Preview: Dragons v Bulldogs
VENUE & TIME: WIN Stadium, Friday March 19, 7.35pm (AEDT)
COVERAGE: Channel 9 HEAD TO HEAD Bulldogs 12, Dragons 6
LAST TIME: Dragons 20 - Bulldogs 18 at WIN Jubilee Oval, Round 10, 2009.
MATCH ODDS:Luxbet: Dragons $1.53, Bulldogs $2.50
WALKING WOUNDED: The Dragons will be without the services of Nathan Fien for several months after the hooker suffered a broken leg in the 35th minute of the season opener. Fien, who was the Dragons' best player against Parramatta before disaster struck, joins Peni Tagive (shoulder) Kyle Stanley (ankle) and Neville Costigan (shoulder) on the sidelines. Bulldogs hooker Michael Ennis will sit out the Round 2 blockbuster after he was handed a one-match ban for a careless high tackle in the shock loss to Newcastle, with former Cronulla rake Blake Green to make his debut for the club in the No.9 jumper. Winger Bryson Goodwin comes back into the side after overcoming a toe injury and will assume the goal kicking duties in Ennis' absence. Prize recruit Dene Halatau continues to recover from an ankle injury and is expected to miss the opening month of the campaign.
FORM: The Dragons were at their clinical and suffocating best on the way to a 18-12 win over the Eels in what was a high quality affair at Parramatta Stadium on Friday night. Last season's minor premiers produced a miserly three errors as they completed 35-of-38 sets in a display that would not have been out of place in finals football - let alone a season opener. In contrast, the Bulldogs produced a whopping 15 errors in the shock 20-16 loss to Newcastle. To their credit Kevin Moore's men produced a stunning second-half comeback that included four tries only to fall just short. Ennis' four missed conversions proved costly, however but the coach said attitude was to blame for the loss rather than wayward goal kicking.
WHO'S HOT: Michael Weyman and Jeremy Smith were the pick of an impressive forward pack against an Eels line-up that included former team-mate Justin Poore. The pair combined for 282m through the middle of the ruck, allowing Jamie Soward to put on a master-class of general-play kicking which proved the difference in the end. For the Bulldogs, former Melbourne Storm winger Steve Turner made an impressive debut scoring two tries, while last season's second-leading try scorer Josh Morris picked up where he left off as he also bagged a double.
WE THINK: Much will depend on how both sides cope in the absence of starting hookers Michael Ennis and Nathan Fien. While Ennis is a key figure for the Bulldogs, Fien's loss is arguably more significant for the Dragons who looked far less potent in attack after the 30-year-old was carried from the field on Friday night. The two sides have shared the honours in recent times with each winning two of the previous four encounters, but interestingly the Bulldogs have never lost at WIN Stadium with their most recent visit to Wollongong ending in a 28-24 victory in 2007. Last year's only encounter between these two bitter rivals ended in controversy when Jamal Idris was denied what appeared a certain try in the dying moments. The bookies may have written them off, but look for the Doggies to exact revenge and sneak home in a thriller. Bulldogs by two.
TEAMS