Canterbury are totally conscious there are few males within the NRL who can play like Viliame Kikau and Matt Burton however that is precisely why the Bulldogs are certain they have the code to cowl for the absence of their two most artistic attacking gamers.
Burton and Kikau each sustained knee accidents in Sunday’s win over the Titans, with Burton anticipated to overlook two to 4 weeks whereas Kikau is out for 3 to 6.
It means Cameron Ciraldo’s aspect will look to Bailey Hayward within the halves and Sitili Tupouniua down the left edge, beginning with this Sunday’s conflict with arch-rivals Parramatta.
However the brand new duo will not be requested to do an impression of the injured stars, with Canterbury backing them to play to their very own strengths in an effort to fill the hole.
Matt Burton is predicted to overlook two to 4 weeks with a knee downside. (Getty Photos: Jeremy Ng)
“Whoever is masking them will not try to play like them or be them. They will simply play to their skills, do what they do properly. We now have full confidence in them,” mentioned lock ahead Jaeman Salmon.
“No person goes to do greater than they often would. We now have a sport plan we need to keep on with and we have to execute that. No person will probably be doing an excessive amount of.
“We do not anticipate Milk (Heyward) to come back in and play like Burto. He’ll play like himself and do a fantastic job for us.
“He is a fantastic fella, a fantastic communicator. We now have full religion within the system and the job he’ll do for us.”
Hayward got here by way of the grades as a half however since his NRL debut final yr has performed almost each minute as a lock and whereas Tupouniua has loads of beginning expertise from his Roosters days, there are few backrowers on the planet with Kikau’s arsenal of attacking weapons.
These attacking abilities have been on present early within the season, with Kikau accumulating three attempt assists within the membership’s first two matches — together with the primary attempt of each wins on equivalent sweep patterns down the left that put Marcelo Montoya over.
Each occasions it was Burton who manufactured the area for Kikau’s creativity and the five-eighth additionally acts because the aspect’s main in-play kicker — within the season opener in opposition to St George Illawarra, Burton took 18 of the aspect’s 19 kicks basically play.
That job will now fall primarily on halfback Toby Sexton, who did a fantastic job of taking the staff across the park following Burton’s departure from final week’s win over the Titans.
The 24-year-old lacks the star profile of different playmakers nevertheless it was his introduction to the scrum base that helped set the Bulldogs on the course to final yr’s finals berth.
Via two weeks he is continued that kind and will probably be tasked with a good larger share of the attacking accountability in opposition to the Eels and within the weeks to come back.
“He is a fantastic organiser. He is talker on the sector, he directs us round and he has that calm voice on the sector,” Salmon mentioned.
“He is had a fantastic begin to the season, like a couple of of the boys, and if we maintain that going it’s going to put us in good stead.”
With Sexton’s course, Heyward’s capacity to dig into the road and Tupouniua’s energy as a hole-runner, it factors to a direct, bodily fashion of assault in opposition to the Eels.
However not having Burton and Kikau reduces the margin of error for Canterbury.
They’re the type of gamers who can create one thing from nothing, or can rework a poor set or attacking motion in a second as a result of their prodigious abilities.
So within the meantime, it is the system that should stand tall.
The Canines have misplaced a few of their brilliance, so they need to compensate by being extra methodical and deliberate and by outlasting their opponents relatively than knocking them out with a few massive pictures.
For a staff that prides itself on being constructed on arduous work, it could nonetheless add as much as a profitable method this weekend, particularly given the Eels’ lacklustre begin to the yr.
However given that is Canterbury and Parramatta, there’s little likelihood of complacency when the 2 outdated rivals meet at Stadium Australia on Sunday.
“[I like] the competitiveness [of the rivalry],” Salmon mentioned.
“It should go right down to the final part of the sport.
“Each groups will probably be out on their toes at phases so we’ve to work arduous as a result of we all know they’ll convey their finest sport.”
“We’ll be prepared for it.”
