Canberra Raiders 2020 draw snapshot
- Author
- Timestamp
Here is all you need to know about the Canberra Raiders' 2020 Telstra Premiership draw.
The Lowdown
Teams they play twice
Titans, Warriors, Dragons, Sea Eagles, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Tigers, Roosters, Storm.
Teams they play once
Knights, Bulldogs, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Cowboys.
Day-by-day breakdown
Thursday - 1, Friday - 2, Saturday - 12, Sunday – 9.
Five-day turnarounds
1 (Round 3).
Kick-off
A rails run to start for the Raiders, with 2019 also-rans the Titans, Warriors and Dragons in their first three weeks. There is that five-day turnaround off the back of travelling to New Zealand before hosting Manly in round four, but with three of their first four games at home Canberra will expect to start 2020 the same way they finished this year.
Five key match-ups
Sea Eagles (Round 4, GIO Stadium): It's been a guaranteed nailbiter in recent years, with five games against Manly decided by four points or less since 2017. Raiders fans won't have forgotten Addin Fonua-Blake's post-match 'cry baby' routine after Manly's win in round 23 this year.
Panthers (Round 5, Panthers Stadium; Round 10 GIO Stadium): Always a few points and plenty of fun when these two sides square off and defence takes a back seat. Canberra's two wins in 2019 squared the overall ledger at 38 wins apiece with one draw way back in 1996, when Irish international Gavin Clinch stood opposite Ricky Stuart as Penrith's halfback.
Roosters (Round 11, HBF Park, Perth; Round 15, GIO Stadium): Canberra threw the kitchen sink and then some at the game's best defence in a gripping grand final, only to come up just short. A whole summer to stew on that should make for a decent showdown over in the west.
Storm (Round 13, AAMI Park; Round 25, GIO Stadium): Great mates Craig Bellamy and Ricky Stuart will grab a beer afterwards, but sparks typically fly for 80 minutes beforehand. Just ask Joey Leilua.
Sharks (Round 16, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium): Another rivalry with plenty of spice but little else between the two sides. Canberra prevailed 22-20 and 15-14 in two thrillers in 2019, spoiling Paul Gallen's last home game with a come-from-behind triumph and three Aidan Sezer field goals.
Toughest stretch
The Origin period. Canberra's slew of Englishmen and Kiwis should hold them in good stead throughout June, but a seven-game run featuring the Roosters in Perth, Melbourne away, the Warriors, Roosters again, Cronulla, Brisbane and Parramatta is tough no matter who's on the paddock. Their bye at least falls between the grand final re-match on May 23 and Origin I on June 3, before the likes of Josh Papalii, Jack Wighton and Nick Cotric are called on to back up against the Storm.
And another thing
Still no prime time free-to-air love for the Green Machine despite their grand final run. A round 3 Thursday night clash with the Dragons and then Manly the following Friday are their only games in the juiciest TV slots, but their seven games on free-to-air in total is still their best haul in a decade.
