NRL PREVIEW ROUND 23: RAIDERS V ROOSTERS

Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters
Sunday, August 19, 4.10pm
GIO Stadium, Canberra

The Roosters have won five matches in a row but face an uphill task if they want to extend their winning streak to six when they go to Canberra on Sunday. The visitors have lost seven of their past nine matches at GIO Stadium dating back to 2005, with their wins coming in the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Recent form

The Sydney Roosters are Premiership favourites and on top of the National Rugby League ladder with just three rounds to play. A gritty 18-14 win against South Sydney when they were on the back foot in the final 20 minutes is what Premiership teams are made of. A win on Sunday will go a long way to assuring the Chooks a top-two finish, with the Brisbane Broncos and Parramatta Eels awaiting them in the final two rounds. Canberra is out of finals contention and have lost their past four matches, conceding over 22 points in each of those games.

Stats That Matter

• Canberra is 4-6 ATS at GIO Stadium this season.
• The Raiders have scored the most points (509) and tries (86) of any side in the competition in 2018.
• By contrast, the Roosters have conceded the fewest points (315) in the National Rugby League this season, while allowing only 48 tries.
• In 28 day games at GIO Stadium during the past three seasons, the total points has gone over 19 times.
• Roosters centre Latrell Mitchell (196) has scored the most points of any player in the competition this season. His teammate Blake Ferguson leads the league in run metres at 4,172 metres.

Final thoughts

The Wolf knows that Roosters coach Trent Robinson has been refining his powerhouse side as the year has gone on. Like a fine wine, the Chooks have gotten better with each passing week and should relish the chance to put a big score past the Raiders. Canberra are done in 2018 and against a more motivated side, they could leak a big score on Sunday afternoon.

How It Shapes Up

Sydney by 16.

Recommended Bets

Best: Sydney 13+ ($2.50)

Value: Sydney 11-20 ($4.50)

First Tryscorer: Joseph Manu ($17)