Two interesting matches greet us on Sunday for round 21, with things kicking off in Bundaberg, with the Bulldogs taking their home clash against the Cowboys north. The Bulldogs have been turning heads since their mid-season sacking of coach Trent Barrett, whilst the Cowboys continue to push towards an improbable Minor Premiership. This should be a fun one.

In the final game of the round, the Tigers play host to the stumbling Knights at Campbelltown Stadium, in a clash where the winner probably does enough to remove themselves from the wooden spoon picture. The Tigers have been superb over the past fortnight, however with the loss of Jackson Hastings it’ll be interesting to see if they can keep this up.

Draftstars has a $3000 contest with $411 to first place. The single game contests are set at $6000 and $8000 respectively. There are also several other contests including the Minis, Micro and 6 man contests.


 

Team News

The Bulldogs have made no changes from last week, after their convincing 24-10 victory over the Knights. There’s a chance Raymond Faitala-Mariner could return from a rib injury; however no other changes are expected.

The Cowboys will be without winger Kyle Feldt (hamstring), replaced by Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. Jake Granville joins the bench in place of Tabuai-Fidow. No other changes.

The Tigers lose star lock Jackson Hastings to a broken leg, replaced by rookie Fonua Pole. Thomas Freebairn joins the bench and is set to debut. No other changes.

Bradman Best returns for the Knights, shifting Enari Tuala to the wing and Simi Sasagi to the bench. Prop David Klemmer has been stood down by the club, allowing Jacob Saifiti to join brother Daniel in the starting front row. No other changes expected.


Betting Odds

Bulldogs $3.50 vs Cowboys $1.31

Tigers $1.50 vs Knights $2.60

Bet now at Ladbrokes!


Overview

Despite this being a “home” game for the Bulldogs, expect to see plenty of support for the Cowboys in Bundaberg for this clash. With a real shot at a Minor Premiership, I expect the Cowboys to have too much for the Bulldogs, however with the weather expected to be warm and sunny, these two teams will undoubtedly score plenty of points.

All is not right at the Knights, with the David Klemmer drama throughout the week apparently upsetting the playing group. Added to this the pressure on Adam O’Brien, and the Knights are at the point where they just want the season to end. Whilst I can’t put all my faith in the Tigers, they are playing well to close out the season and should be too good for the Knights.

 

Love It – Val Holmes - $17,970

Holmes has averaged over 63 in the past 4 weeks, and despite once again being the most expensive OB, is definitely worth your money. As outlined above, I believe this Cowboys/Bulldogs clash will see points, and with the goal kicking and his knack for scoring attacking stats, Holmes is a likely candidate for a solid score here. Should secure you 40+ unless the Cowboys are humiliated, but I don’t see that happening.

 

Love It – Adam Doueihi - $22,430

Can’t go wrong with Matt Burton in this place, however I’m running with the Tigers five eighth this week. With Hastings and Brooks out, the entire attack will run through Doueihi, which can only be a good thing for his scores. Not only is he lethal close to the line, but he can also now score solid points with the boot. Probably doesn’t quite have the floor of Burton, but has shown he can score 100 points when he has enough quality ball.

 

Love It – Jeremiah Nanai - $20,520

Made me look like an idiot last week, Nanai is quickly becoming one of the best edge forwards in the game. Knows where to be and when to be there, Nanai has an uncanny ability to sniff out a try from nothing. Has tremendous footwork that can get him through the line, added to quality ball playing that can help his teammates. As outlined last week, his floor isn’t great, but his upside is too hard to ignore two weeks in a row.

 

Hate It – Mitch Barnett - $19,580

With only two scores above 51 all season, Barnett is overpriced for what he offers. Playing through the middle reduces his chances at attacking stats, and unfortunately hasn’t added the goal kicking to his game since Ponga was injured. Will more than likely punch out a solid 40-50 score, but for the price you want upside, and Barnett very rarely has it.

 

Hate It – Jake Clifford - $18,090

Clifford struggled in his first game back in the top-grade last week, missing 5 tackles and making 3 errors, whilst offering little in attack. Whilst his chances at attacking stats have increased this week against a weak Tigers defence, Clifford still appears to be out of his depth in first grade. With 3 scores above 55 this year he has shown he is capable of scoring well, however with the Knights playing this poorly I don’t think he will have the chance to shine. Far better options around this price point.

 

Who Knows – Reuben Cotter - $17,150

Eased back into the action with 39 minutes last week, it could be assumed the Cowboys will continue wrapping their star forward in cotton wool before the finals. Despite this, there is every chance Todd Payten will want Cotter back up to speed come finals, and as such it’s highly likely that Cotter’s involvement will increase in the coming weeks. His minutes could well depend on the game state, with another blowout victory unlikely to see Cotter’s minutes increase.


Draftstars Suggested Team

Always remember to gamble responsibly. When the fun stops, stop. If gambling is having a negative impact on your life, seek support at Gambling Help Online.  18+ only.