The Titans and Raiders kick off a huge Saturday of action with both sides looking to find some momentum after a sluggish start to the season.
Last year's minor premiers Canberra have won just three games but they arrive on the Gold Coast with a 20-13 overall record against the Titans and wins in the past six matches between the two sides.
From there it's off to CommBank Stadium for a twilight showdown between the high-flying Warriors and the injury-hit Eels, who came back to earth with a bang at Brookie last Sunday after stunning the Bulldogs at home a week earlier.
Our final instalment on a bumper Saturday of action promises to be an absolute cracker with the Roosters and Broncos renewing their rivalry at Allianz Stadium.
Both are coming off impressive wins in Anzac Round and both sit inside the top eight so we are in for a treat as James Tedesco and Reece Walsh match motors and wily veterans Daly Cherry-Evans and Adam Reynolds bring 674 games of NRL experience to the table.
All eyes will be on Roosters winger Daniel Tupou, who needs just one try to join Billy Slater in third place on the all-time tryscoring list behind Alex Johnston and Ken Irvine.
Follow all the action from Round 9 of the NRL Telstra Premiership on NRL.com's live blog.
Titans v Raiders at Cbus Super Stadium
Match: Titans v Raiders
Round 9 -
home Team
Titans
13th Position
away Team
Raiders
14th Position
Venue: Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
21 min: Kaeo Weekes takes the first pass off the ruck 40 metres out from the tryline and slices past Jayden Campbell to race away and post the Raiders' third try. Ethan Sanders can't convert from touch. Raiders 16-0
20 min: Jed Stuart climbs high to bring down a bomb just short of the Titans line but the ball goes loose as he tries to get an offload away.
17 min: A probing run on the right edge by Jojo Fifita puts the Titans in good position but his offload is too high for Jayden Campbell who spills it.
Simi Sasagi 2nd Try
13 min: Make it a double for Simi Sasagi after some great lead-up work by Kaeo Weekes who bamboozled the defence with some fancy stepping. Ethan Sanders converts. Raiders 12-0
10 min: A slick Titans backline move to the right wing but Sialetili Faeamani puts the ball down with the line wide open.
8 min: Daine Laurie comes up with a great slips catch off a Lachlan Ilias chip kick and races away to put the Raiders on the attack but Simi Sasagi's last-tackle kick is too big and rolls dead.
Simi Sasagi Try
5 min: The Raiders strike first through Simi Sasagi who pulls his way through the tackle of Arama Hau to score adjacent to the posts. Ethan Sanders converts. Raiders 6-0
4 min: Phil Sami comes up with a great take from a bomb but the Titans turn the ball over five metres out from their line when Beau Fermor makes a mess of the play-the-ball.
Late Mail
Titans: The Titans are 1-19 with no game day changes. Chris Randall returns from a calf injury and will line up at lock. Randall's comeback will see Cooper Bai shift to the interchange. AJ Brimson is also back on deck after missing Round 7 for the birth of his child and slots straight back into the centres.
Raiders: Kaeo Weekes moves from fullback to five-eighth after Ethan Strange was ruled with an ankle injury. Daine Laurie is the new fullback. Owen Pattie has been added to the bench. Morgan Smithies and Joe Roddy were elevated to the starting side 90 minutes before kick-off with Jayden Brailey and Ata Mariota going to the bench.
Numbers Game
- The Titans have not defeated the Raiders at Cbus Super Stadium since 2018.
- The Raiders have won their last six games against the Titans.
- Titans centre Jojo Fifita has scored four tries in his last four games against the Raiders.
- Raiders centre Matt Timoko has scored six tries in six games against the Titans.
- Titans second-rower Beau Fermor will make his 100th NRL appearance.
Eels v Warriors at CommBank Stadium
Match: Eels v Warriors
Round 9 -
home Team
Eels
15th Position
away Team
Warriors
2nd Position
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Numbers Game
- The Eels have won six of their last seven games against the Warriors.
- The Warriors will play their 400th premiership game in Australia.
- Eels winger Josh Addo-Carr has scored 12 tries in his last nine games at CommBank Stadium.
- Warriors winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira has scored try doubles in all four games he has played against the Eels.
- The Eels are ranked 17th for defence; conceding an average of 35 points per game.
Roosters v Broncos at Allianz Stadium
Match: Roosters v Broncos
Round 9 -
home Team
Roosters
5th Position
away Team
Broncos
8th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL