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Sport Nation
Raiders suffer major blow ahead of semi-final
Nicholas Quinlan • September 20th, 2025 4:52 pm
Ahead of their semi-final clash with Cronulla, the Raiders have been dealt a huge blow with star five-eighth Ethan Strange being ruled out.
According to the club, the 21-year-old has fallen ill overnight and is unable to take to the field.
To fill his spot in the halves, the Raiders will have Simi Sasagi come off the bench.
It will be 24-year-old’s first start for the side since Round 26 and the first time that he has played in the halves since his NSW Cup days back in 2021.
That will also see English import Matty Nicholson promoted from the 18th man onto the bench.
Strange has played an important role this season to help Canberra finish as minor premiers for the first time since 1990.
In the 24 games that Strange has played this season, he has managed 416 tackles, 88 tackle breaks and 14 tries, showing his influence on both sides of the ball.
The clash between Canberra and Cronulla will kick off at 7:50pm AEST at GIO Stadium on Saturday.
SEN’s coverage of the first semi-final will be available on its radio network and the SEN app from 7pm.
