By Alex Mitchell in Canberra

TWO hulking forward packs will clash in Auckland on Friday night with a top-four place on the line when the Warriors welcome Canberra to town.

On their first trip across the Tasman since 2019, the Raiders will look to avenge last month’s embarrassing 36-14 loss, when the Warriors crushed them on their home patch in Raider Jarrod Croker’s 300th match.

The fourth-placed Canberra add middle-forwards Corey Horsburgh (State of Origin), Josh Papali’i (hamstring) and Pasami Saulo (concussion) to a side that’s won three games on the trot.

They return just in time. A Warriors’ pack that already boasts red-hot middles Tohu Harris and Addin Fonua-Blake will be reinforced by inclusions Bunty Afoa and Marata Niukore as they chase their first top-four finish since 2007.

Ricky Stuart said having players return for the vital away trip was a huge boost for his side, and the Raiders boss has stacked his bench with three props and a reserve hooker to try to drag the Warriors into deep waters.

“It’s a good strong forward pack, we’ve had a good opportunity now coming off the bye to give a few players a rest, so that’s been handy,” he said.

“So we’re fresh and it’s been evident in our sessions, we’ve been nice and fast and we’re prepared well.

“Like every week, there’s always a little bit of change (on the bench); do you want to push an outside back on to the bench or whatnot?

“But I elected to go with three middles this week. It saves you if there’s a problem in the middle (where) you’d have to play blokes for longer minutes than normal.”

Neither side can afford too many slips if they’re to seal a double-chance but there’s more pressure on Canberra to score an upset in Auckland,  since four of their remaining games are against current top eight sides compared with just one for the Warriors.

Without setting the world on fire, the Raiders have won five of their past six games, including three straight between byes, to set their top-four platform.

“That was a really big challenge I put to the boys, we wanted to get into the bye with those three wins,” Stuart said.

“They were difficult games, they were games where we had to hang in there and we played really strong.

“Coming in fresh off the back of a bye, it’s important to continue the form.”