New Zealand Warriors vs Canterbury Bulldogs live scores – NRL 2013 Round 9

Saturday has two NRL matches with the first game for Round 9 between New Zealand Warriors and Canterbury Bulldogs with the opening kick to commence at 7:30 local time or 5:30pm AEST. The game is to be played at Mt Smart Stadium in New Zealand with the favourite for the match being away team Canterbury Bulldogs. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between New Zealand Warriors and Canterbury Bulldogs.

WHERE AND WHEN: Mt Smart Stadium, Saturday @19:30

Opening Odds:

New Zealand Warriors $2.32 vs Canterbury Bulldogs $1.60 at Sportsbet Australia

New Zealand Warriors $2.50 vs Canterbury Bulldogs $1.55 at Luxbet Australia

Preview:

The New Zealand Warriors play Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on Saturday, 5.35pm at Westpac Stadium. The Warriors have made a few changes this week due to injuries, with Kevin Locke suffering a horrible injury involving a disc in his back.

The New Zealand team will be looking for a good performance from Shaun Johnson once again, and will enjoy being at home for a second week in a row.

The Bulldogs have been building back to full strength over the last few weeks, beating the Tigers and Knights in their last two encounters. The Bulldogs are favourites to win this game, although they will have to work for it away from home.

Teams:

New Zealand Warriors:
Glen Fisiiahi, Bill Tupou, Ben Henry, Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Russell Packer, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (c), Todd Lowrie
Interchange: Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman, Elijah Taylor, Pita Godinet, Carlos Tuimavave (one to be omitted)

Canterbury Bulldogs:
Ben Barba, Mitch Brown, Josh Morris, Tim Lafai, Sam Perrett, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis (c), 10 Sam Kasiano, 11 Tony Williams, 12 Frank Pritchard, 13 Greg Eastwood.
Interchange: Dene Halatau, Josh Jackson, James Graham, Dale Finucane, Martin Taupau, Tim Browne

Referees: Adam Devcich/Chris James
Video Referee: Steve Clark/Justin Morgan

Warriors out to stop Bulldogs pack

The Warriors will look to rely on efficiency rather than out-and-out aggression in their battle up front with a big Canterbury pack in their NRL match in Wellington.

The Bulldogs are backing up from a 40-4 hammering of Wests Tigers last Friday, when they had props Sam Kasiano and James Graham in action for the first time since last year’s grand final loss to Melbourne.

Warriors coach Matthew Elliott says his players will have to be “proactive” at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.

But he says the way the rules are at the moment, being aggressive in defence doesn’t pay dividends for most sides, with one notable exception.

“Manly are small, mobile – they’re a bunch of bull terriers really,” Elliott said.

“But you see most of the teams that are good defensive teams, they’re efficient and we have to be really efficient.”

He said racing out to try to knock down the likes of Kasiano and starting second-rowers Frank Pritchard and Tony Williams would mean “we will be the ones bouncing off”.

“You need to be efficient, be in their face and make them work,” he said.

“If you come flying out of the line trying to crack these guys, it just doesn’t work on them. Sam Kasiano wants you to race at him.”

Kasiano is part of a strong New Zealand presence in the Bulldogs forwards, whose number also includes fellow Kiwis Pritchard, Greg Eastwood and Dene Halatau.

Pritchard will make his 200th NRL appearance, having previously been at Penrith.

The Warriors will have their frontline propping rotation of Kiwis Sam Rapira, Russell Packer and Ben Matulino and Queensland Origin representative Jacob Lillyman back on deck.

Injuries have meant that the quartet, all with 100 first-grade appearances, were reunited as a unit two rounds ago for the first time since last June.

Packer, who missed the start of the season after bicep surgery, admits he’s still not quite at peak fitness.

“Personally, I’m a bit aways, but I think we’re building nicely and we’ll see how we go out there.”

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