The undefeated Raiders face their biggest test of the season so far as they head to New Zealand to take on the Warriors.

Match details

• Who: New Zealand Warriors vs Canberra Raiders
• When: Friday 22 March 6pm AEDT
• Where: Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch
• Weather: min 7, max 20
• Tickets are sold out.
• Head-to-head record: Played 50. Raiders 26 wins. Warriors 24 wins.

Team lists

LATE CHANGE: Wayde Egan is a late out for the Warriors with Lussick to start and Harris-Tavita coming onto the bench.

Whitehead returns from a calf injury for the Raiders, with Ricky Stuart naming him in the starting side and shifting the red-hot Hosking to the bench. Sebastian Kris has been ruled out due to concussion, with Cotric coming onto the wing and Hopate moving back to centre. Corey Horsburgh will play NSW Cup after serving his four-match suspension.

Referee: Liam Kennedy

Season so far

Raiders: 1st (2-0)| 60 points for, 24 points against | WW

Not many would have had the Raiders sitting atop the ladder at any point of the season, but here we are, two weeks in with the Green Machine first.

After upsetting the Knights 28-12 in round one, Canberra backed it up by taking care of the Tigers 32-12 in their first home match of the season.

They look like a team with a simple game plan that is executing it to perfection. Completing at 90 per cent in both matches has gone a long way to winning, while the kicking game of Fogarty has consistently given Canberra great field position.

It’s obviously still early days and the desperate Warriors side in New Zealand will provide a huge challenge, but the Raiders are looking very solid so far.

Warriors: 14^th (0-2) | 38 points for, 46 points against | LL

The Warriors could easily be 2-0 but unfortunately find themselves winless after two close losses against the Sharks and Storm.

After a slow start against Melbourne last week, the Warriors were the better side for the majority of the match until the final two minutes where that freakish Xavier Coates try broke their hearts.

Despite the losses, the Warriors have played some good footy and look like being a finals threat once again in 2024.

Last 5 meetings and history in New Zealand

• 2023 round 21: Warriors 21 – 20 Raiders at Go Media Stadium, Auckland
• 2023 round 15: Raiders 14 – 36 Warriors at GIO Stadium, Canberra
• 2022 round 19: Raiders 26 – 14 Warriors at GIO Stadium
• 2022 round 8: Warriors 21 – 20 Raiders at Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe
• 2021 round 24: Warriors 16 – 28 Raiders at BB Print Stadium, Mackay

The Warriors have won three of the last five meetings between the sides, including both matchups last year.

The first clash last year was Jarrod Croker’s 300th match and the Raiders came out fired up in front of their home fans but just couldn’t break the Warriors’ defence. Momentum swung after half time and New Zealand dominated the second 40 to spoil Canberra’s party.

Trailing by 10 points with just two minutes to go, Canberra almost pulled off a remarkable comeback in the second fixture of 2023. The Raiders scored two tries in the final two minutes and had a chance to win it on the bell, but Croker’s sideline conversion missed. It was then a familiar sight for Raiders fans as Johnson slotted a field goal to win it in extra time.

Due to the COVID years, they have only met in New Zealand once since 2019 which was their most recent meeting. Of the last ten contests in New Zealand, the Warriors have won six contest and the Raiders four. This is the first time these two sides have played each other in Christchurch.

Players to watch

Raiders – Matt Timoko: The 24-year-old goes a little under the radar across the competition, but there is little question he is now one of the best centres in the NRL. The Kiwi International is getting through a mountain of work in the early stages of the year, averaging 193 run metres from 15.5 carries per game. It’s only a matter of time before he rips a game to pieces so hopefully it’s in his home country.

Warriors – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: It’s been great to see Roger back in the NRL after his brief stint in rugby union. While the 30-year-old hasn’t completely set the world on fire, he seems to be settling into his new role at centre quite well and still has that explosive footwork he is known for.

Pre match predictions

Kiwi Connection: The Raiders Kiwi backs, Rapana and Timoko, to combine for 300 run metres and two tries. Raiders by 6.

Lock-Smith: Morgan Smithies to unlock the middle third for Canberra, making 40+ tackles with 100+ run metres. Raiders by 4. – Denholm Samaras

Have any predictions of your own? Let us know in the comments below.

Other match details

The match will be broadcast live on Fox League channel 502 and is also available to stream on Kayo. Overseas fans can watch via Watch NRL.

You can listen to the match on Raiders on Mix (Mix106.3 FM), Radio 2CC (1206 AM) and ABC Grandstand (666).