![Canberra Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty is looking forward to bringing another NRL game to Wagga, the first he will be able to play in. Picture by Keegan Carroll Canberra Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty is looking forward to bringing another NRL game to Wagga, the first he will be able to play in. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/J7tLankfguv74QY82b3G7h/fec4cb63-9d23-42ac-b302-ad3331bffd3c.jpg/r0_23_5246_3147_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
After missing out last year, Canberra Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty is looking to put on a show when the NRL returns to Wagga on Saturday.
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The Beaudesert product is in his second season with the club but was sidelined with a knee injury for his first trip to Wagga last year.
After growing up in a small town he knows the importance of the game.
"I love the regional games as I come from a small, regional town and know if I were a little kid and was able to have an NRL game at my junior club it would be the highlight of my life so it's good to go back and give to the community," Fogarty said.
"Obviously they are a rugby league town as well and I went there last year, obviously I didn't play but just to see how much the rugby league community gets behind the Raiders, the game in general and that it means so much for the people down there shows it's just an awesome concept the Raiders have going."
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Equex Centre hasn't been the happiest hunting ground for the Raiders, with one win from their three games there.
It's something Fogarty is looking to turnaround with both the Raiders and Dolphins coming into the clash with winning form.
Canberra scored two narrow wins heading into the bye last weekend but their rivals pulled off a big comeback to get the better of Gold Coast on Sunday.
While the week off could have stopped their momentum, Fogarty believes the break came at a good time for the club.
"We've had a couple of guys go through minor surgeries, a couple of broken jaws, broken hands, hamstrings, some niggling injuries throughout the club and obviously Jordan Rapana's 11-day stand down period for his HIA so he's available this weekend so I think it can at a really important time" he said.
"It was obviously a tough seven to weeks to start the season so to be three wins from seven games is a lot better than what we were.
"It will be nice to get everyone back on deck this week and next week, get our full strength team back out there and get as many games together as possible to build that cohesion and team flow to keep winning games moving forward."
![Jordan Rapana is set to take his place on the wing for the Raiders at Equex Centre on Saturday. Jordan Rapana is set to take his place on the wing for the Raiders at Equex Centre on Saturday.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/J7tLankfguv74QY82b3G7h/5893fc43-0342-4356-b1f7-20ef3dc661d8.jpg/r0_100_1955_1203_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Raiders are sitting 15th on the ladder with their points from the bye yet to be factored in ahead of the two Anzac Day games.
They've averaged 17 points so far this season but scoring more points is far from the focus for the side.
"I don't think scoring a whole lot of points bothers us or is our main priority moving forward, I think we just need to find any way to win at the bottom because the ladder is so tight you just need to win games whether it is by one point, two points or 20," Fogarty said.
"A win is a win at this stage and the more we get to play together with the same squad, without many changes, then I think we can sharpen up our attacking play and that will allow us to score more points.
"At this stage we're just happy to get any wins we can."
Canberra were on the end of a six-point loss to the Dolphins in round two.
The Raiders were in front for most of the clash and combined with their rivals 26-point comeback on Sunday, Fogarty believes it shows the competition newcomers will really fight to the finish.
"It just goes to show how good of a team they are, they are very resilient, having a great coaching staff that gives them belief they can do anything so we have to prepare really well this week," he said.
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