Canterbury will be hoping to produce a better showing against Manly in their elimination final this weekend than they did when the two sides last met just two weeks prior.
The Bulldogs had no answers for the Sea Eagles’ power through the middle of the park on that day, as Anthony Seibold created an effective blueprint on how to beat them on the way to a comprehensive 34-22 victory.
The Sea Eagles have received a major boost ahead of the battle as well with Tom Trbojevic returning to the fold.
The star fullback sustained a shoulder injury during the win over the Dogs and missed the last round of the season against Cronulla.
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Why Bulldogs face daunting task to overcome the Sea Eagles
In more good news for the club, the Sea Eagles have a dominant record over their opponents in recent years as they have lost just one of their previous 10 matches against them.
Although historically, the Belmore-based outfit have had the wood over Manly as they have won four of their past five meetings in the finals.
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The Dogs are featuring in their first finals campaign in eight years after Cameron Ciraldo’s second season in charge saw a sharp upturn in performances.
Their summer recruitment has proved to be a massive hit with Stephen Crichton the signing of the year, while Bronson Xerri, Josh Curran and Connor Tracey have also been major success stories.
A sixth-place finish on the ladder secured them a home final at Accor Stadium as reward for their displays.
Although both sides have shaky recent records leading into the clash, with the Dogs riding a two-game losing streak and conceding 78 points across those defeats.
These heavy losses are sure to have cast some doubt into the minds of the players around their defensive system, which was previously thought to be so impenetrable.
Yet they still have the third-best record in the league behind Penrith and Cronulla and will need to get back to their best, in this regard, if they are to have any chance of stopping Turbo and co having a day out at their expense once again.
