Canterbury Bulldogs Face COVID Crisis With 10 Players Out Before Penrith Clash

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have been struck by a COVID-19 outbreak that has kept 10 NRL squad members away from training ahead of Saturday’s must-win clash against Penrith. The virus began sweeping through the club’s Belmore base before last week’s round 25 match and worsened by Monday. With the Bulldogs needing to defeat second-placed Penrith to keep their finals hopes alive, the outbreak threatens to derail their season at the most critical moment.

How the outbreak unfolded

The COVID-19 virus began spreading through Canterbury’s Belmore training base ahead of the round 25 match against St George Illawarra on Saturday, according to ESPN. The situation worsened on Monday when the club was forced to train with a skeleton crew for the second consecutive week. Despite the disruption, the Bulldogs defeated the Dragons 44-14, with Matt Burton scoring two tries at right centre after returning home to Dubbo following his grandmother’s death.

Impact on finals push

The Bulldogs must defeat Penrith this week to realistically keep their finals hopes alive, making the timing of the outbreak critical. Ten squad members were kept away from training, including star back-rower Jacob Preston. Coach Cameron Ciraldo will need to either see players recover from COVID-19 in time or continue fielding a depleted lineup as they did against the Dragons.

Burton’s positional shift proves effective

Matt Burton played almost his entire 144-game NRL career on the left edge before Ciraldo challenged him to switch to right centre against the Dragons. Burton had played centre before winning the 2021 premiership with Penrith but had switched to five-eighth and then left centre at Canterbury. His two-try performance on the right edge, playing outside Jacob Preston and Lachie Galvin, suggests the Bulldogs may keep him there for the Penrith match. “I really enjoyed it out there,” Burton told AAP, saying he was “100 per cent open” to staying put on the right.

Final Thoughts

With 10 players sidelined by COVID-19 and finals hopes hanging by a thread, Canterbury faces an uphill battle against Penrith. The club’s ability to field a competitive team despite the outbreak will determine whether their season survives the next seven days.

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