I think everyone needs to stop pissing their pants in regards to Sam Burgess. Yes he is a fantastic player but Souths have won games without him in the past and they will continue to win games without him in the future. A team must be bigger than one player in order to be genuine title contenders. While we are missing a significant number of players, I think the Bulldogs are more than beatable.
Parramatta provided us with a template last Friday night on how to dismantle the Bulldogs - you get up in their faces, maintain quick line speed for 80 minutes and force them into throwing the football around. We basically need to take of their forwards and beat them at their own game. In saying that, we need to hang onto the football at all costs; the Bulldogs are the one team that can win games if the match becomes a scrappy affair. This is the sort of game that is going to be won and lost in the last 15-20 minutes. The Bulldogs are a team that likes being in front and controlling the game due to their workman-like style; they don't like playing catch up football simply because they aren't a good point scoring team. If we can do what Parramatta did and carry a 6-8 point into the last 15-20 minutes, then I think we can get home. From what I saw over the last two weeks, the Bulldogs attack looks pretty insipid; they didn't throw too much at either the Panthers or Parramatta.
I'm also praying for a dry track because we are not a good wet weather football team and a wet field will turn the game into a war of attrition - the type of game the dogs like. Its quiet unbelievable that they excel in those sorts of games given that they have big, cumbersome forwards; anyone would be forgiven for thinking that they would get bogged down as well but they never seem to. There is something about those attritional games that brings the best out in those dogs players. I really hope Madge has been drilling into the boys to keep things simple in the wet and to hold onto the footy at all costs. However, if it is dry then I can see us running those big dogs players around. After seeing them over the last two weeks, I believe Canterbury's forwards are still carrying too much weight and lack mobility. This is where dummy half running is key - Damian Cook and McInnes are going to need to make constant scoots from dummy half to get the likes of Klemmer, Kasiano, Eastwood and co all constantly retreating.
All is not lost, but for god sake pray that it doesn't rain on Friday!!
