The final match of the first week of finals is the second elimination match with Canterbury up against Newcastle.
Canterbury have experienced a hectic season both on the field, off the field and at times, an injury list as long as your arm but, they put enough wins together in the second of the competition to secure 6th spot.
Their opponents walked a finals tight-rope for the past six weeks but managed to win when they needed to and claimed 7th position.
Canterbury travelled to Brisbane last week and in losing 16 – 11, continued a frustrating sequence of win/loss results that has stretched back for five weeks.
Last week’s loss was not the ideal hit-out coming into the finals and the Bulldogs have been, very uncharacteristically, playing in patches.
Coash Hasler free admits that, if they are to venture past the first week of the finals, a significant improvement will be required.
Five-eighth Josh Reynolds is the key for the Bulldogs but he’ll need to be supported by his outside backs, especially the centre pairing of Inu and Lafai if they are to find holes in the big Knights backline.
Newcastle, by winning three of their last five game – the two most recent against sides outside of the eight, scrabbled to a finals berth.
The Knights had a confidence boosting win over the wooden-spooners Parramatta last week 54 – 6.
That was only the second time in the past six matches that they’ve posted a tally greater than 20 points and they’ll need to score more than that here to avoid playing to Canterbury’s strength and being involved in an arm-wrestle.
The Knight’s left-hand side attack is their main weapon and it has been good in recent weeks.
This is where Newcastle will direct most of their attention with fullback Boyd and winger McManus, crossing for a combined tally of 29 tries this season.
Newcastle has won both clashes this year and three of their last four.
Wouldn’t have thought when the markets were posted, that there was as much difference as their respective prices suggested.
TIP: NEWCASTLE 1 – 12.
Odds comparison by NRL Odds:
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 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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| Canterbury Bulldogs | 1.55 | 1.58 | 1.62 | 1.58 | 1.55 | 1.57 |
|
Newcastle Knights
|
2.50 | 2.45 | 2.30 | 2.45 | 2.50 | 2.40 |
Teams:
Canterbury Bulldogs:
Josh Morris, Mitch Brown, Tim Lafai, Krisnan Inu, Sam Perrett, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis, James Graham, Tony Williams, Josh Jackson, Dale Finucane. Interchange: Dene Halatau, Sam Kasiano, Tim Browne, Ben Barba
Newcastle Knights:
Darius Boyd, James McManus, Dane Gagai, Joey Leilua, Akuila Uate, Jarrod Mullen, Tyrone Roberts, David Fa’alogo, Danny Buderus, Willie Mason, Robbie Rochow, Beau Scott, Jeremy Smith. Interchange: Matt Hilder, Chris Houston, Neville Costigan, Alex McKinnon
