Round 15: Bulldogs v Eels preview
Bulldogs to face rested Eels side to round off Round 15
Canterbury-Bankstown will host the Parramatta on Monday afternoon at Sydney Olympic Park in the final game of the round. With both sides struggling in the bottom half of the ladder, and with only two points separating them, both teams will see this match as a chance for some much needed competition points.
Almost exactly one year ago, the Bulldogs came away with a surprise 34-4 victory against Parramatta in the Queen's Birthday game. Now the King's Birthday, this public holiday fixture will rightfully give Canterbury hope of another upset win, although Bulldogs fans shouldn't expect anything that high-scoring. Of Canterbury's five wins this season, only one has been by a margin of more than four.
Last weekend, the Bulldogs travelled North along the coast to meet the Sydney Roosters in Gosford. They sprung out of the blocks, with the opening two tries of the early afternoon fixture awarded to Canterbury-Bankstown. But the Roosters were quick to strike back, and what followed was an entertaining eighty minutes of football, in which the Bulldogs suffered some bad luck in a heartbreaking 25-24 loss.
Reed Mahoney has been named to play despite suffering a diagnosed concussion on Sunday, with his fate now in the hands of the NRL's ‘independent neurological expert'. Jacob Kiraz returns from injury onto the wing, forcing Blake Wilson out of the side. Harrison Edwards has been handed the number 13, moving Chris Patolo to the bench, and Ryan Sutton out.
Parramatta have strung together some much needed back-to-back wins for the second time this season as they aim to rise from the low-middle of the ladder. A strong twenty point win against the Rabbitohs, followed by an eight point win against a low on confidence Cowboys outfit, might just be the catalyst they need to finally unlock their potential this season.
The Eels enjoyed a bye last week, so will head into this game largely rested. It was a far from uneventful bye week for Parramatta though, with their star five-eighth Dylan Brown making headlines for the wrong reasons. He has been named to play for now, as the NRL decides where his situation sits in regard to the No-Fault Stand Down Policy.
Reagan Campbell-GIllard returns from his groin injury in a massive in for Parramatta's forward pack. Andrew Davey is also back, which means Matt Doorey shifts to the bench and Luca Moretti misses out on the 17.
These sides met just under two months ago, back in round seven, with the Eels triumphing 30-4 at home. Will the Bulldogs be able to use their home advantage to turn the tables, or can Parramatta make it two from two against Canterbury-Bankstown in 2023?
Last meeting: Round 7 2023 - Eels 30 Bulldogs 4
Who to watch: After getting through the hard work of breaking into the NRL, Jayden Okunbor lost all his momentum due to the highly publicised scandal involving him at the beginning of 2020. After spending a few seasons almost exclusively in NSW Cup, Okunbor seems to have found his role in the NRL 13 - and it isn't on the wing. The 26 year old looks to have made a permanent shift into the back row, where he will line up for Canterbury-Bankstown this weekend.
With star NSW Blues halfback Nathan Cleary out for the remainder of Origin, Parramatta number seven Mitchell Moses has emerged as a surprise candidate for the NSW game two squad. Moses has made just one previous appearance for the Blues, although his representative resume also includes just under ten appearances for the Cedars. He will want to make a play for that NSW jersey this weekend.
Favourite: The Eels are the comfortable favourites to record the victory this weekend.
My tip: Parramatta have found a little bit of form, but whether that carries through to after their bye round remains to be seen. The Bulldogs have a good chance of a surprise attack - just as they famously did at the same venue on the Queen's Birthday Monday last year against the Eels. Still, I think Parra should win. Eels by 14.
