Jackson_1994
Kennel Enthusiast
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- Oct 28, 2018
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The Dogs have rediscovered their old DNA in the last month, winning their last four and against finals sides. They’ve done it with tough, gritty, no-nonsense footy. They back their defence to win games and it has them surging up the ladder. Who’d have thought
PAY DAY
The guy who deserves a lot of credit is coach Dean Pay.
Even when they were struggling, they stayed positive. He tweaked their attack, getting away from the set plays and elaborate block plays. He concentrated on the basics, with high-energy defence
Under that coaching, prop Dylan Napa has found another leg.
He’s brutal in defence — the alpha male in the pack — and he will be the one to take on the Cowboys dynamite backrower, Jason Taumalolo. He will make it personal and try to get one over him.
The Dogs will try to drag the Cowboys into the gutter. They want to make it a streetfight.
The one thing you can be assured of with this current Bulldogs team is that they won’t beat themselves. If you’re going to beat them, you have to earn the right to beat them and expect some bruises.
BYE BYE, SMILES
The Cowboys will lift because this is their last game at 1300SMILES Stadium, where they have forged so many memories.
Can they win? It was an improved effort when they beat the Panthers last week, but how that form stacks up has big question marks over it. Penrith were awful.
Yes, the key is Taumalolo. Two weeks ago, when the Knights beat North Queensland, they were legless without him.
He is a 20-point turnaround, that’s how much he adds to this Cowboys team.
JOEY’S PLAYBOOK
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater continues to impress me.
His running game and support play has been great, but last week I saw some ball-playing that I really liked — because I used to do the same thing at the Knights many years ago.
It’s a play off a wide short-side where you have four defenders, four attackers.
Drinkwater will catch the ball and skip across to Bulldogs halfback Lachlan Lewis.
NRL 2019
Cowboys to retire Scott's No.8 jersey
I worked with Kieran when he was younger at Manly. He was fearless, playing straight into the line instead of skipping across like a lot of playmakers tend to do. He gets into the defensive line and passes late. If the pass isn’t on, he’ll take a bruise for his runners. He plays visually, looking up and reacting to the defence.
The downside of that is you get whacked and you get injuries. He’s back loving the game again. He’s got his head right — he just needs the body to follow.
always had a touch of class, including his astute kicking game. I saw some great signs from him at the start of the year. He looked to be back to his best in a game against the Tigers at Campbelltown, but he hurt his ankle when they scored and it set him back again.
In the game against Souths, he and back-rower Corey Harawira-Naera started causing drama on the left. They did the same thing on the right against Parramatta.
Without that combination, they don’t win.
THE VERDICT
I have question marks about the Cowboys sustaining the effort and intensity needed to match it with the Bulldogs over 80 minutes.
The battle I’m looking forward to is Napa versus Taumalolo. They will drag their respective forward packs into the game.
Off the back of that, the battle of Morgan and Foran in the last 20 minutes will determine the result.
JOEY’S TIP: Bulldogs by 2.
FIRST TRYSCORER: Will Hopoate.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Josh Jackson.
Andrew Johns
Andrew Johns is an Immortal, a Newcastle great and a commentator for Channel Nine
PAY DAY
The guy who deserves a lot of credit is coach Dean Pay.
Even when they were struggling, they stayed positive. He tweaked their attack, getting away from the set plays and elaborate block plays. He concentrated on the basics, with high-energy defence
Under that coaching, prop Dylan Napa has found another leg.
He’s brutal in defence — the alpha male in the pack — and he will be the one to take on the Cowboys dynamite backrower, Jason Taumalolo. He will make it personal and try to get one over him.
The Dogs will try to drag the Cowboys into the gutter. They want to make it a streetfight.
The one thing you can be assured of with this current Bulldogs team is that they won’t beat themselves. If you’re going to beat them, you have to earn the right to beat them and expect some bruises.
BYE BYE, SMILES
The Cowboys will lift because this is their last game at 1300SMILES Stadium, where they have forged so many memories.
Can they win? It was an improved effort when they beat the Panthers last week, but how that form stacks up has big question marks over it. Penrith were awful.
Yes, the key is Taumalolo. Two weeks ago, when the Knights beat North Queensland, they were legless without him.
He is a 20-point turnaround, that’s how much he adds to this Cowboys team.
JOEY’S PLAYBOOK
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater continues to impress me.
His running game and support play has been great, but last week I saw some ball-playing that I really liked — because I used to do the same thing at the Knights many years ago.
It’s a play off a wide short-side where you have four defenders, four attackers.
Drinkwater will catch the ball and skip across to Bulldogs halfback Lachlan Lewis.
NRL 2019
Cowboys to retire Scott's No.8 jersey
I worked with Kieran when he was younger at Manly. He was fearless, playing straight into the line instead of skipping across like a lot of playmakers tend to do. He gets into the defensive line and passes late. If the pass isn’t on, he’ll take a bruise for his runners. He plays visually, looking up and reacting to the defence.
The downside of that is you get whacked and you get injuries. He’s back loving the game again. He’s got his head right — he just needs the body to follow.
always had a touch of class, including his astute kicking game. I saw some great signs from him at the start of the year. He looked to be back to his best in a game against the Tigers at Campbelltown, but he hurt his ankle when they scored and it set him back again.
In the game against Souths, he and back-rower Corey Harawira-Naera started causing drama on the left. They did the same thing on the right against Parramatta.
Without that combination, they don’t win.
THE VERDICT
I have question marks about the Cowboys sustaining the effort and intensity needed to match it with the Bulldogs over 80 minutes.
The battle I’m looking forward to is Napa versus Taumalolo. They will drag their respective forward packs into the game.
Off the back of that, the battle of Morgan and Foran in the last 20 minutes will determine the result.
JOEY’S TIP: Bulldogs by 2.
FIRST TRYSCORER: Will Hopoate.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Josh Jackson.
Andrew Johns
Andrew Johns is an Immortal, a Newcastle great and a commentator for Channel Nine