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NRL round 19: Raiders vs Eels match day guide and preview

Match day guide and preview for the Canberra Raiders NRL round 19 game against the Parramatta Eels.

Who, when and where?

Parramatta Eels vs Canberra Raiders

Thursday 22 July, 7.50pm

Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast QLD

Click here to buy tickets

Head-to-head record: Played 62. Raiders 31 wins. Eels 30 wins. 1 draw.

Ladder position and recent form

Canberra Raiders 9th | 347 points for | 421 points against | 7 wins & 10 losses | WWLLW

The Raiders have won back-to-back mates for the first time since round 2 after a strong 34-18 victory over Cronulla last week.

Canberra’s second half woes this season have been well documented, so the most pleasing aspect of that win was their dominance late in the match.

After trailing 18-16 with 20 minutes to go, the Raiders scored the final three tries to run away with the match.

Despite the strong showing, the Eels are a big step up from Cronulla, so Canberra will need to improve to make it three on the trot.

Parramatta Eels 4th | 474 points for | 255 points against | 13 wins & 4 losses | WLWWW

The Eels are well entrenched in the top four and despite missing Mitchell Moses and Junior Paulo, they were far too good for the Titans last week.

They dominated Gold Coast in almost every aspect and built a 26-0 lead after 50 minutes and coasted to victory.

Parramatta have are once again putting together a solid season and are third in the NRL for defence.

They may still be a premiership chance if everything goes right, but they seem a fair way off the top two teams in Melbourne and Penrith.

Raiders and Eels team lists

Raiders Eels
Jordan Rapana1Clint Gutherson
Harley Smith-Shields2Maika Sivo
Jarrod Croker3Will Penisini
Seb Kris4Waqa Blake
Semi Valemei5Blake Ferguson
Matt Frawley6Dylan Brown
Sam Williams7Jake Arthur
Josh Papalii8Reagan Campbell-Gillard
Josh Hodgson9Reed Mahoney
Emre Guler10Junior Paulo
Corey Harawira-Naera11Isaiah Papali’i
Hudson Young12Ryan Matterson
Ryan Sutton13Nathan Brown
Bench Bench
Tom Starling14Marata Niukore
Matt Timoko15Shaun Lane
Sia Soliola16Oregon Kaufusi
Joe Tapine17Will Smith
Reserves Reserves
Caleb Aekins18Haze Dunster
Ryan James19Bryce Cartwright
Siliva Havili20Makahesi Makatoa
Trey Mooney21Joey Lussick

Canberra Raiders

The Raiders have lost young gun Xavier Savage to a cruel season ending shoulder injury while star five-eighth Jack Wighton is out with a rib injury.

Matt Frawley replaces Wighton at five-eighth for his second game in three rounds after a strong showing against Manly a fortnight ago.

Jordan Rapana shifts to fullback with Harley Smith-Shields named on the wing for his first NRL game in 2021.

Matt Timoko comes onto the bench with Ryan James out of the 17. Co-captain Elliott Whitehead remains on the sidelines with a shoulder injury,

Parramatta Eels

The Eels welcome back Junior Paulo to the front row while Blake Ferguson returns on the wing.

Mitchell Moses is out indefinitely with a broken back with Jake Arthur to play halfback.

Last 5 meetings

Parramatta a building a nice little streak over the Raiders, winning the last three straight including a 35-10 thumping earlier this year in Canberra.

It was an even contest in the first half before the Eels piled on 23 unanswered points in the second 40.

The Raiders last win against the Eels was early in 2019 where they kept them scoreless at home.

The players to watch

Raiders – Tom Starling

Canberra have chopped and changed their use of Starling and Hodgson in the number nine role this season, but Ricky Stuart seems to have got the mix right over the last two weeks.

Starling was used sparingly off the bench for a few games but that changed against Manly a fortnight ago when he came on after 25 minutes and had an immediate impact scoring the Raiders first try.

They did the same thing against the Sharks and once again Canberra looked far more dynamic in attack with both Starling and Hodgson on the field.

Starling’s defence is also very good, evidenced by a brilliant shot on Ronaldo Mulitalo that led to an important try in the second half.

The Raiders will surely use the same tactic against Parramatta so watch for Starling to make an impact with his energy both in attack and defence.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 08: Tom Starling of the Raiders celebrates after scoring a try during the round 17 NRL match between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Canberra Raiders at 4 Pines Park on July 08, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Tom Starling celebrating his try against Manly. Getty

Eels – Dylan Brown

With Moses out for a while, plenty of responsibility now falls on the shoulders of young Dylan Brown.

Brown defied a shocking haircut last week to play well, running for 111 metres and scoring a cracking try.

He’s a tremendous ball runner, using his pace to trouble the defensive lines but now partnered with young Jake Arthur, Brown will have far more playmaking and organising responsibilities.

The positive for the Eels is they have Reed Mahoney at hooker and Clint Gutherson at fullback who can also step up to help Brown while Moses out.

Pre match predictions

Krismas in July: Seb Kris to celebrate Xmas in July with a double.

The length of the Shield: Harley Smiths-Shields to run over the length of the field, 100m, with the footy to go with three tackle busts in a solid return game from injury.

Other match details

The Raiders match is the first of a double header at Cbus Super Stadium with the Storm vs Knights to play straight after.

The match will be broadcast live on Channel Nine and Fox League channel 502 at 7.30pm. It is also available to stream on Kayo.

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

Gates open 6.50pm

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