Each week in 2016 bulldogs.com.au will take a look at the opposition for the week and what the players think about coming up against the men in blue and white.
The Bulldogs are unchanged for Chase Stanley's 100th game and Tony Williams's 150th NRL games and will be looking to make it four wins from five starts in 2016.
The Raiders welcome back their superstar halves pairing just in time to face the table-topping Bulldogs for what should be a cracking clash at the historic Belmore Oval on Monday night.
During the week a number of their players spoke about the battle on Monday night.
Joey Leilua:
“It will be a good challenge for myself. I can't wait to play against the Bulldogs. It's exciting to have Blake Austin back for the game. He has that X factor.”
“Belmore is like a home to me. It's only down the road from my house. All my family and friends will be there to watch and support. I don't want to let them down.”
Kurt Baptise:
"Bulldogs are playing some good football at the moment. They have a good side right across the park. We will definitely need to be on our game and be better than we have been."
"There will be a good crowd at Belmore and I'm sure the fans will be fired up for the game. It's going to be a tough game."
Paul Vaughan:
“The Bulldogs have a massive forward pack. If we can have a good start, we will be half way there. Hopefully we can control their forwards, but it will be a good test for us.”
“You want to be coming up against the best packs and to prove yourself. That’s what we’ll be doing this week.”
Blake Austin:
"There's none more physical in the competition than the Bulldogs and they're going to test us. We're up for the challenge and it's going to be a great chance to see where we're at as a team.”
"Hats off to the Bulldogs for taking a game back to a suburban ground. We're in a day and age where we're driven by commercial dollar. It's a spiritual home for them but I'm sure it'll be something we get a kick out of as well.”
NRL: Bulldogs v Raiders, Monday April 4, Belmore Sports Ground, 7pm
