Halligan: Goalkickers could have final say

Former NRL sharpshooter Darryl Halligan believes Friday night's elimination semi-final between the Bulldogs and Parramatta could be decided by a single kick – but he can't decide whose boot will determine the outcome.

Halligan works with both sides' goalkickers – retiring Canterbury great Hazem El Masri and in-form Eels winger Luke Burt – and rates them at the top of the current crop of kickers.

The ex-Dogs flanker, regarded as among the finest goalkickers the game has known, cannot split the two men who may be called on to boot their team into the grand final.

"You don't win big games in the first five minutes and I actually think this one will be won in the last five minutes," Halligan told Sportal.

"We haven't seen a finals game in this series go down to the wire and if there are two clubs that will take a game down to the wire, history will shows it's Parramatta and Canterbury."

"Maybe Luke Burt or Hazem might line something up towards the end to win the game."

"Hazem particularly would love to do it in a big finals game to put a real signature on what he's been about."

"And I know Luke would love to do something similar."

Asked who he would like kicking for his life – El Masri or Burt – Halligan quipped: "If it was my life I might as well kick myself."

"They go in pretty equally matched. They are two sharp shooters and if it does come down to the wire it's about who holds their nerve."

"Hazem's Hazem. Everyone knows what he can do and of late Luke Burt has been fantastic."

Halligan played a major role in one of the most famous finals matches of all-time, the 1998 classic between the Dogs and Eels.

Canterbury trailed 18-2 with 10 minutes left before staging a remarkable comeback to take the game into extra-time, courtesy of Halligan's sideline conversion at the death.

The Dogs went on to win the match 32-20.

"If anyone ever talks to me about football or Canterbury, they always bring up '98," Halligan said.

"It was a special day. To run Parramatta down from 16 points behind and finish over the top of them was a really good thing and obviously a hollow feeling for Parramatta."

"Hopefully history will bring all that out on Friday and I hope something like that happens again."

"Goalkicking hasn't played a part in the finals series or the last two grand finals, but you never know, this year might be different."