NRL Round 21 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v North Queensland Cowboys Preview

Make no mistake, this is the game of the round! Two teams that are in the Top 4 heading into Round 21 are featured and both are teams who are experiencing some decent form. This has all the hallmarks of a top game and will sure to be a great preview for how both teams are travelling heading into the finals. It is extremely disappointing though that this game is not on free-to-air television...but I cannot harp on that as I have done it recent weeks. Down at Canterbury, everything is tracking along nicely. They've beaten some good teams in recent weeks, most notably the Storm and the Sea Eagles and they now find themselves two points clear at the top. Des Hasler is working magic with his team and you can see how much they are enjoying their football at the moment. It is also evident that the Bulldogs are making their own luck, and at the moment, it is definitely coming off for them. But that's what happens when you're a team in form. The Cowboys are similar but have not enjoyed the same success this season as a direct result of their inconsistency on the field. It does seem as though they have overcome this problem but it can quickly change for them. They must now focus on putting themselves in the best position possible in each match to get the win. They certainly have a host of talented players to get them over the line in the tight games and are certainly a force to be reckoned with when they are all firing. Hopefully both teams are playing with full confidence, and if they are, we are going to see a high quality game. This game is another clash that will be important to the overall makeup of the Top 8 and even the Top 4. It may also be a game that is reflected on if these two sides clash again in the semis. Momentum is everything at this point of the season and both teams will be fighting hard to keep theirs rolling.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

For the first time in a long time, the Bulldogs have suffered a fair few injuries to key players. They did have a few question marks over players early in the season, but they had now put together a side which was playing very well with the game plan set aside for them by coach Des Hasler. The Bulldogs have lost dynamic prop Sam Kasiano to a fractured cheekbone and he will be missing for a number of weeks. But they lose nothing by bringing in British powerhouse James Graham to the starting lineup for the first time this season. He has been getting better and better each week and I dare say he could play 80 minutes if needed. Halfback Kris Keating has been named after there was a suggestion that he injured his hamstring, don't be fooled people, he did injure it. He is no chance of playing in this match and he will be out for around 3 weeks and no replacement has been named just yet. David Stagg has been moved back to the bench and Josh Jackson makes his way into the starting team. Those are the only changes to the starting team but there is an extended bench named for the Dogs. Ben Barba will again look to be at his best and it ironic that he faces Matthew Bowen here, a player who he has been compared to in recent weeks with his ability to find his way to the try line. It is a matchup that is sure to have any rugby leauge fan salivating.

North Queensland Cowboys

The Cowboys have to combat a very short turn around here after a very fast paced MNF clash agains the Tigers. Recovery will be everything here and they should aim to play with a similar pace to catch the Dogs off guard. It is no surprise that there is only one change to the team from Monday, and its a change to the 18th man. Cory Paterson is replaced by Ray Thompson as the stand by and perhaps he could even step into the starting team if fit enough. Then again, Michael Morgan did nothing wrong to lose his position. This young bloke, under the guidance of Thurston and Bowen, will turn into a very solid player. As mentioned above, Bowen will look to outgun Barba in attack (and defence) but will not be thrown off jut winning the game for the Cowboys. He has a different role to that of Barba's as he is a lot more involved in the direction of attack and kicking game of the team. It is good to see him step in and relieve the pressure that can build on Thurston during the match.

Recent History

Overall = Bulldogs 19 - Cowboys 9
Last 5 games = Bulldogs 4 - Cowboys 1
At ANZ Stadium = Bulldogs 2 - Cowboys 2

Odds

TAB Sportsbet = Bulldogs $1.57 Cowboys $2.45
Centrebet = Bulldogs $1.65 Cowboys $2.30
Sportsbet = Bulldogs $1.60 Cowboys $2.40
Betfair = Bulldogs $1.62 Cowboys $2.54

Verdict

This is going to be a fantastic game! If you look at the total discrepancy in the odds above, you could almost suggest that the bookies are a little confused about this game also. This is a game that I would recommend that you stay away from this weekend. But you also have to put things into perspective if you're considering having a bet. The Cowboys are coming off a MNF clash and teams can sometimes suffer from this. They also like to play a high paced game that promotes a lot of attacking football. Unfortunately, they can not always defend with the same amount of application. In saying that, they proved themselves a good defensive team against the Storm and were also able to hold the Tigers to a scoreless second half.

Suggested Bet
None...stay away from it!
If you must bet...


1) Place a few mystery "pick-the-scores"
2) Place a $10 NRL combo on both teams for some interest, and maybe even a return


Good luck!
Scooby
@scoobystips