The Wentworthville Magpies will be desperate for a win tonight when they play the in-form Bulldogs in a bid to move from the bottom of the ladder.
These two teams met back in round six, where Wentworthville won the match 25-18, and Bulldogs coach Andy Patmore believed his team learned some valuable lessons from that loss.
“Their forwards went straight through us,” said Patmore. “We’ve really got to defend well through the middle, and if we do that we will give ourselves a chance.”
With various Bulldogs players unavailable for first grade due to State of Origin commitments, the VB NSW Cup side will run out against Wentworthville with a vastly different side to what they’ve had over the past month.
“Obviously with Origin on this week we’ll have a fair few team changes,” said Patmore. “We’ll need to adapt to those new boys coming in.”
Since the round six loss, the Bulldogs underwent a difficult stretch before bouncing back with a three-match win streak.
Patmore believes overcoming adversity for a successful run of wins has improved the Bulldogs’ confidence.
“Some of those earlier results were a bit all over the place,” said Patmore. “[But] we’ve had a more consistent approach to our games in the past few weeks.”
The Bulldogs do not have the most flattering defensive record but they will be up against the worst attack in the competition in Wentworthville who are coming off a 16-0 defeat at the hands of Penrith last week.
Wentworthville can move up from last place with a win, while the Bulldogs could break into the top four depending on other results. It’s a vital match for both sides.
Canterbury-Bankstown v Wentworthville - Belmore Sports Ground, Friday June 12, 7:00pm
This article first appeared on NSWRL.com.au
