Two sides looking to consolidate their place in the top eight, the Roosters and Bulldogs will put it all on the line when they meet in Gosford on Saturday.
With Connor Watson, Spencer Leniu, Angus Crichton and Lindsay Collins in Origin camp, the Roosters’ depth will be pushed to its limits when they host a Bulldogs side on the rise.
Trent Robinson’s men will be over the moon to see Watson called up to make his State of Origin debut after the star utility missing the entire 2023 season while their skipper James Tedesco will bring some much-needed experience to the side that after he made way for Dylan Edwards in camp.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs once again lose skipper Stephen Crichton to Origin duties but keep their star playmaker Matt Burton who will be crucial to helping the side make it four straight on the Central Coast.
On Saturday evening, a blockbuster clash between the fifth-placed Roosters and sixth-placed Bulldogs awaits at Industree Group Stadium.
The inconsistent nature of Sydney over the previous month continued as they returned to the winner’s circle against the Parramatta Eels by 10 points on the road. All the good work was done in the first half where they held that 10-point lead at the main break.
Despite winning three matches on the trot, Canterbury enters Saturday as the heavy underdogs. This is all due to their terrible record on the road, winning just one of their previous 11 away matches. However, that did come in their most recent away game against the Newcastle Knights by a convincing 30 points.
These two sides have already met this season at Accor Stadium, which saw the Bulldogs prevail by four points despite heading into half-time with a 26-0 advantage.
