NRL Round 15 St George Illawarra Dragons v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Preview

After the "other" rugby league game this week is done, it is time to get back to NRL action as people turn their attention back towards cheering for their team. The rounds played after SOO always leave fans and more importantly, punters, wondering where they should invest their money. But before they place their bets, they're always going to speculate on which players will back up in each clash. You hear a number of different things from various people suggesting someone is in or out. I cannot distinctively say who will play and who won't, but pay attention to late team information. This clash is sure to be a great game. It kicks off another bumper round of NRL action as the Dragons are at home down in Wollongong taking on a top notch Bulldogs team. The Dragons will be very desperate to win this game. They have had a tough run of late. It's certainly not going to be easy thats for sure but after a dour loss to the Eagles, the Dragons will have to show considerable improvement if they are even to test the Bulldogs. Only three players will be returning from Origin so most players will be ready, rested and prepared after both teams had the bye in Round 14. Lets take a look at the one of the Friday Night Footy games which is hopefully a continuation on of the high intensity clash we saw on Wednesday.

St George Illawarra Dragons

As mentioned earlier, the Dragons are desperate at this point of their season. They sit in 10th place, two points out of the Top 8. They are a team that is in danger of falling out of contention for finals football. They haven't exactly been playing the most exciting football either. They have a tendency to drag teams down to their level (boring and dour) and then attempt to beat them there. They almost got Manly sucked into their game plan but were out muscled in the end. That isn't saying that the Dragons are a soft football team, they are just not able to win close games like they were under Wayne Bennett. Not too much has changed within the playing ranks so some players have to take the blame for their inability to get the two points. It is interesting to note that coach Steve Price has named an unchanged lineup to the team that went down a fortnight ago at Brookvale Oval. They also have an extended bench with Chase Stanely named. Obviously, they will have their fingers crossed that both Trent Merrin and Ben Creagh get through this game without injury and are able to take the field. It does work in the Dragons favor that both players will come off the bench for the Blues and shouldn't be too fatigued after Wednesday as they would be if they played their average NRL minutes.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are coming off a bye but are also riding high after a gallant victory over the Rabbitohs. I said in my preview of that game that it would be one of the best games seen this year...and it was! It was fantastic seeing two great teams fight it out in an epic battle right down until the final minute. In that game, there were a lot of mistakes at crucial times (Rabbitohs more than the Bulldogs) so they will have to put in a performance that is almost error free. As far as team news, they will be hoping that Josh Morris is OK to take the field after SOO 2. Tim Lafai makes way on the wing for Luke McDougall who went off injured a few weeks ago in what looked like a season ending injury. It would be some feat if he was back for this clash. On the bench, Trent Hodkinson drops off the bench and Martin Taupau comes into the 17. The Dogs have named an extended bench with Dale Finucane expected to drop off before kickoff.

Recent History
Overall = Dragons 10 - Bulldogs 13
Last 5 games = Dragons 4 - Bulldogs 1
At WIN Stadium = Dragons 1 - Bulldogs 4

Odds
TAB Sportsbet = Dragons $2.25 Bulldogs $1.65
Centrebet = Dragons $2.27 Bulldogs $1.66
Sportsbet = Dragons $2.25 Bulldogs $1.65

Verdict
On recent form and going by the Power Rankings that I have put out for Round 15, it would be hard to go past the Bulldogs. They keep surprising me with their level of play and their forwards are working really hard up front. Not only are they working hard, but they are setting a great platform for their exciting back line to work off...and boy can they finish! The Dragons definitely have the players to win this game but they do lack firepower and creativity at crucial points of the game. It would be a brave person who take the Dragons on recent form. The Bulldogs also have the added advantage of a great record against the Dragons down at WIN Stadium (see above).

Suggested Bet
Bulldogs 1-12 @ $2.90


Morris try scorer = Josh Morris First Try Scorer @ $11 - The Morris twins go up against one another again in this game but with brother Brett going through a very dry patch at the moment scoring wise, I am expecting Josh to lift of the back of a decent SOO performance and grab first try.


Winning Margin = Bulldogs 1-6 @ $5.75 - I think that this will be a very close game but believe that the Bulldogs will still get the job done. I have mentioned Bulldogs 1-12 as my suggested bet, but if you are looking for a little more value then go this one.


Good luck!
Scooby
@scoobystips