Watch out Broncos: The Bulldogs smashed Brisbane by 26 points just under two months ago and this will be firmly in the mind of Broncos coach Wayne Bennett and his side. That clash was dominated by a barnstorming performance from Canterbury's forward pack, with both starting front-rowers – Aiden Tolman and James Graham – running for over 200m. Lock David Klemmer and second-row forward Josh Jackson both ran for over 150m as the Bulldogs simply ran over the top of Brisbane. Canterbury ended up running for a combined 1893m – a huge number compared to the Broncos' 1358m. Brisbane's forward pack was weakened that night, with hooker Andrew McCullough and veteran Sam Thaiday not taking the field in the middle of the Origin period. They will both be back this week as Brisbane field a full strength starting forward pack that will have to lift against a hungry Bulldogs side looking to repeat their efforts from earlier this season.
Watch out Bulldogs: Anthony Milford is back to his very best. The 22-year-old put on an absolute clinic last week against Parramatta, scoring a try and having a hand in two others. It was a night of individual brilliance from Milford as he ran the Eels' forward pack into the ground. Milford said after the game that the go-forward from Brisbane's front row is giving him the platform to perform. This didn't happen in the previous match-up between the two clubs, but if the Broncos' forwards can get on top of Canterbury's huge pack then Milford may just put in a repeat of last round's performance. His footwork and speed appear to have returned, but most importantly it's his confidence that appears to be back at 100 per cent. The Bulldogs will need to rush Milford if they are to have any chance of stopping the exciting Brisbane young gun.
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