NRL Round 11 Preview - Sharks v Bulldogs @ Shark Park

Cronulla Sharks v Canterbury Bulldogs @ Shark Park
 
Preview - The high flying Sharks will be looking for their 5th win straight as they host the Bulldogs at Shark Park on Sunday afternoon.  The Sharks did what they do best, grinding to another close victory whilst well under strength, stunning the Raiders 24-16 after trailing 16-8 at halftime. The Bulldogs finally got a reward for all their efforts this season, breaking through for just their 3rd win of the season, with a tense 20-12 victory over the Eels at ANZ Stadium.
 
Cronulla Sharks’ Scouting Report - The Sharks welcome back a couple of key players with Paul Gallen (knee) returning at lock and Jayson Bukuya (illness) in the back row. Valentine Holmes was spectacular at fullback last week after a slow start, running for over 300m and scoring two tries.
 
Canterbury Bulldogs’ Scouting Report - Danny Fualalo injured his ankle and has been replaced by Clay Priest. The Bulldogs have several senior players like the Morris brothers, David Klemmer and Moses Mbye rumoured to be on the market with the Club under severe Salary Cap pressure in 2019. 
 
Verdict - Sharks by 1-6 in a low scoring game

There is the real chance of an upset here as the Bulldogs form is not as bad as their 3-7 record suggests, while the Sharks have only just won their past 4 games. However, the facts are they know how to win the close games, whilst Canterbury on the road tend to lose games by close margins with their lack of class in the spine and lack of attacking threat. Expecting this to be a physical and low scoring game, however the Sharks to edge another victory to get their 5th straight win.