In yet another intriguing match-up scheduled for this round, Canterbury will host Penrith who have kept their season alive with two good wins in as many weeks.

Canterbury are on 28 points and sixth spot on the ladder, three points clear of a Newcastle (7th) and four in front of a host of teams including the Panthers.

With an away game in Brisbane in round 26, the Dogs must win here to ensure they are not caught up in the traffic-jam of teams beneath them. Especially when their For and Against is marginal.

Despite scoring four tries apiece, the Dogs fell short by eight points against an in-form South Sydney last week.

A slow start proved costly for the Dogs and is something they’ll have to remedy this week and for the finals.

Following a win over the Warriors in New Zealand (28 -24), Penrith consolidated that effort with a 28 – 12 win over Brisbane last week.

Luke Walsh’s kicking game was outstanding and it kept Brisbane under pressure. It will need to be spot on again as the Dogs, unlike the Broncos last week, will make the Panthers earn every point the hard way.

Whilst the Dogs are clear favourites, the Panthers will be buoyed by the record of the Dogs. They have won three of the past four matches and seven of the last ten.

With it all at stake for these two sides, expect a physical encounter as two good-size forward packs go at it to gain the upper hand.

There’s not much between the packs and it could come down to some individuals to create the difference and on this front, Canterbury have a few more to choose from.

TIP: BULLDOGS 1 – 12

Odds Comparison by NRL odds:

Canterbury Bulldogs	1.42	1.34	1.37	1.34	1.42	1.43
Penrith Panthers	2.85	3.25	3.20	3.25	2.85	2.85

Teams:

Canterbury Bulldogs:
Josh Morris, Mitch Brown, Krisnan Inu, Tim Lafai, Sam Perrett, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis, James Graham, Tony Williams, Josh Jackson, Dale Finucane. Interchange: Dene Halatau, Lachlan Burr, Tim Browne, Martin Taupau

Penrith Panthers:
Lachlan Coote, Josh Mansour, Lewis Brown, Dean Whare, David Simmons, Isaac John, Luke Walsh, Sam McKendry, Kevin Kingston, Tim Grant, Clint Newton, Sika Manu, Ryan Simpkins. Interchange: James Segeyaro, Nathan Smith, Jeremy Latimore, Mose Masoe, Matt Moylan