large chunks but just didn't get the breaks when they needed them. We all know they are a different beast at home.
WHO'S HOT: Do debuts get much better than the one Corey Norman handed in last week? By our count the 18-year-old Broncos fullback saved three tries and had a hand in three of the five tries his team scored. Okay, he made a mistake that led to a North Queensland four-pointer but what's the bet Brisbane fans are asking Karmichael Who by the end of the year? He's up against another young gem in Raiders No1 Josh Dugan. There's not much of JD but you wouldn't know it by the way he puts his body on the line. Who said nothing good comes out of Canberra?
WE THINK: The thermometer is usually kind this time of the year in Canberra so Brisbane won't be hit by frost bite. But it's still an unfriendly place to visit for any team not quite on its game. In the corresponding game last year, the Green Machine smashed the Broncs 56-0 in a result which nearly cost Ivan Henjak his job. Brisbane hasn't won in Canberra since 2005 and we get the feeling that record won't improve. Raiders by 6
TEAMS:
Raiders: Josh Dugan, Reece Robinson, Jarrod Croker, Joel Thompson, Daniel Vidot, Terry Campese, Marc Herbert, David Shillington, Alan Tongue [c], Scott Logan, Joe Picker, Bronson Harrison, Shaun Fensom.
Interchange: Travis Waddell, Trevor Thurling, Troy Thompson, Dane Tilse, Josh McCrone, James Stuart (two to be omitted).
Broncos: Corey Norman, Antonio Winterstein, Gerard Beale, Israel Folau, Denan Kemp, Darren Lockyer [c], Peter Wallace, Nick Kenny, Andrew McCullough, Scott Anderson, Ben Te'o, Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker.
Interchange: Alex Glenn, Matt Gillett, Mitchell Dodds, Josh McGuire, Lagi Setu (one to be omitted).