Dominic Brock | rugbyleaguelive.com | 16/05/08 | 0
Gold Coast Titans v Bulldogs
Friday May 16th, 7.45pm
Skilled Park
Referee: Jason Robinson
HEAD TO HEAD
Played 2, Bulldogs 2 wins, Titans 0 wins.
FORM GUIDE
Titans: WLWWWWWLB
Bulldogs: LWWLLWLBL
The Bulldogs may have picked a very bad time to take on the Titans.
The ’Dogs may be untouched by Origin but they’ve been ravaged by injury, with seven players out of action, and they’ll take on a Gold Coast side fresh from a bye and led by a furious Scott Prince – who was inexplicably left out of the Queensland side for Wednesday’s series opener despite being arguably the NRL’s best player in 2008.
The Titans half will be co-captain again this week as the home side welcome back forward leader Luke Bailey, in a huge boost for the side. With Anthony Laffranchi away on New South Wales duty, Bailey’s return couldn’t come at a better time. Fullback Preston Campbell is out with an ankle injury, meanwhile, and is replaced by former Cowboys fullback Brenton Bowen.
The Gold Coast lost at last start to the Knights at Newcastle but have won five from five at Skilled Park this year, and they look sure things against a Canterbury outfit that’s claimed just three wins so far. Sonny Bill Williams, fullback Luke Patten and pivot Ben Roberts are all back in the starting side, and all three will be out to ensure the boys from Belmore don’t have a repeat of their ordinary round 9 performance.
The Bulldogs were held scoreless for 78 minutes against the Panthers last week, with their attack seemingly out of ideas once they found themselves inside Penrith’s 20-metres. With the Gold Coast scoring 30 points a game at home in 2008, Canterbury will need to rediscover how to put points on the board if they’re any chance of a surprise win.
THE BURNING QUESTION
Will Scott Prince explode or fizzle after his Origin snubbing?
KEY MATCH UPS
Mark Minichiello v Sonny Bill Williams
Minichiello has been one of the Titans’ best this season and he’ll have more responsibility on his shoulder in the absence of regular second-row partner Laffranchi. Minichiello has become a real workaholic at the Titans in 2008, topping the Gold Coast pack in terms of go-forward this year.
He’ll be up against a man who needs to start carrying the Bulldogs pack if his team is to turn its season around. The once-mighty Canterbury forwards have failed to dominate their opponents this year, and Williams needs to start taking it upon himself to inspire his teammates with the kind of powerful runs, thumping tackles and unstoppable offloads that everyone knows he is capable of.
COACHES CORNER
The Bulldogs will be far better off with Patten, Roberts and Williams back in the starting line-up, with all three capable of sparking the team in attack – an area the team was severely lacking in last weekend.
The return of the strike weapons is a good start but the ’Dogs will have to get the little things right if they’re to end a horror run that’s seen them lose four of their last five. Handling errors have cost them dearly in recent weeks; at 11.5 errors a game the Bulldogs have the worst ball control record in the NRL.
John Cartwright’s job may centre around keeping Scott Prince’s mind in the right place. The half has set up more tries than anyone else in the league and has seemingly done everything he can in order to make the Queensland side – except get picked. The snubbing, coming days after he was also ignored by Australian selectors following Darren Lockyer’s injury, could cause Prince to give up all hope. Or, it could encourage the brilliant playmaker to produce a performance to show how wrong the Maroons selectors were.
If Prince takes the right attitude into the match, it could be a long night for the Bulldogs.
PUNTERS GUIDE
The ’Dogs have three big guns back in action and they do have what it takes to pull off an upset against a side that could be a little rusty after a bye. In saying that, Canterbury have really struggled over the past few weeks, and the Titans have looked unbeatable at home this year. Take the Gold Coast by 13+.
CASUALTY WARD
Titans: Preston Campbell –ankle (Rd 11), Matt Cross – face (indefinite), Chris Walker – ankle (season), Jordan Atkins – knee (indefinite)
Bulldogs: Kane Cleal – groin (Rd 11), Daryl Millard – knee (Rd 12), Andrew Emelio – knee (indefinite), Willie Tonga – shoulder (season), Justin Tsoulos – shoulder (indefinite), Hazem El Masri – hamstring (Rd 11), Brent Crisp – back (Rd 17).
BAD BOYS
Titans: - Matt Rogers, dangerous throw (Rd 11)
Bulldogs: - (no suspensions)
TEAM LISTS
Titans: Brenton Bowen, Ben Jeffery, Luke O'Dwyer, Brett Delaney, Smith Samau, Ashley Harrison, Scott Prince, Luke Bailey, Nathan Friend, Michael Hodgson, Brad Meyers, Mark Minichiello, Daniel Conn. Interchange: Aaron Cannings, James Stosic, Josh Graham, Gavin Cooper.
Bulldogs: Luke Patten, Heka Nanai, Tim Winitana, Cameron Phelps, Matt Utai, Ben Roberts, Daniel Holdsworth, Jarrad Hickey, Corey Hughes, Chris Armit, Sonny Bill Williams, Andrew Ryan, Reni Maitua. Interchange: Lee Te Maari, Nick Kouparitsas, Michael Sullivan, Bradley Morrin.
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