The Canberra Raiders have confirmed a mammoth blow on game day ahead of their clash with the Sharks while Stephen Crichton is pushing for a miracle comeback from an ankle injury.
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Read on for the Late Mail for the NRL semi-finals.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19
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Canberra Raiders vs. Cronulla Sharks at GIO Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
Raiders team: 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Savelio Tamale 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Jed Stuart 15. Simi Sasagi 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali’i 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Corey Horsburgh 14. Owen Pattie 16. Morgan Smithies 17. Ata Mariota 18. Matt Nicholson 19. Danny Levi 21. Ethan Sanders
Players cut: 6. Ethan Strange 20. Trey Mooney 22. Chevy Stewart
Late Mail: Five-eighth Ethan Strange is out after falling ill overnight, with the Raiders confirming in a statement that Simi Sasagi would come into the starting side to take his place with Matty Nicholson joining the bench. The Raiders do have Ethan Sanders as another option still on the extended bench but Ricky Stuart will likely opt for the safer, more experienced alternative in such a big game.
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3 Jesse Ramien 4. KL Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Toby Rudolf 11. Billy Burns 12. Teig Wilton 13. Jesse Colquhoun 14. Briton Nikora 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Braden Hamlin-Uele 18. Daniel Atkinson 21. Thomas Hazelton
Players cut: 19. Mawene Hiroti 20. Jayden Berrell 22. Hohepha Puru
Late Mail: Prop Thomas Hazelton is on track to return from a knee infection that saw him scratched from the win over the Roosters. If he is fit, Briton NIkora will likely start in the second row, with Billy Burns the unlucky man to drop out.
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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs. Penrith Panthers at Accor Stadium, 4:05pm AEST
Bulldogs team: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Matt Burton 5. Jethro Rinakama 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Toby Sexton 8. Max King 9. Bailey Hayward 10. Josh Curran 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Jaeman Salmon 14. Kurt Mann 15. Sitili Tupouniua 16. Harry Hayes 17. Reed Mahoney 19. Blake Wilson 20. Jake Turpin 21. Samuel Hughes 22. Marcelo Montoya 23. Stephen Crichton
Players cut:
Late Mail: Skipper Stephen Crichton is a long shot to return from an ankle injury but is doing everything in his power to return for the crunch semi-final. “I am hearing he is a bigger chance to play than most people think,” Braith Anasta said on NRL 360. The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read revealed the likely make-up of the team. “If Crichton plays, (Matt) Burton goes to No.6, (Lachie) Galvin to No.7, Bailey Hayward at hooker and Toby Sexton on the bench,” Read said on NRL 360. “That means Reed Mahoney won’t be in the team if Crichton plays. If Crichton doesn’t play, Burton shifts to the centres, Galvin to No.6 and Sexton to No.7 and Mahoney potentially starts the game with Hayward on the bench because it gives them a bit more versatility.” Crichton would likely need a needle to play and could risk further injury, but with their season on the line he will do everything he can to get on the field.
Panthers team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Paul Alamoti 3. Izack Tago 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To’o 6. Blaize Talagi 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Luke Sommerton 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Brad Schneider 15. Liam Henry 16. Isaiah Papali’i 17. Luke Garner 18. Thomas Jenkins 19. Matt Eisenhuth 20. Daine Laurie 21. Mavrik Geyer 22. Mitch Kenny
Players cut:
Late Mail: Hooker Mitch Kenny is racing the clock to return from a hamstring injury after being named in the reserves. If he is fit, he will likely start with Luke Sommerton dropping out. But if Kenny fails in his comeback bid, Brad Schneider would likely start at hooker with Sommerton shifting to the bench as happened in the win over the Warriors. “Hopefully (he plays) but he’s still got some work to do. He’s tracking OK so hopefully he gets through the next couple of days,” Ivan Cleary said on Friday.
PRELIMINARY FINALS TEAM NEWS
Broncos: Hopes of a longshot finals return for Broncos star Billy Walters have been dashed with confirmation that he’ll undergo a full knee reconstruction, ruling him out of the first part 2026.
Walters, 31 injured his knee in last Sunday’s epic 29-28 finals defeat of the Raiders in Canberra but an early diagnosis did not declare a full rupture of his ACL.
But a meeting with a specialist on Wednesday confirmed the devastating news that he would require the second knee reconstruction of his career. It’s the same knee he injured in 2020.
Walters is set to have surgery in the coming weeks and might not return until midway through next season given the nine to 12-month usual recovery timeline.
The loss of Walters, who was set to be a key part of the premiership push with doubts over the fitness of captain Adam Reynolds, comes on top of the Broncos being without crucial forward Pat Carrigan for the preliminary final next weekend in Brisbane.
After the win over the Raiders in Canberra to move within one win of a grand final return, Broncos coach Michael Maguire was unsure about Reynolds’ possible return.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“(Reynolds) is travelling well, and then you have to adjudicate how much players have been playing and the momentum of the side. I will look at the game and how we are moving and doing things.
“The boys are doing a good job, so it’s a nice place to be as a coach, to have decisions, and I will make them moving forward.”
– Newswire
Storm: To come.
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