The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will once again go ‘Back to Belmore’ this afternoon in a riveting encounter against the Cronulla Sharks that will undoubtedly be billed as the game of the round.
Not only do both sides find themselves placed towards the southern end of the NRL ladder on 22 points apiece, a host of former Sharks and Bulldogs will face off with their old clubs for the first time, with the vocal and euphoric Belmore crowd certain to play its part.
Headlining the list of renewed rivalries is none other than 2012 Dally M Medal winner Ben Barba in his closest encounter yet to the now estranged Canterbury fans that once adored his every move.
Barba’s progression through the Bulldogs’ junior ranks culminated in 2012, a year in which the electrifying fullback danced his way into the hearts of blue-and-white fans as easily as he did around opposition defenders, many of whom were left scratching their heads, dumbfounded at his sheer brilliance on the football field.
Quite simply, everything he touched turned to gold.
To the inexperienced or casual fan, length-of-the-field solo tries and seemingly impossible efforts in both attack and defence would appear common. It was always going to prove an extraordinary challenge to replicate this magical form in the following season, although domestic violence allegations and reports of excessive drinking and gambling robbed us of the opportunity to witness his attempts.
Soon after his return to the side later in the season, Barba was granted a release from his contract on compassionate grounds after claiming a need to return home for family reasons.
As a result, he signed on with the Brisbane Broncos for 2014, where his form continued to decline to the point that incoming supercoach Wayne Bennett informed him that his services would not be required for 2015. And so, he now finds himself right back in Sydney, unable to crack a starting spot with the Sharks – his third club in three years.
He certainly won’t be well-received by the Bulldogs faithful, who are probably notorious for keeping grudges against players who they believe have wronged them.
That aside, the rivalry between hookers Michael Lichaa and Michael Ennis is one that we’d all like to believe has been manifesting since last year, when Lichaa was playing for the Sharks and Ennis the Bulldogs.
Lichaa had only just begun his NRL career playing against the Bulldogs, when Ennis responded to the persistent rumours of the young gun’s impending arrival at Belmore as his replacement.
“You won’t be taking my spot”, the veteran Ennis remarked in the heat of battle, to which Lichaa, unfazed, responded “But I’ll be taking your money”.
Ennis, however, may well be the exception from the long list of hated former Bulldogs that have abandoned the club over the years, with the Canterbury skipper of three years an outstanding serviceman to the club and among the club’s favourite sons.
There have been few altercations made to both sides for this Round 20 fixture, with Bulldogs coach Des Hasler opting for the same method of fitting three halves into two positions that proved successful against Parramatta last week – Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson in the starting side and Moses Mbye named on a five man bench.
Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan, meanwhile, has named Barba on a five-man bench to make his timely return from injury, while Anthony Tupou is set to make his comeback to the side after the horrific lifted-knee of Konrad Hurrell made an absolute mess of his face and jaw a number of weeks ago.
After witnessing the stupendous crowd and atmosphere present at the last ‘Back to Belmore’ fixture about a month ago, and the enormous energy the Bulldogs were able to draw from it, there’s no doubt a true home ground advantage will be a factor in the contest.
If there’s one side that won’t be intimidated by this, however, its Cronulla, with their youthful exuberance in Jack Bird and Valentine Holmes, and experienced former-Bulldogs in Ennis and Barba who once called the ground home.
Watch out for a cracker of a game from Josh Reynolds. Against the Melbourne Storm at Belmore, the crowd were clamouring for the injection of Reynolds – a local junior and fan favourite – into the game.
Once Hasler finally gave in to their relentless chants, it was all but too late for the five-eighth to have any real impact. This time around he’s been named in the starting side, so buckle in for some big plays and even bigger enthusiasm.
Don’t hold your breath for a scoreline akin to that of the game against the Storm, where the inclusion of David Klemmer into the starting side saw the Bulldogs explode out of the blocks to reach an early 20-point lead before effectively putting the brakes on and defending their way to victory.
Hasler’s intention on Sunday is surely to maintain the same level of energy across the eighty minutes, with a sizeable win giving them a chance to break into the top four.
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