PF 2 vs Dogs

[Kilkenny]

I hope nothing is wrong with Sauce.

He was fine on Sunday at the NSW Cup Semi.

 

[benntash]

Nothing happened at training today?? It was a closed session

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Even less confident with Docker back on the bench. Why?

 

[Sime_11]

heap of tackles going to be made, especially with the Dogs big pack, its expected IMO.

 

[Randy81]

I hope nothing is wrong with Sauce.

I don't believe there is anything to it. Simmons has been 18th man for weeks. Certainly not unusual to carry a back into warmups - especially in a big game with reserve grade playing the following day

 

[GongPanther]

Docker to start,BMM to stay benched and come on to replace either Plum or Kite depending how much defense we do in the first half.

Perfect weather for Saturday night.

 

[kiwipete]

My Team

1 Moylan
2 Mansour
3 Whare
4 Idris
5 DWZ
6 Smith
7 Soward
8 McKendry
9 Segeyaro
10 Kite
11 Manu
12 Robinson
13 Docker

14 Brown
15 Latimore
16 Plum
17 Anderson

I think Cleary will bring Docker straight back into the starting side and retain DWZ even though Simmons is available. Anderson on the bench over BMM. These are about the only points of conjecture at this stage, I believe. It's a pretty easy side to pick.

I was hoping you'd be right but I think Ivan has got it wrong by preferring BMM to Anderson on the bench.Yeah hes a couple of kilos bigger but they're around his gut and his fitness isn't up with Anderson's. Just hope we can contain the Bulldog's pack in the middle so our superior backs can do their magic. Bring on the GF!!

 

[mxlegend99]

BMM might not be so bad against a pack that's a lot bigger then ours. He's. built like the. Dogs forwards. Personally I would have kept the exact same side that beat the Roosters in week 1. Bringing in Yeo before Docker.

 

[Nugget10]

Starting to fire up for this game. I think we can match it with their pack. The only fear I have is their halves linking off their props. Absolutely tore Manly to shreds in the first half. Idris and Whare are gunna have their hands full

 

[Nealo 12]

No Grant in either squad...did I miss something or is that he's on the outer still ?

 

[Sleep]

No Grant in either squad...did I miss something or is that he's on the outer still ?

He's injured. If he was healthy you'd have to bet on him playing in firsts for this one. He would be a huge benefit to have against the Dogs pack. McKendry and Kite will need to have blinders.

If we can match it with the Dogs early I'll be comfortable. They can't chase points and if they don't get out to an early lead I don't think they can stay with us.

 

[TheFrog]

Tim was injured in the Warriors game and is out for the season AFAIK.

 

[Frankus]

He's injured. If he was healthy you'd have to bet on him playing in firsts for this one. He would be a huge benefit to have against the Dogs pack. McKendry and Kite will need to have blinders.

If we can match it with the Dogs early I'll be comfortable. They can't chase points and if they don't get out to an early lead I don't think they can stay with us.

I am confident our forwards will get the job done. Ivan will know it's highly unlikely we can beat them at their own game playing through the middle. Both Kite and McKendry have been awesome in the past few weeks. Expect a lot of wide ball runners and shifting the ball from one side of the field to the other in the same set. We did this a number of times against the Roosters and I think it drained the batteries quicker on their forwards. Oh and I also expect Soward to be in Reynolds ear all game because that muppet is a liability.

 

[franklin2323]

If we can match it with the Dogs early I'll be comfortable. They can't chase points and if they don't get out to an early lead I don't think they can stay with us.

I was saying the same thing the other day. If we are in front at halftime I can't see us losing. The 1st 20 mins they have been going well then clocking off

 

[mxlegend99]

On top of wanting us to win because it's my team, I especially want us to win because the Bulldogs have been pure shit for 2 months and it would be a disgrace to the game for a side to make it into the grand final after one or two good wins. They were pretty shit against Manly, so it's really only the first half against the Storm and potentially a match against us.

Certainly not what you would call a quality grand final side.

 

[TheViking]

On top of wanting us to win because it's my team, I especially want us to win because the Bulldogs have been pure shit for 2 months and it would be a disgrace to the game for a side to make it into the grand final after one or two good wins. They were pretty shit against Manly, so it's really only the first half against the Storm and potentially a match against us.

Certainly not what you would call a quality grand final side.

Can't agree with that at all. They are top 8 and could easily have been top 2-4 if origin didn't take so much when you factor in Reynolds bans and Morris injury.

Either way if they make it they deserve it. Knocked out Storm & Manly and hopefully Panthers.

 

[mxlegend99]

The last 8 rounds of the season they were awful. Up until then they looked good, but to me it just doesn't seem like a grand final worthy side.

If they reversed the season and the form from the first half was what led them into the finals, I would have no issue and would probably want then to win the grand final if my team didn't make it.

But for mine, Souths are the team who have had the best season up until now. Panthers second and Roosters third, but mostly due to an average finals campaign so far.

Bulldogs had a great half against Storm. But Storm were pretty horrible. Had they faced Roosters, Souths or Cowboys they would have been touched up.

 

[TheFrog]

On top of wanting us to win because it's my team, I especially want us to win because the Bulldogs have been pure shit for 2 months and it would be a disgrace to the game for a side to make it into the grand final after one or two good wins. They were pretty shit against Manly, so it's really only the first half against the Storm and potentially a match against us.

Certainly not what you would call a quality grand final side.

They've got a history of doing this. In '79 they were extremely fortunate to make the finals by way of Balmain being beaten by the lowly Rabbitohs in the final round, but went on to make the Grand Final. They also won the comp from 6th in '95 and made the GF from 9th (!) in '98. It is the club's reputation for making Grand Finals from the bottom of the finals, as well as playing at their home ground even though they are the away team, that makes them favourites for this match with the betting operators, I believe.

 

[Frankus]

I believe you mean 1995. But yeah, agree.

Take Paul Carige off and play with 12 men and Parra make the 1998 GF.

 

[maple_69]

Theres the Des factor as well.
Obviously Robinson and Maguire are great young coaches but the tell be question marks on them until they have weaker squads or move clubs and succeed.

With the Bellamy era seemingly over I see Des and Cleary as the two premiere coaches in the game. Both have built two successful sides from the ground up and seem to be the more tactically agile coaches.

I don't think this will be the last big game clash we'll see between the two clubs in the next 5 years.

I'm most interested to see if Cleary goes to try and contain the Dogs fat pack or move them around the edges and tire them out. This is why it'll be a great clash. We may not be the best rosters but we are two clubs that play different footy. The vast majority of games are who will do the same thing better. This one will be a great clash on a number of levels. Can't wait.