Round 5 BULLDOGS V SEA EAGLES [Archive]

TITAN PETE

02-04-13, 02:44 PM

BULLDOGS V SEA EAGLES - 5TH APRIL, 7:35PM, ANZ STADIUM | #NRLCBYMAN

Bulldogs

1 Ben Barba
2 Mitch Brown
3 Josh Morris
4 Tim Lafai
5 Sam Perrett
6 Josh Reynolds
7 Kris Keating
8 Aiden Tolman
9 Michael Ennis (c)
10 Martin Taupau
11 Tony Williams
12 Josh Jackson
13 Greg Eastwood

Interchange
14 Dene Halatau
15 Dale Finucane
16 Tim Browne
17 Frank Pritchard
20 David Klemmer

Coach: Des Hasler

Sea Eagles

1 Brett Stewart
2 Jorge Taufua
3 Jamie Lyon (c)
4 Steve Matai
5 David Williams
6 Kieran Foran
7 Daly Cherry-Evans
8 Brenton Lawrence
9 Matt Ballin
10 Brent Kite
11 Anthony Watmough
12 Justin Horo
13 Tom Symonds

Interchange
14 Richie Fa'aoso
15 Joe Galuvao
16 Jamie Buhrer
17 Jason King

Coach: Geoff Toovey

TITAN PETE

03-04-13, 03:45 PM

Goalkicking dilemma for Bulldogs coach
By By Ian McCullough
AAP
Tue 02nd April, 7:55pm

Losing centre Krisnan Inu for five games after he pleaded guilty to a grade four dangerous throw charge has left Canterbury with a goalkicking headache for Friday's clash with Manly.

Des Hasler said on Tuesday he was yet to decide who'll take on the kicking duties, but the two-time premiership-winning coach's legendary attention to detail will ensure the new man is fully prepared.

"There's a couple in there who've kicked before, and we'll find someone," Hasler said.

"But Inu had been kicking very well."

After revealing he wasn't overly keen on taking over from Inu, Bulldogs halfback Kris Keating let slip that Hasler employs Daryl Halligan to come in twice a week to work with a group of players.

Halligan was one of the finest kickers in the game in a 10-season career that began in 1991, finishing with a 79.2 per cent success rate, converting 855 goals from 1079 attempts.

"I hope not," said Keating, when asked if he would be ask to kick against the Sea Eagles.

"But I do enough practise that if it comes my way I can handle it.

"There is a group of us who work couple of times a week with Daryl Halligan.

"I've kicked once growing up but is probably more of a fun thing than anything else."

Keating was less forthcoming when pressed on what other members of the Bulldogs NRL squad were being put through their paces by Halligan.

"There is about six or seven of us including blokes from reserve grade and the 20s," Keating said.

"But I don't know who will kick it. Mick Ennis has done it before and Josh Reynolds has kicked in junior grades.

"But it's an important job and Inu has been kicking well."

The Bulldogs have been blessed with excellent kickers over the years with Hazem El Masri, who replaced Halligan, converting 81.9 per cent of his attempts on his way to becoming the NRL's all-time record points scorer.

Not having a natural replacement for Inu is certainly a headache for Hasler, whose side go into the game with a 1-3 record.

Former NSW winger Steve Turner was the obvious choice to take over but announced his retirement after round one due to injury.

And Bryson Goodwin, who kicked for some of last year, joined South Sydney in the off-season.

It leaves Ennis as the early favourite, but the former NSW hooker is also reluctant to take on the mantle.

Ennis has a solid success rate of 71.5 per cent stemming from his days with Brisbane and St George Illawarra.

However, he was keen to relinquish the duties after replacing El Masri in 2010 having missed four from four in a season-opening defeat to Newcastle and hasn't kicked since.

Bulldogs prop Frank Pritchard says Friday's game is one his side cannot afford to lose after a tough start to their minor premiership defence.

But the New Zealand forward said there are no sign of panic just yet despite successive losses to Melbourne and South Sydney.

"Against the Storm we gave away easy tries and when you do that it's hard to win games," he said.

"The boys hung in there against Souths, but in the back end of the second half we let it slip.

"You can't go to sleep like that. But it's still very early in the season and we've had some tough games."