Team selection wise I was thinking 7. Oloapu 14. Flanno.
I am trying to work out who I would pick, which I know will be different to the selected team.
I really like 14 Okunbor. Having Okunbor and Flanno means we only have 2 specalist forwards on the bench.
At a pinch Averillo could move to halfback.
Not having cover for hooker on the bench is problematic, Nu Brown is the best option.
I would rather have a forward who can play hooker like Topine or Morrin than Grub or Flanno who might give slightly better service, but are weaker defenders. Or just go with a lower grade hooker.
The starting back row would be Kicks, Preston, RFM.
With TPJ and Wardell / Edwards / Hughes on the bench...
Inspite of the loss, I was happy with Edwards and Hughes, though Hughes probably needs more games in reserve grade to get match fitness.
I liked what I saw from Edwards, and would like to see him get a few more opportunities to impress.

Horrible weekend… horrible horrible horrible…

Dogs lose, Parra win, my worst SuperCoach score ever…

Yuck yuck yuck…

The Tigers made Myth Moses look like a Legend.

Only for 15 minutes… 

The big Dogs are back this week, TPJ and Kicks.

Burns replacing the Fox.

Grub and Flanno retained their positions so far, lucky IMO.

Grub needs more composure and smarter decisions this game.

Annoying the Myth is fine, in fact it is mandatory.

Dogs got thrashed,  Hawks were thrashed, Perth Glory drew, QPR drew, Bucks lost

I am also slightly surprised that Edwards wasn't retained.

If we want to play a Panthers like style, Edwards is ideal for the Yeo role.

We played a bit of that style against Souths and it wasn't effective. My hunch is that it was an experiment and Gus and CC have confirmed their hunch that we shouldn't play that style. Crpyptic comment from Gus about the game confirming they were on the right track.

Throw some slabs of cold beer in the boot, then drive around until you see Dman.

Waiting Mockstra… I don’t mind if it’s warm by the time you get here…

..it's black beer...
If you don't like it, more for me 😉

Word around the traps is Kikau has torn his pect muscle at training today. FFS!

Surgery Monday… 8-10 weeks hopefully according to Gus…
We can’t catch a break…

This is a devastating blow.
Not because he was playing like he did at Penrith but because he would draw defenders in, regardless of form or execution of passes.

Without him, I feel Burton will be limited. 
Saving grace is that Preston has been outplaying Kikau anyway and can continue to cement his role in the team.

We need to train at high intensity to play at high intensity.

Players being injured at training will happen to all clubs.

This is a game I want to win and the campaign needs a win. We are doing well so far inspite of the injury toll, but we need to keep the confidence levels up.

Go Dogs!!!!!

We have to beat the Eels. We are running out of troops but we can still make the finals if we win this game. 

I don’t think it’s lights out for finals if we get beat… though it will obviously make it harder… 
If we can keep it close or get to a lead, with any luck the flat trackers will do their thing…

I am worried about the team losing confidence and momentum. Some wins under tough conditions with a few players out will set up our season.

The main reasons why the team is better this season are:-
1. Marhoney
2. Fitness
3. Confidence 

I don't want to lose confidence becuase winning becomes harder.

Lose to the Eels, next game is the Sharks lose that and we are 3 from 8 and need to win the next 2 games.

The comp is close enough for a late run to make the finals but 5/5  is the ideal split for the first 10 rounds. Manage that with players coming back and we have momentum.

On the other hand 4/6 is only 1 more loss, but perhaps the team will lose some confidence and energy.

I'm abit concerned about Parra this game, especially without Kikau and Fox....

Parra has been in on every game this season with exception of Penrith game. They are strong and have their personnel back. They will also remember last year's ambush and will be fired up.

I know we beat them last year but we are an opportunistic side that scores from opposition errors and long range efforts rather than constructive team tries.

Hate to say it, but with Fox missing, we have lost our key attacking option for Burton and without Kikau have also lost that 1-1 close to the line option.

I'm struggling to see how we win this but would be ecstatic if we do. 

You have just gone a long way to ensuring a Bulldogs' win

I do my best for the team....

Great to see players starting to feign injury any time someone lands on their legs… very similar to the feigning of neck injuries last year for crushers…
The what seems a mandatory sin bin every time it happens is a joke…

A win will be a great result.

Souths impressive against the Dolphins, so they are in great form.

This season so far, I am confident before every game that we are at least a chance of winning.

If we didn't have the injuries, I would be even more confident.

For a game like this, the team needs to dig deep and win on effort, energy and commitment. We can do that.

I like Jimmy Graham's suggestion of making them leave the field on a stretcher for 10 mins.

One easy way to put a quick halt to the bullsh!t is to make the "injured" player go off for a mandatory 15 minute doctors checkup. That goes for everything crushers, hipdrops highshots.

Cooper Cronk’s commentary is enough to make me consider switching to 9 and putting up with the ads…

At this rate players will get sin binned for giving each other dirty looks…

This is the problem with the way the NRL approaches things. If you make something a focus and examine everything forensically, you will inevitably find something real or imaginary.

So punish the innocent?

So low the defender doesn’t even have to land in the legs for it to be a hip drop penalty and on report???!!!…
WTF is going on???!!!…

And now a penalty for not dropping a bloke on his back, not going past the horizontal…