Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Illawarra – Semi Final
UOW Jubilee Oval, Sunday 10 September
5pm
Streamed LIVE on NSWRL.com.au
Momentum – it’s a tough thing to win, and an even tougher thing to maintain, in Rugby League terms.
And ahead of an all-important Semi Final at UOW Jubilee Oval, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and defending Intrust Super Premiership NSW Premiers Illawarra are stressing the importance of gaining the early ascendency when the pair meet in Sunday’s do-or-die clash.
The Bulldogs – on the back of an agonising extra-time defeat at the hands of the Wyong Roos in Finals Week 1 – will take confidence out of their performance against the Minor Premiers, though the know they’ll have to be better still against the Illawarra side this weekend.
It took the Premiership favourites 90 minutes to shake off the gallant Bulldogs, who sent the match beyond regulation time through their determined efforts to advance to Week 3.
As it wasn’t to be for Steve Georgallis’ men last Saturday, the side’s would-be passage to a Preliminary Final berth meets another roadblock in the form of the unpredictable Premiers.
Showing their resilience last weekend, Mat Head’s chargers twice overturned a deficit to book their way into Week 2 of the Finals.
Inspired by livewire fullback Jai Field – who played a hand in four of the side’s five tries – Illawarra kept their hopes of back-to-back titles intact, and will be hoping to carry that moment into this weekend’s clash at Kogarah.
