Bulldogs v Warriors preview

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v New Zealand Warriors
ANZ Stadium - Sunday 6:30pm

Can the Bulldogs force their way into the top four or will the Warriors finish the season on a high?

Coming away with a hard-fought 20-18 win over the Knights last week, the Bulldogs will be hoping the returns of Josh Reynolds and Aiden Tolman are able to offset the season-ending wrist injury sustained by Trent Hodkinson. Stringing together four consecutive wins over the Warriors since 2012, Canterbury will be looking for a strong performance heading into the finals and may find themselves in the top four if results fall their way. Tied on 22 tries with Parramatta flyer Semi Radradra, Curtis Rona will also have the opportunity to claim the leading try-scorer mantle and will fancy his chances facing off against former Canterbury player Jonathan Wright.

After promising so much throughout 2015, Sunday night will see the Warriors bring to an end yet another year of missed opportunities. Having threatened to finish in the top four, injuries and a series of terrible performances late in year have meant that the club will miss out on the finals for the fourth straight year after their Grand Final appearance in 2011. Coach Andrew McFadden has responded to consecutive 50-16 losses by bringing back Chad Townsend and Ben Matulino from injury, while Raymond Faitala-Mariner replaces Sione Lousi after spending last week in NSW Cup.

Last meeting: Round 10 2014 - Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16 New Zealand Warriors 12

Who to watch: Since coming into the Bulldogs side a fortnight ago, Damien Cook has delivered two outstanding performances. Replacing off-season recruit Michael Lichaa, Cook has more than risen to the occasion and will be out to make an impact for the Bulldogs in the finals after being overlooked as a replacement for Michael Ennis in last year's Grand Final. Showing tremendous pace to score a pivotal try last week, the former Dragons utility may just provide the spark of unpredictability needed to help the Bulldogs finish in the top four.

In a season that promised so much for the Warriors, Tuimoala Lolohea has been a shining light for the club. Spending time in every backline position, Lolohea will finish the year as started it by returning to fullback in the absence of the injured Sam Tomkins. Capable of producing moments of brilliance on the field, the Tongan international looks set for a bright future at the Warriors and may even find himself in the New Zealand squad for the post-season Internationals against England if he can deliver another strong performance.

The favourite: The Bulldogs aren't expected to break a sweat in order to collect the two points on Sunday night.

My tip: The Warriors have shown promise early on in matches, but they don't have the capacity to compete for the full 80 minutes. The Bulldogs faced one of the most daunting tasks in the NRL last week and still managed to win. Bulldogs by 22.

1. Brett Morris 2. Curtis Rona 3. Josh Morris 4. Timoteo Lafai 5. Sam Perrett 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Moses Mbye 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Damien Cook 10. James Graham 11. Josh Jackson 12. Frank Pritchard 13. Greg Eastwood
Interchange: 14. Sam Kasiano 15. Shaun Lane 16. David Klemmer 17. Tim Browne 19. Lloyd Perrett 20. Chase Stanley

1. Tuimoala Lolohea 2. Matthew Allwood 3. Dominique Peyroux 4. Solomone Kata 5. Jonathan Wright 6. Chad Townsend 7. Mason Lino 8. Albert Vete 9. Nathan Friend 10. Ben Matulino 11. Bodene Thompson 12. Ryan Hoffman 13. Simon Mannering
Interchange: 14. Konrad Hurrell 15. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 16. Sebastine Ikahihifo 17. Sam Lisone 18. Siliva Havili

Referees: Ashley Klein, Grant Atkins; Sideline Officials: Nick Beashel, Jeff Younis; Video Referees: Steve Clark, Ben Galea;

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