Round 3: Bulldogs v Wests Tigers preview
Sunday afternoon footy will see the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs host the Wests Tigers at the iconic Belmore Sports Ground.
The Bulldogs are in good spirits following a comfortable upset win away in Melbourne against an admittedly weakened Storm team. The 26-12 win on Saturday night came much to the surprise of many, especially considering their shaky first round offering. Canterbury will be hopeful of carrying that performance into a very winnable home game this weekend, and of getting themselves back-to-back wins for the first time since July 2022.
Winning himself the fullback spot to start the season over the likes of Jake Averillo, Hayze Perham played the game of his life to help his team topple Mebourne. Running for almost 200 metres, 60 of which were post-contact, Perham provided plenty of energy and fire to the Bulldogs from the back. He will want to keep the good performances coming as he continues settling into his new club. The Bulldogs have named the same 17 that took on Melbourne.
Yet another train wreck performance from the Wests Tigers in round two has fans questioning all of their life decisions. Playing in front of a loyal and foolhardy Leichhardt home crowd, the Tigers had there whole season to play for against the lowly Newcastle Knights. What they served up was nothing short of abhorrent, going down by two points to a 12 man injury-struck Newcastle.
Fan-favourite forward Alex Twal served up another game of consistency in the pack for the Tigers, albeit in a losing side. Twal made 46 tackles in a 50+ minute performance off the bench, and his strong effort in defence finally gave him his reward in attack - almost. The Lebanese international crashed over the line for what appeared to be the first try of his NRL career, only for the ball to have been knocked free. The heartbreak will surely only fire him up more for this clash.
Charlie Staines will get an opportunity at starting fullback after playing decent minutes at fullback last weekend. Junior Tupou is rewarded for some stellar reserve grade performances with his first NRL jersey of 2023, taking Staines' spot on the wing. Starford To'a replaces the concussed Tommy Talau at centre. Blore and Pole are big inclusions in the forward pack, with Alex Seyfarth and the suspended Papali'i making way. Brandon Wakeham has been named on the bench in place of Jake Simpkin, while John Bateman has been named in the reserves.
The Wests Tigers have won four of their past six games against Canterbury-Bankstown, and this game might be there last chance to kick-start their season before an upcoming tough stretch in their draw.
Last meeting: Round 15 2022 - Bulldogs 36 Wests Tigers 12
Who to watch: Jacob Kiraz is coming into his own in the NRL. In his rookie season last year, he cemented his spot in the 17 before making his Rugby League World Cup debut with Lebanon to finish the year. At just 21 years old, and with under 20 NRL appearances, Kiraz has plenty of potential for growth over the next few seasons. Against Melbourne, Kiraz was a shining light, scoring a double and making a whopping 235 run metres. Racking up ten tackle breaks and five offloads singlehandedly further helped his team get the victory.
Brandon Wakeham arrived at the Wests Tigers just a few months ago, and he now finds himself in an intriguing position. While pressure to drop Luke Brooks, whether warranted or not, continues to build, Wakeham has been grinding away for the Magpies in the opening two rounds. He will now get a shot on the NRL stage for the first time since he left the opposition club, Canterbury-Bankstown. How he'll be used off the bench remains to be seen, but have no doubt that he will be an energetic insertion into the game when his time comes.
Favourite: The Bulldogs are comfortable favourites to see off the Tigers this weekend.
My tip: Tragically, the nightmare will continue for the Wests Tigers. Bulldogs by 20.
