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Round 2 kicks off at ANZ Stadium as the Canterbury Bulldogs take on the Parramatta Eels in a rivalry game that is sure to be a cracker. Join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEDT) as we bring you live coverage.
Last week we saw the Eels play on Friday night against the Manly Sea Eagles and win very convincingly.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs had one of the games of the round against the Panthers at Pepper Stadium in Penrith. After being down 24-0, they recovered to 24-18 but just couldn’t put the icing on the cake for victory.
The Bulldogs go into the game without Josh Reynolds, who is possibly going to be out for eight weeks in what will be a massive blow for them. Replacing Reynolds in the number 6 jersey is Moses Mbye and there’s plenty of pressure on the youngster.
The Eels have named the same squad they had last week, however it is expected that Junior Paulo will miss out due to suspension, which could pave the way for Danny Wicks to return to the NRL off the bench.
A good crowd will be expected at ANZ Stadium for this game which could have a massive influence on the game, particularly if one team can shut the other team’s supporters out of it early in the piece.
The Bulldogs will need Trent Hodkinson to stand up, along with Michael Lichaa. For the first three quarters of last week’s game they were not good in attack and this week without Reynolds they can’t afford to get off on the wrong foot, particularly if the Eels, led by Chris Sandow, play like they did last week.
Meanwhile, the Eels will aim to keep the same sort of defence they had last week while cutting out the mistakes, of which they made a lot.
For the Eels Sandow is the key. Last week he produced a blinder and was unlucky to miss out on man of the match honours. A quieter achiever in the Parramatta Side is back-up hooker Isaac De Gois. The spark he provides off the bench and the break he gives Nathan Peats is pivotal for the Eels.
Kicking games will be a massive factor in this game. Both teams have pretty solid defence and the Eels are only getting better in that regard, particularly with the addition of Antony Watmough. Therefore field position, coming off kicking, is going to be massive.
Prediction
After last round’s performances I can’t go past the Eels.
Parramatta by 12.
Join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEDT) to get Round 2 under way, and remember to leave your comments as the game progresses!