Round 2
South Sydney Rabbitohs 12 l. Bulldogs 25

2008 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

ABC Interview with Folkes following victory over Souths
Sat March 22, 2008
Source: www.abc.net.au/rugbyleague

Bulldogs Coach Steve Folkes spoke with ABC Grandstand following their 25-12 victory over South Sydney at ANZ Stadium last night.

ABC:
Well Steve you've got a smile on your face tonight and thoroughly deserved?

Folkes:
Yeah it's been a while since we've probably enjoyed a game like that tonight so it was good all the guys are really up-beat and that's great because I think probably confidence or lack of confidence cost us a win last week so I'm really pleased for them.

ABC:
A good turn around, not only from last week but also down 12-points-to-nil early on tonight?

Folkes:
Yeah I don't know if we deserved to be down that 12. I don't think we had too many things go our way, the penalty count seemed to be lop-sided although I think it ended up at 6-all but we just gave them the ball at the wrong end of the field and we didn't shut down a couple of players but we turned that around in the second half.

ABC:
How up-beat did it make the dressing room at halftime with a try a minute-or-so out from the break?

Folkes:
Obviously really important just to get you on the board and get you heading in that right direction. It wasn't a terribly well constructed try but those things happen sometimes and that's what your players with those individual skills can do for you so it certainly gave us a kick going into halftime and we just spoke at halftime about pretty much doing exactly the same thing as we spoke about before the game, complete some sets, kick the ball into the corners and the opportunity to play some football would come if we put them under enough pressure.

ABC:
Michael Sullivan gave you a lot out of dummy-half tonight?

Folkes:
Yeah he was really good. He didn't get an opportunity last week because we were pretty much tackling the whole time he was on so it was good to see him and the other guys respond to what he's doing and they've still gotta learn how he operates to take full value of it but yeah he was pretty good.

ABC:
Corey Hughes and Michael Sullivan both on the field at the same time in the second half, possibly injuries had something to do with that but is that something we could see through the season?

Folkes:
Yeah I think the 10 interchange makes you sort of look for someone who can play a couple of positions but it was definitely the fact that Matty (Utai) went off and Reni had to go out into the centres otherwise he would have come on for Lee Te Maari when he went off but Corey did a good job and he's an experienced footballer who talks really well and the guys love playing with him so he did a good job when he went on.

ABC:
Tim Winitana, a good young prospect but very solid under the high ball, particularly in the second half?

Folkes:
Yeah (chuckles). He certainly was he got a few feet off the ground we could have used him last week probably out there but with Matty's injury Timmy might get his opportunity to stay there. Daryl Millard is back tomorrow in our NSW Cup team so if he performs well and Matty's out it gives us a couple of options atleast.

ABC:
How much does it also give the players a boost to come away with a victory tonight without Sonny Bill Williams playing tonight?

Folkes:
Yeah it's great, plenty of talk about us being a one-man side this year so I don't know what that makes us now when he didn't play. He was really happy too, he loves playing with the guys and feels like he's letting you down if he doesn't play so it's good to get the two points for him aswell as the rest of the guys.

ABC:
Two positives out of tonight; kept Souths scoreless in the second half and scored some points yourselves?

Folkes:
Yeah, well I don't know what the media will be talking about this week. Yeah last week was disappointing but we got over it and we took a lot of positives out of it and tonight we were down 12-0 as you say but we showed enough character to hang in there and finish over the top of them.

ABC:
Well done on the victory Steve and thanks for talking to Grandstand Rugby League.

News source: www.abc.net.au/rugbyleague


Bench the difference as Bulldogs run down Rabbitohs
Sat March 22, 2008
The Bulldogs came from 12-0 down last night to defeat a disappointing South Sydney outfit 25-12 at ANZ Stadium with the difference between the two sides being the bench.

Souths started the match with a blaze of glory leading 12-0 following tries to debutant Ben Lowe and Eddie Paea with Isaac Luke converting both tries and the absence of Bulldogs champion Sonny Bill Williams was extremely telling in the opening exchanges.

The turning point for the match was the interchange rotation for both sides. Souths coach Jason Taylor replaced his two best players Roy Asotasi and Luke and following that moment the Bulldogs were able to work themselves back into the game.

Last week, Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes used the interchange horrendously by not using it to its potential and Parramatta ran over the top of the Bulldogs in the second half and the talents of Michael Sullivan and the enthusiasm of Danny Williams weren't used to the best of their abilities. Last night Folkes didn't quite get it 100% right, but it was a much improved use of the rotation from the week before. Interchange players Williams, Sullivan, Brad Morrin and Chris Armit were all introduced between the 23rd and 30th minutes. However, Folkes left big prop Jarrad Hickey on for a bit too long when he was walking for a good five minutes before he was replaced. Hickey was one of the two players responsible for missing the tackle on Paea to score.

Bulldogs winger Matt Utai scored on the stroke of half-time to get the 'visitors' back into the clash. It was Utai's last involvement as he sustained a sternum injury in the opening 15 minutes, which he played on with until the half-time break and will be out for 3-4 weeks. Utai's injury created an opportunity for rookie centre Tim Winitana to shine on the wing and his confident contesting of bombs nullified one of the Rabbitohs major attacking plays.

Following Utai's try, the Bulldogs faced their biggest nemisis in recent times being the half-time break. Whatever Folkes and his assistant Kevin Moore said at the break must have had a positive influence as the Bulldogs came out with enthusiasm and upped the tempo. In the last few seasons the Bulldogs have been nortorious for being noted sleepers just after half-time, but last night was a different story.

Willie Tonga crashed over soon after the break and than Michael Sullivan attacked on the last tackle to send Winitana in the corner for the Bulldogs to lead 18-12. El Masri converted all three tries and landed a penalty goal to push the Bulldogs lead out ot eight points. It was a special night for El Masri who equalled Steve Mortimer's Canterbury record of 272 first grade games and next week will sit in top spot when he passes Mortimer's landmark.

Taylor threw his two best players back into the match and Souths soon had five successive sets on the Bulldogs line, but were unable to cross the line. In the end Sullivan swooped up a grubber kick to save the day.

Luke Patten crossed over with 10 minutes remaining in what should have sealed the victory, but El Masri failed to convert as Souths still had a chance of snatching the two points.

The Bulldogs worked themselves into good field position and Daniel Holdsworth sealed victory in the final moments with a well-timed drop goal.

It was a game that never lived up to any great heights with Souths shaping up as the great pretenders of the 2008 season with an over-hyped roster as only Asotasi, Luke and the injured Craig Wing shape up as their only players of high note. Taylor has to find ways to get better use out of his two best players.

The Bulldogs worked hard for their victory and they got back to grinding their way to the two points on the back of their second half efforts rather than falling asleep after building up a lead.

Sullivan was poorly used last week and last night he was used very well by Folkes and he upped the Bulldogs tempo. It was good to see a Bulldogs hooker with class, speed and vision, which they haven't had since Darren Smith filled in the position either side of the half-time break in 2002 and the year before when Craig Polla-Mounter played his final season in the No.9 jumper.

Williams, Morrin and Armit added plenty to the Bulldogs performance off the bench, Winitana will see plenty of game time on the left wing after last night and Ben Roberts is slowly working himself into good form.

However, Folkes needs to address the performances of Reni Maitua and Daniel Holdsworth. Both players are shaping up as liabilities and Maitua unless he improves his form and attitude shapes up as the player to make way for when both Sonny Bill Williams and Nick Kouparitsas return. Holdsworth is on borrowed time with Aaron Groom continuing to shine in Terry Lamb's VB NSW Cup side and Ben Barba being a one-man effort in the Andy Patmore coached Bulldogs Toyota NYC side last night.

Folkes successfully worked out the hooker position, which has been the noose around the Bulldogs neck for several seasons. Corey Hughes, who has been a consistent Folkes favourite still has some value playing the opening 20-25 minutes and finishing the final 15 minutes lock. It was evident last night that Sullivan is in a much higher class to Hughes and his attacking value just before half-time and throughout the second half has to be used for 55-60 minutes a game.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs emerged 26-24 victors in the Toyota NYC Cup last night. Ben Barba was the star scoring two excellent tries including the match-winner where the Bulldogs had to overcome a spirited performance by Souths and piggy back penalties at the end to get the two points.

Where are both the Rabbitohs and Bulldogs headed for the year ahead after last night's clash?

Thu March 20, 2008
• Williams out of Good Friday clash and keen to play Origin
  
Tue March 18, 2008
• Cleal replaces injured Tsoulos in Bulldogs only change
  
Tue March 18, 2008
• Paea replaces Wing, Hegarty replaces injured Vagana
  
Tue March 18, 2008
• Right Royal Easter Showdown on this Good Friday
  

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