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Canterbury Bulldogs $1.16 vs Wests Tigers $5.50 at Sportsbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Canterbury Bulldogs $1.16 vs Wests Tigers $5.50 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:

Canterbury Bulldogs	1.16	1.17	1.16	1.17	1.16	1.17
Wests Tigers	5.50	5.25	5.50	5.25	5.50	5.50

Preview:

Last year’s Grand Finalists, The Bulldogs, finally registered their first win of the season last week 24-8 over a Sharks outfit also struggling to find form.

It wasn’t the prettiest win but a win none-the-less and one that, combined with the return of several big name players this week including James Graham, will give the Dogs some much needed confidence and momentum heading into this game.

The Tigers poor season to date, which sees them fourteenth on the ladder with only two wins over Parramatta and Penrith to their credit, was put under further pressure last week with not only a loss to Brisbane but several major injuries to key players leaving the Tiger’s roster a shadow of it’s former self.

Canterbury have won each of the four matches between the two sides in the past two seasons and look to have a lot more upside leading into this game when compared to their opponents.

Both teams, not surprisingly, have struggled to score points in the past month and only once in a combined eight games, have one of these sides registered more than 20 points.

Teams:

Canterbury Bulldogs:
Ben Barba, Mitch Brown, Josh Morris, Tim Lafai, Sam Perrett, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis (c), Martin Taupau, Tony Williams, Frank Pritchard, Greg Eastwood
Interchange: Dene Halatau, Josh Jackson, James Graham, Dale Finucane, Tim Browne (one to be omitted)

Wests Tigers:
James Tedesco, Marika Koroibete, Joel Reddy, Bodene Thompson, Matt Utai, Curtis Sironen, Jacob Miller, Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah (c), Jack Buchanan, Liam Fulton, Adam Blair, Sean Spence.
Interchange: Ben Murdoch-Masila, Eddy Pettybourne, Suaso Sue, Tim Simona, Ava Seumanufagai (one to be omitted)

Tigers may punt on NRL rookie Brooks

He’s Wests Tigers halfback of the future, but skipper Robbie Farah doesn’t know if that future should arrive Friday night against Canterbury for 18-year-old sensation Luke Brooks.

The Tigers are facing a halves crisis after it was was confirmed that Tim Moltzen, the third player handed the No.7 jumper this season, would miss the rest of the season to undergo a knee reconstruction.

Moltzen was one of three players along with Chris Lawrence (hamstring) and Blake Ayshford (ankle) who failed to finish Saturday night’s 20-10 loss to Brisbane.

With Benji Marshall (toe) and Braith Anasta (groin) already sidelined, coach Michael Potter is contemplating throwing teenager Brooks into the halfback hotseat with just six games of under 20s football under his belt.

That Potter is even considering Brooks shows just how far Jacob Miller – who started the year as first choice halfback – has fallen down the pecking order after failing to impose himself over the opening four rounds of the competition.

Another quiet game for the Tigers’ feeder side in the NSW Cup on Saturday would not have helped his chances of a recall, but Farah fears the club may be risking Brooks’ future by rushing him into a side which could be missing ten first-choice players against the Bulldogs.

“He’s definitely a player of the future but you don’t want to throw him in there too early in an injury-depleted team,” Farah told Triple M’s NRL coverage on Sunday.

“It could do him more (harm) than good.

“We’re trying to be patient with him, give him a bit of time to build his game in the under 20s and the NSW Cup.

“But it might be a matter of the coach making a tough decision to throw him in there.”

Asked how Brooks – who impressed playing for the NSW under 20s side against Queensland last weekend – would handle the step up against a physical Bulldogs outfit, Farah said: “I’ve got no doubt he’ll handle it.

“(But) it would be tough throwing him in there and expecting him to play the rest of the year.

“I’m sure he could do a job for a couple of weeks, but we’re trying to be patient with him.

“He’s still only 18-years old so he’s got a long time ahead of him.”

Ayshford and Lawrence were both having scans on Sunday, the results of which were expected on Monday, though neither is considered any chance of taking on the Bulldogs.

Winger Marika Koroibete is a chance of returning from a foot injury, but Marshall is at least another fortnight away from making his comeback.