Round 3: Broncos v Bulldogs preview
2020 battlers face off in crucial clash
It may only be Round 3 but Saturday's match up between the Brisbane Broncos and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs already shapes as a must-win for both teams.
Losing their opening two fixtures, facing a difficult run of upcoming matches, and boasting new coaches desperate to put numbers on the board, the respective teams will need to rise above their lowly standings in order to remain in finals contention.
Sitting in 12th position with a -20 differential, the Brisbane Broncos will be desperate to break through for their first win since July last year - incidentally against the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium.
Currently in the midst of a 13 match losing streak, where they have finished within four points on just a single occasion, the reigning wooden spooners will be determined to make amends for a disappointing performance in last week's 28-16 loss to the Titans.
Suffering from an inability to play for 80 minutes, coach Kevin Walters has retained the same squad in a show of faith towards under fire playmakers Anthony Milford and Brodie Croft.
Languishing in 14th place after conceding 60 points in their first two matches, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will be aiming to put aside a dismal showing in the wet during last Saturday's 28-0 shutout to the Panthers.
Holding a dreadful record at Suncorp Stadium with two wins from 13 visits over the past decade, coach Trent Barrett will be stressing the importance of execution with and without the ball following 36 missed tackles and 11 errors on average over the first two rounds.
Set to be without try-scoring forward Raymond Faitala-Mariner for an indefinite period, former Storm back rower Joe Stimson will make his return from shoulder surgery, while Tui Katoa comes into the backline in place of suspended flyer Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Last meeting: Round 9 2020 - Broncos 26 Bulldogs 8
Who to watch: Showing plenty of attacking promise over the opening fortnight of the season, young centre Tesi Niu will be hoping to record only his second win in first grade. Handed a brutal initiation to the NRL during last year's record loss to the Roosters, the 19-year-old has been earmarked for big things after representing Tonga two years ago at the behest of the senior playing group. Averaging over 120 metres with the ball in hand, Niu can expect plenty of traffic in defence, following five missed tackles against the Titans, but will be sure to bring plenty of energy as part of a youthful right side attack.
As the only current Bulldogs player to taste victory over the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, Josh Jackson will be drawing upon his experience to guide the new-look blue and white's to victory. Entering his tenth season in the top grade as an undisputed club stalwart, the 30-year-old second-rower has made a strong start to life as a lock forward with 55 tackles on average to start the season. Encapsulating the celebrated Canterbury spirit with a remarkable try-saving tackle in the corresponding fixture two years ago, expect Jackson to play with a similar intensity on Saturday evening.
The favourite: While clashes between the two sides have been closely-fought with five wins apiece since 2015, the home ground advantage has the Broncos favoured to emerge with the two points.
My tip: Picking a winner out of two teams with success rates under 14 per cent since the start of last season is a difficult task. If Brisbane can recapture the attacking form displayed in the first half against Parramatta they should get the job done - whether they can is an entirely different story. Brisbane by 6.
