Expert
The Canterbury Bulldogs will look to pick up their second win on the trot when they go back to Belmore again to play the Canberra Raiders, who are almost in a must-win position. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEST).
It’s approaching the stage where last-ditch efforts are required for the Green Machine to keep their season alive.
While it’s not over mathematically by any stretch of the equation, a virtual four-point game ending in a loss to the Brisbane Broncos last week away from home has hit them hard.
The loss means they sit six points out of the top eight alongside a few other teams including the Wests Tigers, and with the rounds starting to tick away (there are just eight remaining), they must start winning and hope teams ahead of them start faltering.
That doesn’t seem likely though, with so many poor teams in the competition this season. Points are more or less ticked off before they arrive for teams in the top eight, and so the run home for the Raiders will have to be something bordering on perfection.
Unfortunately for Canterbury, they are one of those sides who teams in the top eight are banking on beating.
They have been from fall to fall this season, with the lows a lot more regular than the high. Their much-publicised off field salary cap dramas are understandably wreaking havoc on the club, who have just released Moses Mbye and Aaron Woods.
They looked better for it last week as well, running up 36 points in a big win over the Newcastle Knights. Whether much can be taken from it in the long run is anyone’s guess, but if you’re only as good as your last game, then the Bulldogs are currently world-beaters.
This will be a much sterner test for last week’s halves debutant Lachlan Lewis though, who will play alongside Jeremy Marshall-King again.
Taking on a fired up Canberra, who constantly find ways to throw games away in the final 20 minutes after looking the better team for the most part will test them.
Prediction
The Raiders record at Belmore is appaling, but then, the Bulldogs haven’t been sensational since they started returning there a few years ago. With the records cancelling themselves out and taking note of the Raiders likely desperation, they should win here.
Raiders by 8.
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