Canberra Raiders determined not to be overcome by emotion of NRLW history

It's a massive game in front of what could be a record-breaking crowd, but the Canberra Raiders were wary of not letting the emotion get to them. The Raiders will play their first NRLW home game - against the powerhouse Sydney Roosters at Canberra Stadium on Saturday - and they're hoping for a crowd of 7000 to beat the 6769 who turned up to the Raiders men's first home game in 1982. It's expected to be an emotional affair as the Green Machine looked to mark the historical occasion with a win. Kick off has been brought forward five minutes in the wake of the Brisbane-Gold Coast NRLW game going to golden point on Thursday night - to ensure there's enough time for the warm-ups for the second game of the double-header, with the Raiders' NRL game against the Newcastle Knights starting at 3pm. Raiders coach Darrin Borthwick encouraged fans to get there early given the amended time. He said they've spoken about making sure they don't let the emotion of the occasion get to them. Canberra's looking for their first NRLW win having lost their debut 28-14 to the Cronulla Sharks last weekend. MORE RAIDERS NEWS "Absolutely and that's something we've spoken about," Borthwick said when asked about handling the emotion. "Round one's out of the way now and I want the girls to enjoy walking in tomorrow and seeing the fans there. "But we've got a job to do and we've got a job against a really strong Roosters team that we'll be looking to fix up some of the stuff we didn't get right last week. "And we need to start well." The Roosters boast a star-studded side, including Millie Boyle, Isabelle Kelly, Jessica Sergis and Tarryn Aiken, with Borthwick saying the visitor's recruitment made them the benchmark of the NRLW. While the Green Machine know it's a tough task, they're determined to do their co-captains Simaima Taufa and Zahara Temara proud against their former club. Taufa's a former Roosters captain, having played three season with them before moving to the Parramatta Eels for the past two NRLWs - where she was also captain. Raiders halfback Temara spent the past five seasons with the Roosters, while her sister Chante Temara also played for the Bondi princesses. "We've spoken about it ... there is some motivation there for these girls that spent some time at the Roosters," Borthwick said. "I'm definitely sure we'll see a different [Raiders] side [on Saturday]." NRLW ROUND TWO Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters at Canberra Stadium, 12.45pm. Raiders squad: 1. Apii Nicholls, 2. Madison Bartlett, 3. Cheyelle Robins-Reti, 4. Mackenzie Wiki, 5. Shakiah Tungai, 6. Zahara Temara (c), 7. Ash Quinlan, 8. Tommaya Kelly-Sines, 9. Chanté Temara, 10. Sophie Holyman, 11. Monalisa Soliola, 12. Hollie-Mae Dodd, 13. Simaima Taufa (c). Interchange: 14. Emma Barnes, 15. Grace Kemp, 16. Kerehitina Matua, 17. Tara Reinke. Reserves: 18. Elise Smith, 20. Ella Ryan. Roosters squad: 1. Corban Baxter, 2. Brydie Parker, 3. Jessica Sergis, 4. Isabelle Kelly, 5. Jayme Fressard, 6. Tarryn Aiken, 7. Jocelyn Kelleher, 8. Millie Boyle, 9. Keeley Davis, 10. Mya Hill-Moana, 11. Otesa Pule, 12. Olivia Kernick, 13. Keilee Joseph. Interchange: 14. Shawden Burton, 15. Kalosipani Hopoate, 16. Lexi Kiriwi, 17. Joeli Morris. Reserves: 18. Teuila Fotu-Moala, 19. Lily Rogan. 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.