Canterbury skipper Michael Ennis says his side’s mid-season 20-4 win over Melbourne in Mackay will count for nothing when the sides meet again in Sunday’s NRL grand final.
The Bulldogs have won 14 of their past 15 games and the round 16 victory over Storm featured one of the tries of the season when Ben Barba broke the length of the field to set up Josh Morris.
However, Ennis said Des Hasler’s side had put the win to the back of their minds and could not allow it to distract them ahead of the club’s first appearance in a premiership decider since 2004.
The former NSW hooker also believes the 12-6 win by the Storm, in an arm wrestle of an encounter at AAMI Park in round seven, is a better indicator of how the game will pan out at ANZ Stadium.
“They were without Billy Slater that day in Mackay and he is a big part of how they play,” Ennis said at the NRL grand final breakfast in Sydney on Thursday.
“But there is no doubt both sides have grown since that game and it is going to be a tough battle on Sunday there is no doubt.”
Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith said being based in Sydney for most of the week and away from the build-up to the AFL grand final was a big help to the Storm.
Smith and his teammates flew to Sydney on Wednesday.
“We’re used to travelling every second week,” Smith said.
“I think being in Melbourne with the AFL grand final going on with the Hawks involved, we would be away from things a bit.
“So it’s great to be down here and really involved in all the build-up to the grand final.”