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 with the intention 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 attempt to play like them or be them. They will simply play to their talents, do what they do nicely. Now we have full confidence in them,” stated lock ahead Jaeman Salmon.
“No person goes to do greater than they normally would. Now we have a recreation plan we need to stick with and we have to execute that. No person shall 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 an ideal job for us.
“He is an ideal fella, an ideal communicator. Now we 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 practically 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 expertise 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 an identical sweep patterns down the left that put Marcelo Montoya over.
Each instances it was Burton who manufactured the house for Kikau’s creativity and the five-eighth additionally acts because the aspect’s main in-play kicker — within the season opener towards St George Illawarra, Burton took 18 of the aspect’s 19 kicks typically play.
That process will now fall primarily on halfback Toby Sexton, who did a wonderful job of taking the workforce 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 however it was his introduction to the scrum base that helped set the Bulldogs on the course to final yr’s finals berth.
By way of two weeks he is continued that kind and shall be tasked with a good better share of the attacking duty towards the Eels and within the weeks to come back.
“He is an ideal organiser. He is talker on the sector, he directs us round and he has that calm voice on the sector,” Salmon stated.
“He is had an ideal begin to the season, like a number 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 means to dig into the road and Tupouniua’s energy as a hole-runner, it factors to a direct, bodily model of assault towards the Eels.
However not having Burton and Kikau reduces the margin of error for Canterbury.
They’re the kind of gamers who can create one thing from nothing, or can rework a poor set or attacking motion in a second resulting from their prodigious expertise.
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 somewhat than knocking them out with a few huge photographs.
For a workforce that prides itself on being constructed on laborious work, it could nonetheless add as much as a profitable components this weekend, particularly given the Eels’ lacklustre begin to the yr.
However given that is Canterbury and Parramatta, there’s little probability of complacency when the 2 previous rivals meet at Stadium Australia on Sunday.
“[I like] the competitiveness [of the rivalry],” Salmon stated.
“It should go right down to the final part of the sport.
“Each groups shall be out on their ft at levels so we’ve to work laborious as a result of we all know they will convey their greatest recreation.”
“We’ll be prepared for it.”
