Dogs turn attention to Roosters after Storm victory
Dave Lyall |
The Bulldogs have charged into the top eight for the first time since round six in April after overrunning an undermanned Storm 36-22 at AAMI Park.
The Dogs have now won six of their last seven games to set up a mouthwatering clash next Friday night with the white-hot Roosters, who are coming off the back of Thursday night’s 82-12 thumping of the Cowboys.
Skipper Stephen Crichton was outstanding for the Bulldogs on Friday night in Melbourne, particularly in the second half when he grabbed a late double, while fellow big-name Dogs Viliame Kikau, Matt Burton and Jacob Preston are hitting form at the right time of the year.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo was quick to praise the opposition and was also pleased with his side’s mental application.
“Firstly, on the opposition, I thought they’re amazing,” Ciraldo said. “It’s a credit to their club, just the amount of players they’ve got out at the moment, and the way they fronted up and played.
“It’s a credit to Craig (Bellamy) and Frank (Ponissi) and everyone here, and what they’ve been able to do over the last 20 years.
“I didn’t think we were at our best for long periods, but I thought we were at our best mentally.
“Really happy with how we handled some of the adversity and stuff, and just stuff that was happening. I thought we stayed really process-driven and didn’t let that frustration get to us and ultimately got away with it in the end.”
Ciraldo said attention had already turned to the Roosters blockbuster.
He said: “The only game I’m worried about is the Roosters game next week. We know they’re in incredible form, obviously watching them last night, and it’s going to represent a massive challenge for us, so I think the boys were already inside talking about it.
“Let’s enjoy this tonight because that’s really important. But as of Monday, we’ll turn our attention to the Roosters game on Friday.”
While the Bulldogs eventually grabbed the two points, the Storm were valiant in defeat, right in the contest for an hour despite missing their three biggest stars.
Harry Grant, Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes were out injured, Hughes’ late withdrawal pushing 19-year-old star-in-waiting Hayden Watson into his NRL debut after just seven NSW Cup appearances.
The prodigious Watson, who began the season in SG Ball, showed flashes of his undoubted talent with the ball and was strong in defence, never taking a backward step despite the constant threat of Kikau, Crichton and Burton on his edge.
Another 19-year-old, hooker Jai Bowden, also earned his first NRL appearance late in the match, while Angus Hinchey scored a try in his second NRL game.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy was suitably impressed with Watson, saying: “He’s a talented kid without a doubt, and for a halfback, he’s fairly quiet.
“Around the group, he’s not an out there kid. He’s sort of sticks to himself a little bit, and he’s very quiet, but when it’s time to train and when it’s time to knuckle down, he just zeroes in.
“That was probably, as far as a halfback goes, that was as good a debut as I’ve seen from halfback, especially at his age.”
The Storm will hold on to 12th place despite the defeat, but the loss has heightened the likelihood of their poorest ladder finish since entering the NRL in 1998. Barring the points-stripped 2010 season, their lowest finish is 10th.
AAP