VENUE & TIME: ANZ Stadium, Saturday July 25, 5.35pm (AEST).
COVERAGE: Fox Sports 2
LAST TIME: Bulldogs 48 - Eels 18 at ANZ Stadium, Round 6, 2009.
WALKING WOUNDED: The Bulldogs are back to full-strength for this match with prop Ben Hannant returning from a knee injury and suspended duo Bryson Goodwin and Greg Eastwood back from their two-week enforced lay-offs.
The Eels are still without injured trio Feleti Mateo (bicep), Weller Hauraki (shoulder) and Kris Keating (jaw) with Keating the most likely to return before the finish of the premiership rounds.
FORM: The Bulldogs made it five wins from six previous starts with their 23-16 defeat of fellow top-four aspirants, the Titans, at Suncorp Stadium last Friday night. A Dragons-Bulldogs Grand Final is looking increasingly likely as the weeks pass.
The Eels are still in with a mathematical sniff of a finals berth following their hard-fought 18-16 defeat of the Storm at home on Monday night. Only a desperado would put money on them to finish in the eight, but at least coach Daniel Anderson has the blue and golds showing qualities that have been sadly lacking from the club over the past 18 months.
WHO'S HOT: The sight of big Jamal Idris charging down the right touchline against the Titans last Friday night was sure to put smiles on the faces of Bulldogs fans hoping their teenage centre sensation would make a full recovery from a nasty elbow injury suffered a month ago. He finished with a try and 146m from his damaging runs.
Jarryd Hayne carried his brilliant Origin form onto the NRL paddock last Monday with a stellar showing for the Eels against the Storm. He finished on top in the full-back duel with Billy Slater.
WE THINK: The Bulldogs trounced the Eels by 30 points earlier in the season and whilst the result here may not be as one-sided, expect the Doggies to comfortably prevail. The Eels have beaten the Dogs in four of their past five encounters, but will count for little on Saturday night with Brett Kimmorley expected to give his promising, but inexperienced halves' opponents a lesson in how to guide the troops around a paddock. Bulldogs by 14.
TEAMS
Bulldogs:
1. Luke Patten, 2. Hazem El Masri, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Jamal Idris, 5. Bryson Goodwin, 6. Ben Roberts , 7. Brett Kimmorley , 8. Ben Hannant, 9. Michael Ennis, 10. Michael Hodgson, 11. Gary Warburton, 12. Andrew Ryan [c], 13. David Stagg. Interchange: 14. Brad Morrin, 15. Chris Armit, 16. Greg Eastwood, 17. Daniel Holdsworth, 21. Yileen Gordon (one to be omitted).
Parramatta Eels:
1 Jarryd Hayne, 2 Luke Burt, 3 Krisnan Inu, 4 Joel Reddy, 5 Eric Grothe, 6 Daniel Mortimer, 7 Jeff Robson, 8 Nathan Cayless [c], 9 Matthew Keating, 10 Fuifui Moimoi, 11 Nathan Hindmarsh, 12 Joe Galuvao, 13 Todd Lowrie. Interchange: 14 Kevin Kingston, 15 Broderick Wright, 16 Ben Smith, 17 Tim Mannah.
Referees: Steve Lyons & Alan Shortall