Raiders v Titans: Schneider takes reins again; Same 17 for Holbrook
The Raiders will want to move on quickly from a below-par performance in Townsville which took some of the gloss off a courageous first-up win over the Sharks.
Ricky Stuart's men had just 44 per cent of the ball against the Cowboys and completed at just 56 per cent, giving themselves virtually no hope of coming away with a win.
The Titans are 1-1 on the back of a narrow loss to Parramatta and a narrow win over the Warriors, both games showcasing their attacking flair and defensive frailties in equal portions.
With AJ Brimson looking right at home in the No.6 and Toby Sexton more composed each week in the No.7 they'll head to GIO Stadium confident of emulating their 44-6 triumph in round 16 last year when 11 of their 17 players ran for more than 100 metres.
Sportsbet Betting preview: Raiders v Titans
The Rundown
Team news
Raiders: A late switch at hooker with Matt Frawley starting the game and Tom Starling going to the bench. Ryan Sutton was the last man omitted an Xavier Savage is 18th man.
Nick Cotric (quad) dropped out of the squad on Friday, replaced by Seb Kris. Experienced outside back Jordan Rapana (suspension) returns on the wing with James Schiller dropping out.
Brad Schneider (COVID protocols) is back in the No.7.
Titans: No late changes on game day.
Justin Holbrook has gone with the same 17 which got the job done against the Warriors in round two.
New signing Jamayne Isaako was listed among the reserves on Tuesday after making the immdediate switch from the Broncos but he was omitted on Friday when the squad was cut to 19.
Match: Raiders v Titans
Round 3 -
home Team
Raiders
away Team
Titans
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Raiders is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-KlokstadFullback for Titans is number 1 Jayden Campbell
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Winger for Raiders is number 5 Jordan RapanaWinger for Titans is number 2 Phillip Sami
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Centre for Raiders is number 3 Matthew TimokoCentre for Titans is number 3 Brian Kelly
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Centre for Raiders is number 4 Semi ValemeiCentre for Titans is number 4 Patrick Herbert
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Winger for Raiders is number 21 Sebastian KrisWinger for Titans is number 5 Greg Marzhew
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Five-Eighth for Raiders is number 6 Jack WightonFive-Eighth for Titans is number 6 AJ Brimson
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Halfback for Raiders is number 7 Brad SchneiderHalfback for Titans is number 7 Toby Sexton
Forwards
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Prop for Raiders is number 8 Josh Papali'iProp for Titans is number 8 Moeaki Fotuaika
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Hooker for Raiders is number 14 Matt FrawleyHooker for Titans is number 9 Erin Clark
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Prop for Raiders is number 10 Joseph TapineProp for Titans is number 10 Isaac Liu
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2nd Row for Raiders is number 11 Hudson Young2nd Row for Titans is number 11 David Fifita
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2nd Row for Raiders is number 12 Corey Harawira-Naera2nd Row for Titans is number 12 Beau Fermor
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Lock for Raiders is number 13 Elliott WhiteheadLock for Titans is number 13 Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
Interchange
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Interchange for Raiders is number 9 Tom StarlingInterchange for Titans is number 14 Will Smith
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Interchange for Raiders is number 15 Emre GulerInterchange for Titans is number 15 Sam Lisone
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Interchange for Raiders is number 16 Adam ElliottInterchange for Titans is number 16 Jaimin Jolliffe
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Interchange for Raiders is number 17 Corey HorsburghInterchange for Titans is number 17 Kevin Proctor
Reserves
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Replacement for Raiders is number 18 Xavier SavageReplacement for Titans is number 20 Jarrod Wallace
Match Officials
- Referee: Chris Sutton
- Touch Judge: Phil Henderson
- Senior Review Official: Steve Chiddy
Last updated:
Key match-up
Jack Wighton v AJ Brimson: It took Brimson less than a minute to stamp his authority on the Titans' round two clash with the Warriors, busting the defence and sending Beau Fermor away for the opening try. Brimson last played five-eighth in 2019 but gives every indication he has the finesse and flair to be a huge success in the No.6. Wighton is Canberra's go-to man when they need a spark and the 2020 Dally M Medal winner rarely lets his team down, as evidenced by his eight tackle breaks in a losing cause against the Cowboys.
Stat attack
The Titans have come up with 10 line breaks in the opening two rounds compared to just five for the Raiders. Wingers Phil Sami and Greg Marzhew have been a constant threat in attack and posted two line breaks each. Between them Sami and Marzhew ran for a whopping 431 metres against the Warriors.
