Mbye, Maitua on bench for Bulldogs

Canterbury are set to put faith in eight-game rookie Moses Mbye at hooker for Sunday’s grand final against South Sydney.

Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has named the 21-year-old on an extended bench and it’s expected he will be promoted to the starting hooker position once Michael Ennis has been officially ruled out of the premiership decider.

As expected, Ennis has been named at No.9, but on Tuesday told reporters he’d need a miracle to recover from two fractured bones in his foot.

Hasler was coy about who would take over from Ennis, however his 19-man squad for grand final day gives away some clues.

Utility Mbye has played eight matches this season and is expected to slot into dummy half.

Five-eighth Josh Reynolds would most likely interchange with him throughout the match under that scenario, given Mbye wouldn’t be up to playing 80 minutes.

However, the other option for Hasler would be to play veteran Reni Maitua, who is named in jersey 20.

Maitua has plenty of experience at back row and five-eighth, but could also pitch in at dummy half.

Reserve grade hooker Damien Cook hasn’t been named in the squad, and although that doesn’t completely rule him out, it would appear unlikely he would play the grand final.

Halfback Trent Hodkinson has been named despite his ongoing knee problem and he declared himself fit to play.

South Sydney have made one change from the side which battered the Sydney Roosters in the preliminary final, with back rower Ben Te’o rewarded for a blockbusting performance by being promoted to the starting side.

Kyle Turner drops back to the interchange bench as a result.

South Sydney: Greg Inglis, Alex Johnston, Dylan Walker, Kirisome Auva’a, Lote Tuqiri, Luke Keary, Adam Reynolds, George Burgess, Issac Luke, Dave Tyrrell, Ben Te’o, John Sutton (capt), Sam Burgess. Interchange: Jason Clark, Kyle Turner, Chris McQueen, Thomas Burgess, Ben Lowe, Luke Burgess, Bryson Goodwin

Canterbury: Sam Perrett, Corey Thompson, Josh Morris, Tim Lafai, Mitch Brown, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis (capt), James Graham, Josh Jackson, Tony Williams, Greg Eastwood, Interchange: Tim Browne, Dale Finucane, David Klemmer, Frank Pritchard, Moses Mbye, Reni Maitua

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