The Toyota Forklift Canberra Raiders remain atop the ladder despite last weekend’s loss and will be aiming to bounce back when they take on the Manly-Warringah Sea-Eagles at GIO Stadium Canberra this Friday night.

In wet and windy conditions in Wollongong, the Raiders suffered their first loss since round 10, going down 18-12 to the Dragons.

After going into the half all levelled at 10 apiece, unforced errors let the Raiders down in the second half, with the Dragons holding steady to hand the Raiders their fourth loss of the season.

The Raiders are just hanging on to the top of the ladder, and with the Bulldogs’ loss over the weekend ensuring they remain a win clear with a bye still in hand.

Meanwhile, Manly suffered their second consecutive loss and have dropped down to 10th on the ladder with a 20-4 defeat against the Roosters.

Manly will be desperate to grab an upset and aim to push themselves into the top eight, while the Raiders hope to hang onto top spot and claim their first minor premiership since 1990.

Talking Points:

Both Kaeo Weekes and Zac Hosking will make their 50th appearance in the NRL this Friday.
The Raiders remain unchanged after their loss against the Dragons
Reuben Garrick has scored seven tries in his last four against the Raiders
Lehi Hopoate is out with injury, which sees Tom Trbojevic returns to fullback with Tommy Talua moving to the centres.
Michael Chee kam comes into the second row with Aaron Schoupp joining the interchange.
The Raiders have won nine from 10 at home this season
Manly have won nine of their last 12 at GIO Stadium

Last time they met:

Last time these two sides met, the Sea-Eagles defeated the Raiders 40-12 at 4 Pines Park during Round 3, 2025

Key Match-up:

Kaeo Weekes vs Tom Trbojevic

The pure athleticism, strength and leadership these two superstar fullbacks contain will play a major role in the outcome of the game this Friday, and they have both shown how vital they are in their team’s performance.

Kaeo Weekes has been a joy to watch for all Raiders fans this season and will only continue to improve as he gets more experience under his belt. Although having a rocky start to the season, Weekes has proved time and time again why he is up there with some of the star-lined fullbacks in the game.

Last month, Weekes took home the Rugby League Players Association player of the month with his star-studded performances. His running game has been taken to a new level over the last month and currently averages 153 running meters per game. His ability to split the defence is astonishing, and his hard work is paying off being one of the danger men in this Raiders attack.

Weekes’ tackle-breaking and scoring ability has been superb in recent weeks and is currently sitting in fourth place with 95 tackle breaks this season. Weekes had his greatest individual performance to date against the Dragons a month ago, including a try of the year nominee where he bumped off multiple defenders to score a length of the field four pointer.

With the added storyline of playing his former club, Kaeo Weekes will be raring to go in front of the Green Machine fans.

Meanwhile, Tom Trbojevic returns to the fullback position this week after spending the last couple of weeks in the centres. Every time Trbojevic puts on that number one jersey it is a warning alarm ringing for the other team. His strength and power as a fullback are unmatched. Although he is only averaging 3 tackle breaks per game, when he is in the mood, he can be one of the most dangerous fullbacks in the game.

Manly will be looking for their leader at the back throughout this game and has been one of Manly’s best when attacking through Tom Trobjevic. Although he has only played a total of 13 games this season, he has seen plenty of ball and has 8 try assists this season and ranks 36th in the NRL, which goes to show how vital he is playing in the Sea-Eagles’ attack.

‘Tommy Turbo’ hasn’t seen too much action this season, but when against the Green Machine, he loves to score a try. In his last 12 matches dating back to 2015, Trbojevic has scored 15 tries against the Raiders and will be looking to add more to his tally this Friday and will be looking to get his team up for a big performance to try to get on a winning run to make the top eight.

Head-to-Head

Since 1982, the Raiders have faced the Sea-Eagles 66 times, winning 24 of them for an efficiency rate of 36.36%