Dogs cop double blow on eve of NRL finals
Scott Bailey |
Cameron Ciraldo insists Canterbury’s late-season slump will mean nothing come finals, after the Bulldogs suffered a double injury blow in a 24-6 loss to Cronulla.
With little to play for other than a finals warm-up, Canterbury endured a nightmare evening at Accor Stadium on Saturday with Bronson Xerri and Marcelo Montoya both hurt.
Both will miss Friday night’s qualifying final against Melbourne at AAMI Park, with Xerri concussed and Montoya leaving the stadium on crutches with an ankle injury.
Jacob Kiraz remains an outside chance of returning from a foot sprain against Melbourne, who will also be missing star duo Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes.
Cronulla were good in what was a near-perfect final hit-out before finals, but the Bulldogs need to lift after sitting first for half of the competition.
Canterbury’s only win in their past four games was against a reserve-grade Penrith last week, while Ciraldo admitted their attack was “impatient”.
But he insisted it would be a different story come finals, with the performance demonstrating the team had little to play for.
“It’s a totally different game once you get to finals,” Ciraldo said.
“There is a lot more ball in play, there are a lot less stoppages. Our game will be much more suited to it than the games in the past two weeks.”
Ciraldo pointed to the Bulldogs’ early defence as a positive, but in attack their only only points came via a 98-metre effort when Enari Tuala picked off a Nicho Hynes kick.
“I’m glad tonight’s over. I am glad we can get onto the next stage of the competition,” Ciraldo said.
“We weren’t anywhere near our best. That stuff happens when your mindset is slightly off.”
Cronulla, meanwhile, got through the night unscathed, ahead of what looms as blockbuster home elimination final against the Sydney Roosters next week.
With fifth spot already locked in, they are playing their best football at the right time after completing at 95 per cent on Saturday.
Braydon Trindall is also set to return from an ankle injury next week, while the Sharks back five all played together for the first time this season.
And the Sharks looked slick with them together, while still controlling the ball and halfback Nicho Hynes on song.
Hynes laid on the first try of an 18-0 first half with a short ball for Billy Burns, before going short-side and hitting Sione Katoa on the chest in the lead up to another.
The Sharks regularly went down Canterbury’s left side in the first half with Burton filling in at centre for Xerri, before the No.6 moved back to five-eighth in the second.
Fill-in five-eighth Daniel Atkinson and hooker Blayke Brailey also both scored tries, with Cronulla having now won seven of their last eight.
“It was a good hit out, that’s for sure,” Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
“To be able to block out what’s ahead and go out there and perform. They didn’t go away, we had our hands full. But I thought we were pretty complete.”
AAP
