Sharks looking for a bounce back in battle with the Bulldogs

Author: Sharks Media
Timestamp: Sat 17 Jun 2023, 03:59 PM

Following a disappointing performance against the Storm last weekend, the Sharks get an opportunity to bounce back and deliver a positive response when they host the Bulldogs at PointsBet Stadium on Sunday.

Soundly beaten in Melbourne, the Sharks have gone through an intense week at training, with Sharks Club Captain Wade Graham explaining that collectively they have tried to put last week behind them while focusing their attention on an improved effort against the Bulldogs.

“It’s important to get back to basics and fundamentals to give yourself an opportunity to play well,” Graham began. “We didn’t respect the basics of the game, too many errors coming out of our own end, we put ourselves under pressure and Melbourne coming off a big loss themselves against the Cowboys, aimed up physically.

“We learnt out lessons, it’s been a tough couple of days here at training, but we’ve got to park it and move on because it’s on again this week against the Bulldogs.

“It’s always disappointing after a result like that because there is a certain amount of pride in performance, but we let that simmer for a few days, we’ve addressed it, and our focus since has been on the Bulldogs,” Graham added.

While there is already plenty of motivation to perform, adding further incentive is a desire produce a win for backrower Briton Nikora who plays his 100th NRL game.

A Kiwi international and now rated alongside the elite players in his position, Nikora has been a shining light for an inconsistent Sharks side so far in 2023.

Despite being soundly beaten last week, coach Craig Fitzgibbon has resisted making changes to his Sharks line up, with the only omission being Royce Hunt, the front rower set to miss six to seven weeks after undergoing ankle surgery.

Hunt was injured in a hip drop tackle late in the game against Melbourne.

Oregon Kaufusi has been promoted to the starting line up in place of Hunt, with rangy front rower Tom Hazelton added to the interchange bench.

Otherwise, the Sharks team is as per the week before, with half back Nicho Hynes another determined to return to his best form after being overlooked by NSW Origin selectors for game two of the series next Wednesday night.

In the 98 matches played between the two teams, the Bulldogs hold the advantage having won 56 of those games, as compared to 40 wins from the Sharks, with two matches drawn.

The Sharks have enjoyed a dominance of late however, winning 10 of the last 12 including the past four encounters, with all four of the most recent victories coming by 12 points or more.

The Bulldogs had won 16 of 20 games from 2001-14, before the Sharks run of success over the last few seasons.

The Sharks have also won three straight against the Bulldogs at PointsBet Stadium, while the last time the teams met it was a 16-0 win to the Sharks in round 24 of the 2022 season.

The 54-10 loss to the Storm last week was the Sharks biggest defeat since 2021 when they suffered a 48-0 loss to the Panthers, and was the most points conceded since 2020, also against Penrith.

As for the bounce back factor, the Sharks have won three of nine games in their history following a match conceding 50 points, including turning the 56-24 loss to Penrith in 2021 into a 46-10 win over Warriors a week later.

In relation to the Bulldogs, they have also lost their last two games, the 34-12 loss to the Eels in round 15 their fourth defeat of the season by more than 20 points.

All nine of the Bulldogs losses this season have come when conceding 24 points or more, compared to winning five of six when conceding less.

While the Sharks are currently fifth, the Canterbury side come into the game in 15th position on the NRL ladder with a 5-win, 9-loss record and a minus-116 points differential.

As for individual player stats, as mentioned Nikora will play his 100th NRL game, the New Zealand born backrower making his top grade debut in 2019. Nikora is the second most capped Shark in the current squad, behind his skipper Graham who has played 244 games for the Cronulla club.

The Sharks would also be looking for Sione Katoa to again make an impact, the winger having scored seven tries in only four career games played against Bulldogs. Only Sharks greats Steve Rogers and David Peachey have more tries playing for Cronulla against Canterbury with the pair scoring 9.

Still on the try scoring exploits of the Sharks backline, Will Kennedy has scored 12 tries in 13 games this season, included amongst that tally a hat-trick against Bulldogs in round eight this season, while Ronaldo Mulitalo has also scored 12 tries in 2023, has four tries in four games against the Bulldogs and 19 tries from 19 games at PointsBet Stadium.

The Sharks v Bulldogs match is scheduled for a 4.05pm kick off, with a local junior league under-18’s game between De La Salle and Gymea the curtain raiser.

See following the two 19-man squads listed below.

Round 16 - Round 16 - Sunday 18 Jun

Full Time

Sharks

Bulldogs

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Sharks is number 1 William Kennedy

Fullback for Bulldogs is number 1 Hayze Perham
Winger for Sharks is number 2 Sione Katoa

Winger for Bulldogs is number 2 Jacob Kiraz
Centre for Sharks is number 3 Jesse Ramien

Centre for Bulldogs is number 3 Jake Averillo
Centre for Sharks is number 4 Siosifa Talakai

Centre for Bulldogs is number 4 Paul Alamoti
Winger for Sharks is number 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo

Winger for Bulldogs is number 5 Braidon Burns
Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Matt Moylan

Five-Eighth for Bulldogs is number 6 Karl Oloapu
Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Nicholas Hynes

Halfback for Bulldogs is number 20 Kyle Flanagan

Forwards

Prop for Sharks is number 8 Oregon Kaufusi

Prop for Bulldogs is number 8 Chris Patolo
Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Blayke Brailey

Hooker for Bulldogs is number 9 Reed Mahoney
Prop for Sharks is number 10 Braden Hamlin-Uele

Prop for Bulldogs is number 10 Tevita Pangai Junior
2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Briton Nikora

2nd Row for Bulldogs is number 11 Jayden Okunbor
2nd Row for Sharks is number 12 Teig Wilton

2nd Row for Bulldogs is number 12 Jacob Preston
Lock for Sharks is number 13 Dale Finucane

Lock for Bulldogs is number 15 Kurtis Morrin

Interchange

Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Cameron McInnes

Interchange for Bulldogs is number 14 Khaled Rajab
Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Wade Graham

Interchange for Bulldogs is number 16 Max King
Interchange for Sharks is number 16 Jack Williams

Interchange for Bulldogs is number 17 Corey Waddell
Interchange for Sharks is number 17 Thomas Hazelton

Interchange for Bulldogs is number 23 Franklin Pele