Magic Round gets underway on Friday night with a clash between Canterbury and Canberra kicking off proceedings.
The Bulldogs have showed massive signs of improvement so far this season under Cameron Ciraldo, winning three of their past five matches.
Meanwhile, the Raiders – who have been boosted by the re-signing of coach Ricky Stuart – are fresh off the bye and have also won three of their past five games.
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Can Matt Burton force his way into the NSW Origin team?
New South Wales have been thrown into disarray just weeks out from the State of Origin opener with Nathan Cleary going down injured.
The Penrith halfback was assured of the No.7 jersey for the Blues, if he was fit.
Yet now he has been ruled out for up to two months a race to be appointed in the halves for Michael Maguire’s first side is heating up.
Mitch Moses and Nicho Hynes are the leading candidates, although both have also been struck down by injuries with no certainty around their return dates.
Tom Trbojevic has also suffered a hamstring injury, which has opened up a spot in the centres for the Blues.
MORE: New South Wales Blues predicted team list for Game I
Matt Burton didn’t feature in Origin last year although was included as 18th man on two separate occasions.
The playmaker’s form has been brilliant to start the season as he has steered Canterbury into the battle for a top eight spot, while scoring five tries and providing three assists.
He has already earned two caps for NSW although these were both while playing in the centres back in 2022.
Due to the mountain of injuries the Blues’ selectors are currently having to contend with though, the 24-year-old has put himself firmly in the mix for a recall either in the centres or at five-eighth.
And this case could be pushed even further with a starring role for the Dogs against the Raiders in Magic Round.
What channel is Raiders vs. Bulldogs on? How to watch or live stream the NRL tonight
Tonight's game is set to be broadcast live and exclusive on Fox League, with coverage due to begin at 5.00pm.
TV channel | Fox League |
Live stream |
This match, and every match across the regular season, will be available for live streaming and replay on Kayo Sports.
What time is the NRL tonight? Raiders vs. Bulldogs kickoff time
Friday's game between the Raiders and Bulldogs will kick off at 6.00pm AEST on May 17.
The game will be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
| Timezone | AEST | NZST |
| Kickoff time | 6.00pm | 8.00pm |
Raiders vs. Bulldogs Magic Round team lists
| RAIDERS TEAM LIST | BULLDOGS TEAM LIST |
1. Jordan Rapana 14. Tom Starling | 1. Connor Tracey 14. Bailey Hayward |
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