Round 25: Bulldogs v Sharks preview
Sharks look to secure top-four spot against admirable Dogs
It would take quite a collapse in the final round for the Cronulla Sharks to miss the top four. Yet with the Brisbane Broncos capable of racking up a score against the struggling Sea Eagles, the Sharks can guarantee themselves a spot in the second week of the finals with victory against the Bulldogs.
Cronulla appear to be timing their premiership tilt rather nicely, having won three-straight games.
While the Sharks have long established themselves as kings of the grind, they showed last week that they are also more than capable of putting sides to the sword after cruising past Newcastle 38-12.
It was only their second win by 13 points or more all year and the other one also came against the Knights in Round 12, when Shane Flanagan's men demolished them 48-10.
Last week's win was highly impressive given the Sharks were without regular five-eighth and creative spark Matt Moylan, who was replaced by rookie Kyle Flanagan.
Moylan is back this week while Jesse Ramien may also be nearing a return after being named on the extended bench.
Cronulla face a far sterner test this week when they take on the in-form Bulldogs.
Despite having little to play for, Canterbury have now won four of their past five games, including last week's 38-0 whitewash of the Dragons.
It wasn't the only big scalp that the Bulldogs have taken in recent weeks though, with their other three wins coming against the Broncos, Tigers and Warriors - all teams who were vying for a spot in the top eight.
After struggling in attack for most of the year, coach Dean Pay now has his side piling on the tries at will, having scored 27 points or more in three of their past four games.
Last Meeting: Sharks won 22-16 in Cronulla in Round 11 earlier this year.
Who to watch: Against one of the competition's best forward packs, the Bulldogs will need all the firepower they can get from enforcer David Klemmer. Klemmer ran for 279 metres in a powerful 61-minute display that reaffirmed his place as the premier front rower in the league. If he can lead from the front and lay a platform for the likes of Lachlan Lewis and Matt Frawley, the Bulldogs will give themselves every chance of victory.
There is one man in the competition who can certainly match Klemmer for aggression and passion up front and that is Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita. While the 29-year-old has been in the papers recently for all the wrong reasons, he put it all behind him last week against Newcastle with a barnstorming display. The Tongan international ran for almost 190 metres and busted six tackles and will play a similar role to that of Klemmer.
Favourite: The Sharks are expected to enter the finals on the back of three-straight wins.
Tip: Canterbury have given their fans hope for 2019 and will continue to do so with a hard-fought win over the Sharks. Bulldogs by 6.
