SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th, 2025. GIO STADIUM CANBERRA 4.05pm.
Raiders and Broncos Set for a Finals Blockbuster at GIO Stadium
Sunday in Canberra promises to shake the very foundations of GIO Stadium as two genuine premiership heavyweights collide for a place in the preliminary final. The minor premiers, the Raiders, welcome the fourth-placed Broncos to town, with not only bragging rights on the line but also the golden prize of a week’s rest in the gruelling finals campaign.
The field will be lit with match-ups to savour: electric fullbacks Kaeo Weekes and Reece Walsh going stride for stride, cool-headed playmakers Jamal Fogarty and Ben Hunt pulling the strings, and pack leaders Joe Tapine and Payne Haas laying the platform in the trenches. Every corner of the park offers a duel worth watching.
History adds spice to the occasion. Their only clash this season came back in Round 2, when Canberra’s Seb Kris, Hudson Young, and Zac Hosking inspired a 32-22 victory. And while the clubs have met in just three finals before—1990, 1993, and 1995—those battles became part of rugby league folklore, when legends like Laurie Daley, Brett Mullins, and Ricky Stuart squared off against Kevin Walters, Allan Langer, and Glenn Lazarus.
Now, a new generation writes the story. Canberra’s 31-year wait for glory hangs in the balance, just as Brisbane chase their own redemption after 19 years without a title. Seb Kris returns to bolster the Raiders’ backline after missing Round 26, while Simi Sasagi shifts to the bench and Noah Martin makes way. Veteran Josh Papalii has bravely been named despite an ankle scare, and English forward Matty Nicholson sits in reserve after a steady comeback from a serious leg injury.
The stage is set. For the Raiders and the Broncos, Sunday is more than a qualifying final—it’s a chance to carve their names into history.
Raiders:
1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Savelio Tamale 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Jed Stuart 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali’i 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine , 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Corey Horsburgh Bench: 14. Owen Pattie 15. Simi Sasagi 16. Morgan Smithies 17. Ata Mariota Reserves: 18. Matt Nicholson 19. Danny Levi, 20. Ethan Sanders 21. Noah Martin 22. Trey Mooney.
Broncos Shuffle the Deck as Finals Pressure Mounts
The Broncos head into their biggest challenge yet still without their captain. Adam Reynolds, sidelined with a hamstring injury, leaves the playmaking reins once more in the hands of Ben Hunt and Billy Walters. The duo will be tasked with steering the side through the high-stakes clash, their combination carrying the hopes of Brisbane’s attack.
Off the field, discipline has forced another reshuffle. Centre Gehamat Shibasaki, stood down last week for breaching team standards, has earned a recall, slotting back into the lineup. His return pushes Deine Mariner out to the wing, while Jesse Arthars finds himself shifted to 18th man.
There’s also a glimmer of hope in the pack. Back-rower Jack Gosiewski has been named among the reserves as he eyes a return from a collarbone injury, giving the Broncos a potential boost in experience and steel should he be called upon.
For Brisbane, it’s another test of adaptability—reshaping their side while keeping their finals dream alive.
Broncos:
1. Reece Walsh 2. Josiah Karapani 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Gehamat Shibasaki , 5. Deine Mariner 6. Billy Walters 7. Ben Hunt 8. Corey Jensen 9. Cory Paix 10. Payne Haas , 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan Bench: 14. Tyson Smoothy , 15. Kobe Hetherington 16. Ben Talty 17. Jaiyden Hunt Reserves: 18. Jesse Arthars , 19. Fletcher Baker 20. Delouise Hoeter 21. Jack Gosiewski 22. Jock Madden.
Key Stats
The Raiders have won only one of their past four finals games.
The Broncos have lost four of their last five games at GIO Stadium.
The Raiders have won nine of their 10 games at GIO Stadium this season.
Broncos fullback Reece Walsh has scored six tries in his last five games.
Raiders five-eighth Ethan Strange has scored seven tries in his last six games at GIO Stadium.
Officials
Referee, Ashley Klein, Touch Judges, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Kieren Irons, Bunker, Chris Butler.
Raiders and Broncos Poised for a Finals Thriller in Canberra
I might have called Sharks vs. Roosters the game of the weekend, but come Sunday afternoon, the Raiders and Broncos could well have me holding that thought—and maybe even holding their beers. Both sides have lit up the run home with free-flowing attack and tries from anywhere on the park. Ignore Canberra’s reserve-grade slip-up against the Dolphins last week, and you’ll see two teams in blistering form, primed for a showdown.
If the conditions play fair, this promises to be a cracker. The Raiders, buoyed by the fortress of GIO Stadium, will be eager to stamp their authority and remind Brisbane whose house they’ve entered. For the Broncos, the pain of that 2023 grand final defeat to Penrith still lingers, and every tackle, every play, will be driven by the hunger to go one better this time around.
So, settle in. Expect fireworks, expect drama, and expect a contest worthy of September. With home ground advantage, Canberra might just edge it—but as a proud Queenslander, my heart says the Broncos in a nail-biter.
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