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Bulldogs out to dodge dreaded NRL spoon

3 minute read

Canterbury interim coach Steve Georgallis feels his NRL team deserve better than the wooden spoon, and have three games to try to move off the bottom.

Canterbury Bulldogs.
Canterbury Bulldogs. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

Canterbury feel they don't deserve the wooden spoon and they are out to prove it in their final three matches of the NRL season, starting with Manly on Friday night at ANZ Stadium.

The Bulldogs sit at the bottom of the competition ladder, with just two wins for the season.

But their points differential is -178 compared to that of Brisbane, -314, who are two points ahead on the table.

Interim coach Steve Georgallis says while the ladder doesn't lie, he feels his team deserve better.

They have lost six games by six points or less.

"They don't deserve it (spoon) for the efforts they've put in but whether you lose by 20 or you lose by four you still lost the game, the only way to get up ladder is to win games," Georgallis said on Thursday,

"I understand that about the for and against it just means we've been competitive all year and for whatever reason we haven't polished that game off to win."

Georgallis expected his players to lift against former Bulldogs coach Des Hasler, who spent six seasons with the club before returning to Manly in 2019.

The Sea Eagles have also lost their last six games to sit 12th.

"Des Hasler coached here at the club and there was a few players who played under Des here so they're looking forward to playing their old coach and trying to get a win over him," Georgallis said.

Jayden Okunbor has been named on the wing, adding some much-needed strike-power to the Dogs attack.

It's his first game of the year after he was deregistered following a pre-season incident in Port Macquarie.

"He came back into the bubble four or five weeks ago and has been training really hard in opposed sessions and got used to that physical part of the game, and the opportunity arose for him to play this week and he's jumping out of his skin and can't wait," Georgallis said.

STATS THAT MATTER

* The Bulldogs will need to win at least one of their final three games to avoid becoming just the second team in the NRL rra (1998-2020) to finish a season with two wins or less

* Manly has conceded 20 or more points in its past 12 games at ANZ Stadium, already an unwanted record for any team at the venue

* Of all current teams, the Bulldogs have their second-worst winning percentage against Manly (44.6%).

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