Aaron
Utai Slam
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2003
- Messages
- 9,552
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Wednesday April 13, 2005
Source: www.dogleague.com
The 2004 Telstra Premiership Grand Final is about to be re-lived between the boys from Belmore and the boys from Bondi.
Both sides made it to the decider last year in which the Dogs came out 16-13 victors in what was a thrilling game of rugby league.
However, in a stunning form reversal the two sides now sit at 11th (Bulldogs) and 12th (Roosters) on the 2005 premiership ladder. Both clubs have lost 3 matches on the trot with the Bulldogs going down to the North Queensland Cowboys (Round 2), Wests Tigers (Round 3) and the Sharks (Round 4). The Bulldogs had the bye last week which has helped players such as Mark O'Meley, Reni Maitua and Ben Harris recover from injury. However the Bulldogs are still without key players Sonny Bill Williams, Willie Mason and Adam Perry who are all out though injury.
On the Bondi side of things, the Roosters have gone down to the Brisbane Broncos (Round 3), Wests Tigers (Round 4), and the Canberra Raiders (Round 5).
Both sides will no doubt be looking to get back in the winning circle, but no longer is having players out through injury an excuse, in games such as this one it comes down to guts and determination as the Bulldogs showed on October 3 of last year.
For the Bulldogs to win they need to focus on the basics and they also need to tighten up in defence.
In their first four matches, the Bulldogs have let in 115 points and have missed a whopping 121 tackles (30.25 per game). Coach Steve Folkes needs his boys to stop the panic stations and instead keep it simple.
Over the first month of football the Bulldogs have looked like a team who wants to score everytime they obtain posession. Instead they should be thinking about maintaining quality field position and sustaining the pressure by making good metres up the field in contrast to the offloading at will that is occuring at this point in time.
If this does not occur on Friday night, and if the missed tackle count does not decrease, the Bulldogs will find themselves on the end of a four match losing streak.
Only one thing can be certain at the completion of this round 6 clash, and that is the fact that one of last years grand finalists will sit at 4 losses after 6 weeks of football. If a wise punter was offered a chance at picking the standings after six rounds and he had a 50/ 50 choice of choosing the ladder as it is now, or the ladder turned upsdie down, i'm sure the punter would take the upside down option.
The two teams line up as follows:
BULLDOGS:
1. Luke Patten
2. Hazem El Masri
3. Jamaal Lolesi
4. Willie Tonga
5. Matthew Utai
6. Braith Anasta
7. Brent Sherwin
8. Mark O'Meley
9. Corey Hughes
10. Roy Asotasi
11. Nate Myles
12. Andrew Ryan (c)
13. Tony Grimaldi
Interchange:
14. Reni Maitua
15. Chris Armit
16. Trent Cutler
17. Adam Brideson
ROOSTERS:
1. Anthony Minichiello
2. Amos Roberts
3. Ryan Cross
4. Chris Flannery
5. Joel Monaghan
6. Craig Wing
7. Brett Finch
8. Jason Cayless
9. Stuart Webb
10. Anthony Tupou
11. Adrian Morley
12. Craig Fitzgibbon
13. Luke Ricketson (c)
Interchange:
14. Michael Crocker
15. Richard Fa'aoso
16. Ned Catic
17. Ben Hannant
18. Chris Walker
