Round 25: Bulldogs v Sea Eagles preview
A season of success and failure for also-rans
A historic night pitting two esteemed Sydney clubs in opposition will serve as a fitting conclusion to the home-and-away season on Friday evening… and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will host the Manly Sea Eagles as well.
Closing out a much-improved season, albeit one filled with immense pain, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will have three triple-barrelled reasons to perform on home soil.
Celebrating milestone matches for Josh Addo-Carr (150 NRL appearances), Raymond Faitala-Mariner (100 NRL appearances) and Jeremy Marshall-King (100 NRL appearances), the Bulldogs will be aiming to finish the year in winning form following a run of poor performances throughout August.
Failing to trouble the scoreboard attendant during last Saturday's 16-0 shutout against the Sharks, interim coach Mick Potter will welcome back Tevita Pangai Jr and Corey Waddell from reserve grade and suspension respectively.
Losing their past seven meetings against the Sea Eagles, including a one-point defeat on the northern beaches in the first month of the season, a win would see the side finish the year in 12th position, while defeat could see the side fall as low as 14th.
Going from preliminary finalists to the possibility of a seven-week run of losses to end the season, the Manly Sea Eagles will be playing for little more than pride at Accor Stadium.
Sitting inside the top eight prior to the self-inflicted implosion brought on by a rainbow stripe, coach Des Hasler will be demanding an improved defensive showing following last week's dispiriting 48-6 defeat at the hands of the Raiders.
Naming Kaeo Weekes at fullback in a backline reshuffle pushing Tolutau Koula into the centres, the result will have zero impact on the final ladder standing with the side unable to move above or below 12th position.
The match will be the final time Kieran Foran, Martin Taupau, Andrew Davey and Dylan Walker represent the Manly Sea Eagles with the quartet departing following successful tenures in the maroon and white jersey.
Last meeting: Round 3 2022 - Sea Eagles 13 Bulldogs 12
Who to watch: Taking the long road to reach a century of games in first grade, Raymond Faitala-Mariner will be aiming to cap his milestone match with a win. Progressing through the Warriors Under 20s system into first grade before making the move to Canterbury midway through 2016, the 29-year-old Auckland-born forward has endured a rocky run with injuries restricting his time in first grade to just 14 appearances since the start of last season. Penning an extension to remain at Belmore until the end of 2025, Faitala-Mariner will have an extra source of motivation as he endeavours to avoid the nudie run with a four-pointer on Friday evening.
Experiencing a year of highs and lows to well-and-truly establish himself among the leading strike forwards in the game, Haumole Olakau'atu will have his sights set on earning a place in Tonga's World Cup starting pack. Making his representative debut in the mid-year test against New Zealand, the 23-year-old second-rower will be looking to move from the bench into the starting side on the international stage. Holding the distinction as the leading forward for tackle breaks in the league, look for Olakau'atu to run with fierce intensity in his final club appearance for 2022.
The favourite: The Bulldogs are expected to deliver for their three milestone men.
My tip: Falling short of the finals is viewed by and large as a failure for most clubs. Given where the Bulldogs have come from, 2022 has been a major step in the right direction. Bulldogs by 10.
