Canterbury are only masquerading as a top-four team and even if they manage to hang on to that spot going into the finals they won’t win the premiership.
Sixth place would be more realistic for the Bulldogs at the moment, but instead they are fourth. Why? Not so much because of any scintillating form of their own, but mainly because of the recent form slumps experienced by each of last year’s grand finalists, North Queensland and Brisbane.
Both the Cowboys and Broncos, who each recently had a run of four losses in five games, are recovering now. The Cowboys returned to the winning list by belting the Warriors 34-6 on Saturday and the Broncos have gradually improved while winning three in a row.
But they can’t both make the top four. There is still a big chance neither will, but these things have a way of righting themselves and I’ve got to believe the current anomaly will be corrected and one of them will go past Canterbury between now and the end of the regular season.
It will most likely be North Queensland and the key game will obviously be Thursday night’s clash between the Bulldogs and Cowboys at the traditional home of the Bulldogs and the place where they train, Belmore Sports Ground.
It’s a big ask for the Cowboys, due to the fact it’s a five-day turnaround for them and they must travel on top of that. But they are better than Canterbury and this is their chance to prove it.
A win to North Queensland would put their top-four destiny in their own hands, because although a victory would only pull them level with Canterbury on competition points they have a vastly superior for-and-against differential to the Bulldogs.
Even with a win over Canterbury, the Cowboys may still have to beat Gold Coast in the last round to clinch a top-four spot. Admittedly another tough game, but at least it is at home.
The bottom line is that the remaining two rounds are going to give us a very good idea of how strong North Queensland’s defence of the title is going to be once we get to the finals.
There has been a slight hint of a premiership hangover for them a couple of times this season, but nothing too dramatic. Certainly nothing that would suggest they can’t win the competition.
The State of Origin period was difficult for the Cowboys and superstar Johnathan Thurston sustained a hamstring injury soon after that.
Thurston only missed one game, but he was a bit out of sorts for two games after coming back before hitting his straps again in the big win over the Warriors.
Brisbane’s slump was a bit harder to explain. Origin was also tough on them, but just how far backwards they went there for a while couldn’t be put down solely to that.
Key players who weren’t even involved in Origin, notably halves Anthony Milford and Bent Hunt, fell right out of the groove they were previously in.
Even after back-to-back wins over St George Illawarra and Parramatta, the Broncos were still finding their way back when they came up against Canterbury last Thursday. But they were still too good for the Bulldogs, winning 20-10 at home.
The Bulldogs played some dumb football in that one and it is worth noting that the last time they played North Queensland they lost as well, 36-0 in Townsville.
In between those two losses, Canterbury beat the Dragons, 13-10, Newcastle 28-14 and Manly 20-16. Three straight wins, but not all that convincing against a trio of teams who won’t be playing in the finals.
Moment of truth time has arrived for the Bulldogs. They will need to find something they haven’t produced recently if they are to pass the test against the Cowboys.
Train Without A Terminus
Guest
Well said Bugs!
Bugs
Guest
Vindicated Greg.
PNG Broncos fan88
Guest
Me too, didn't deserve that gf medal.
Rob
Guest
Thurston was on the bench to win 2004 Grand Final team and was unwanted by the Dogs because he had off field issues. Cowboys belted Dogs in the finals 2004 series and were questionably defeated by Roosters in preliminary. Thurston didn't solely change the Cowboys when he arrived he had 9 players that played Origin in his team. Thurston had troubles with his behaviour particularly when he signed for big bucks. Sandow (Daily M Rookie of the year) was brilliant in first 2 year for Souths but signed for Big $ and joined a rubbish Eels team and struggled. If Sandow stays at Souths he probably wins a premiership if he plays Origin with Slater, Ingles, Smith, Lockyer and co who knows? JT playing selfish has been out played in finals for years. JT is awarded Clive Churchill in 2015 with no try assists and a field goal in front because media thought he deserved it for handing footy tees to ballboys I guess? Watching the game he had a shocker creating nothing and losing the ball for Broncos try and a couple of 7tackle kicks leading to more points. He can thank Scott, Granville, Morgan, Taumalolo, Tamou, O'Neill, Coote, Lowe, Feldt and Cooper for adding another award to his personal cabinet.
Crack pot
Guest
That is what NSW have been saying for a decade now.
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
You can't just change to a different tactic this far into the season. The problem has been that we only attempt to go through teams. That's our bread and butter. Occasionally we will try and stretch teams on the edges, which is successful at times, but then go back to plowing up the middle. It's nice to compress defenses like that, but obviously you need to go wide, or else your just running your big boys into 3-4 man tackles continually. Once you start spreading it wide, you can mix it up the middle. Des is not far off what works, just needs the team to play wider at times. Get the halves calling for the ball more on in the opposition half on earlier tackles.
The Barry
Roar Guru
If Taylor, Lui, Moon, Soward and Sandow are the cream of Australians playing ESL then the local comp is going ok.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Sandow is 27. By 27 Thurston had won a premiership and played in a losing GF team. He had two Dally M player of the year awards and four halfback of the year awards. He also had three origin MOM's and three test MOM awards and had won a 3 nations, a 4 nations tournament and played in four winning origin series.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Every team works hard. But the Bulldogs have worked hard to claim their spot in the top 4 (at the moment). It sticks in the craw when hacks stuck for a story idea come out and say the competition table has lied.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Turned out to be a pretty good tip!
Albo
Guest
Yep ! I pretty much agree with this summation of the Dogs right now. They just seem to be programmed into the one dimension of play, relying solely on their pack to steamroll the opposition into submission. The problem is that this strategy based on winning by inflicting eventual fatigue on your opposition also fatigues their own players ( I think Cronulla might be suffering a similar problem now). Then where the better sides can match the Dogs pack, they have no plan B or any individuals of real class to swing the momentum back their way. They rely solely on Reynolds to pull them out of the fire with a kick & chase , and occasionally he succeeds , but it is a limited answer to their one dimensional problems. To me they lack creativity not only in the halves but right across the park ( apart from 10 minutes a game when Kasiano is on the field). So whilst we admire the commitment & workrates of the likes of Graham, Jackson & Tolman , they create little to worry defences. Then you have Klemmer & Williams & Co who have just had poor seasons with only the odd glimpse of form with some rare line breaks. Lichaa has gone backwards under this system and creates little from dummy half. The halves try hard but offer little creativity and have the worst kicking games of any spine in the competition. The Morris brothers & Sam Perret are always handy but mostly as finishers. Curtis Rona has done nothing for two months but deliver errors, and Hoppa whilst brave and defensively good, offers nothing creative and is no" meter eater" bringing the ball off his line leaving every Dogs set starting on the back foot. Seems the Dogs only strategy is to win the by a battle of attrition ( some like to call this "semi-final" footy) but it is a strategy fraught with so much danger where the toll is also so heavy on their own players ( bumps , bruises & injury) and where the better teams can match their pack and then offer much more creativity themselves in return.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Apparently Granville won't be travelling with the team today, bugger. Still it will be a great game.
Rob
Guest
Thurston was no different to Sandow at the same age. If you are judging players on reputations Pearce, Norman, Foran in some way all fit Carney's Profile. Then you have Bird, Dugan and Ferguson. Dave Taylor is probably no different to Kasiano in the commitment disapline area? My point is some coaches are getting oversea talent to fill their rosters to limit Origin impact. That's a NSW Clubs coaching policy.
Matthew Russell
Roar Pro
looks like to me that they play uncoached. I hope its a case of they are training using a different structure and are waiting to pull the trigger because at the moment Des Hasler doesn't look like a good coach at all.....time to move on from the forwards playing halfback
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Taylor is a dog, Moon was playing reserve grade, Sandow was justifiably wanted by nobody as was Lui, Soward was playing NSW Cup
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Te'o isn't playing super league. He choose to go to English rugby union, presumably with the intent of scoring one of the massive pay days in France or Japan for little effort.
Rob
Guest
Watch a bit of super league and you may see some lost Australian Talent. Ben Teo and McQueen cut from Rabbits and Burgess Brothers stay? Taylor, Joel Moon, Sandow, Lui, Soward are better players than Kasiano, Eastwood, Marshall, Tompkins, Eden, Hartaker?
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Simple, 2013/14 Ennis was an aging penalty magnet. Obviously he has reinvigorated his career at the Sharks, but for the Bulldogs he wasn't going well.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
No other team works hard?
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Good players get a contract and don't go to England