A monster clash with huge finals ramifications will bring down the curtain on the NRL Telstra Premiership regular season.
If the Knights lose to the Dragons on Saturday night, the Sharks and Raiders will be squaring off for fifth place and a home final in week one of the play-offs.
Should the Cowboys beat the Panthers and then the Knights beat the Dragons, the Raiders could drop out of the eight altogether with a loss given their inferior points differential.
The stage is set for a cracking contest in front of a full house at PointsBet Stadium as both sides look to rebound from losses and take some momentum into the finals.
When they met in Round 3 in Canberra it was the Green Machine skipping out to a 24-10 lead early in the second half before holding off a late Sharks comeback to prevail 24-20.
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Team News
Sharks: There are no further late changes after Oregon Kaufusi was added to the bench on Saturday with Matt Moylan dropping out. Nicho Hynes returns after missing the Knights game with a quad injury and is a vital inclusion. Kayal Iro is 18th man.
Raiders: Ata Mariota starts in the front row, while Hohepa Puru joins the run-on side at lock, with both Corey Horsburgh and Josh Papalii out. Jack Wighton is set to play centre again with Matt Frawley the preferred option at five-eighth, while Jamal Fogarty is good to go despite suffering a facial injury against the Broncos. Trey Mooney is included on the bench.
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Stat Attack
- Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes has engaged the line 202 times this season, more than any other player in the NRL.
- The Sharks and Raiders have played 48 times in the NRL era with the Raiders holding a slender 25-23 advantage.
- The Sharks have won five of their past seven games at PointsBet Stadium.
- The Raiders have won their past nine games against the Sharks.
- Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo has scored 11 tries in his past eight games at PointsBet Stadium.
- Raiders fullback Jordan Rapana will make his 200th NRL appearance.
- Sharks centre Jesse Ramien has scored a try in his past four games at PointsBet Stadium.
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Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.