NRL: Canberra Raiders pack looks to atone defensively against Sydney Roosters

The Canberra Raiders pack took their soft middle personally and has vowed to set things right against the Sydney Roosters. It will be a refreshed Green Machine that looks to do it when they run out onto the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday, with Raiders prop Emre Guler stating they needed the bye after the massive build-up and subsequent disappointment of losing Jarrod Croker's 300th NRL game. The Raiders leaked three tries through the middle of their defensive line in their last outing as the New Zealand Warriors tore them to shreds in the second half. It stung Guler and his fellow forwards and they'd got stuck into making sure it didn't happen again when they returned from a week off on Tuesday. They'll look to atone against the Roosters in a big game in the context of both team's seasons. The seventh-placed Raiders are just one win ahead of the 11th-placed Roosters, but also just two wins off top spot. It will be the first time Canberra has played at the Sydney Football Stadium since its redevelopment. "We have a high standard in the middle. We don't let in tries through the middle," Guler said. "It was not too good for us middles. We take that personally so we really came out this week and started working on it from day one of training." Guler said they would also take it to the likes of Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. The Roosters have also named Queensland prop Lindsay Collins to back-up from Origin II, while Victor Radley has returned from suspension. Guler felt the Raiders starting props usually did well against the Roosters - backed up by the fact Josh Papali'i has scored three tries in his past five games against them. "I think our starters will do a good job - they always do against the Chooks," he said. The Raiders had a massive build-up in the lead-up to that Warriors loss, which was also Croker's 300th. It was a big letdown, off the back of a week of high emotions and the fact they were desperate to win for their co-captain. MORE RAIDERS NEWS Guler said the bye came at the perfect time with many players visiting family and friends as they refreshed. The 25-year-old returned to Sydney to do exactly that, but he said Canberra's leadership group had demanded they all hit the ground running on their return on Tuesday. "The bye came around at a good time - it was a huge week for Jarrod," Guler said. "Spewing we didn't get that win for him, but it came around at a good time. "The boys, probably more mentally than physically, needed a good rest. "I know a lot of the boys went away to see their families and came in refreshed and ready to go." Guler's been inspired by Corey Horsburgh's climb into the Maroons' State of Origin squad as 19th man and wanted to follow suit - albeit for the NSW Blues. The pair played for the Junior Kangaroos together in a 62-4 demolition of France in 2019 and have now established themselves as part of Canberra's forward pack. "I've done the junior stuff through Harold Matts [under 16s] and SG Ball [under 18s] and 20s," Guler said. "I've been lucky to have a few middles here that I've learnt so much off. Hopefully I can step up into that senior role in the next couple of years. "It's something I really want to do as part of my future is play Origin. I think that would be massive for me - I've been a Blues supporter my whole life." NRL ROUND 17 Sunday: Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders at the Sydney Football Stadium, 6.15pm. Raiders squad: 1. Sebastian Kris, 2. Albert Hopoate, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Matt Timoko, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Josh Papali'i, 9. Zac Woolford, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead (c), 13. Corey Horsburgh. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Nick Cotric, 17. Pasami Saulo. Reserves: 18. Matt Frawley, 19. Xavier Savage, 20. Ata Mariota, 21. Danny Levi, 22. Peter Hola. Roosters squad: 1. James Tedesco, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Billy Smith, 4. Joseph Manu, 5. Junior Pauga, 6. Luke Keary, 7. Sandon Smith, 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9. Jake Turpin, 10. Lindsay Collins, 11. Egan Butcher, 12. Sitili Tupouniua, 13. Victor Radley. Interchange: 14. Angus Crichton, 15. Nathan Brown, 16. Nat Butcher, 17. Naufahu Whyte. Reserves: 18. Terrell May, 19. Drew Hutchison, 20. Corey Allan, 21. Jaxson Paulo, 22. Zach Dockar-Clay. We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.