Pre Season Favourites To Meet

The Bulldogs and Sydney Roosters, the pre-season premiership favourites, will meet on Saturday for the right to play in the National Rugby League grand final.

The Dogs secured their place in the preliminary final with a clinical 30-0 win over Melbourne at Aussie Stadium on Sunday and will now face the defending premiers at Aussie Stadium.

In the other preliminary final, the New Zealand Warriors will face minor premier Penrith at Telstra Stadium on Sunday.

The Bulldogs-Roosters clash should have plenty of spice, with the former favoured to win the competition last year before the salary cap scandal led to the club being docked 37 points, sending them to bottom spot on the ladder.

In their absence, the Roosters cut a swathe through the finals on their way to their first premiership since 1975.

The Roosters should start their preliminary final as favourites based on the Bulldogs' form.

They rarely got out of second gear against the inept Storm, who made too many errors.

However the Bulldogs beat the Roosters in both of their previous clashes this season.

If the Roosters do qualify for the grand final, they could face last year's opponent the Warriors.

The New Zealand side is only one victory away from returning to the grand final after a heart-stopping 17-16 win over Canberra at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night.