Sunday last NRL Week 1 match is between Canterbury Bulldogs and Newcastle Knights with the opening kick to commence at 4pm local time. The game is to be played at ANZ Stadium which see’s home team Canterbury Bulldogs hold favouritism in the market. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between Canterbury Bulldogs and Newcastle Knights.

WHERE AND WHEN: ANZ Stadium, 4pm

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Opening odds comparison:

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

Preview:

The last match of finals week 1 sees the Canterbury Bulldogs playing the Newcastle Knights, kicking off on Sunday, 4.00pm at ANZ Stadium. The Bulldogs have not looked
too threatening this year, finishing 6th and suffering their fair share of off-field turmoil. They have also lost a number of matches over the last few weeks, including losses to the Broncos, Rabbitohs, and Titans. Saying that however, they will be favourites to win this match and know what needs to be done after making the Grand Final last year.

The Knights ended the regular season in 7th position, after winning 12, losing 11 and drawing 1 game. Unlike the Bulldogs, they have momentum on their side this
weekend, after beating the Broncos and Eels in the last two rounds. Dariuis Boyd is also in great form at the moment, after scoring four tries and running for a total of 467
metres during the last 3 games. Both teams are capable of winning here, with the question being whether the inconsistent Bulldogs can upset the recent Newcastle
groove.

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

Bulldogs can defy NRL history: Hasler

Coach Des Hasler has faith Canterbury can become the first team to win the NRL from outside the top four as they prepare for Sunday’s elimination clash against Newcastle.

No club in the NRL or AFL has won their respective titles from outside the top four under the current finals format, putting the odds firmly against the sixth-ranked Bulldogs going one better than last year’s grand final berth.

But Hasler said he was confident his players could draw blood when it mattered most, starting with the elimination final against the seventh-ranked Knights.

“I think the belief is quite strong,” Hasler said on Thursday.

“They’ve played in a grand final before and they’ve played in a finals series. We’ve had one of those years that you’ve all documented pretty well.”

That somewhat fractured season has seen the Bulldogs snatch victory from top-four teams only twice – a 32-30 golden point victory over Manly in June to go with trouncing a depleted Melbourne outfit 39-0 in July.

They also lost both their clashes with Newcastle, having copped a 44-8 pumping from the Knights back in May and an 18-12 defeat in July.

But Hasler said regular-season losses had little relevance to the completely different ball game of NRL finals.

“Most sides view it at this stage now in finals, (that) what’s happened throughout the year probably doesn’t count for much,” Hasler said on Thursday.

“Most of the sides prepare and play and react in such a way that they play in the moment.

“Those two games have well and truly gone.”

The two-time premiership-winning coach can count in his favour that the Knights have never beaten the same opponent three times in one season.

Playing at ANZ Stadium will also help, given Newcastle haven’t won a finals match in Sydney since the 2001 grand final when they defeated Parramatta 30-24 for the title.

Hasler prepares to field a near full-strength side after giant forward Sam Kasiano and elusive fullback Ben Barba made their returns from long injury layoffs last week.

He admitted Barba was suffering from “general soreness” off the back of last Thursday’s shock loss to Brisbane, but said last year’s Dally M Medal winner would probably get through on adrenaline.

“He’s one of those players. He’s a bit like a Brett Stewart, he’s a bit like an Inglis, he’s a bit like a Billy Slater, and all those players have … that X-factor,” he said.

More serious injury clouds are circling for forwards Frank Pritchard and Greg Eastwood.

Knee and groin problems threaten Pritchard’s return following two weeks’ suspension for a shoulder charge while Eastwood is still recovering from a broken hand.

“They’re a very good chance of not playing,” Hasler said.

“We’ve got the Sunday game so we’ll give those players as much time as we can. But we want to take in a strong squad.

“Sam Kasiano came through well last week. So we’ve got a lot of experience.”