The Kurri Kurri Bulldogs could not have asked for a much better start to the Newcastle Rugby League season.
Two wins from as many matches, including last week’s Mercury Shield triumph against the Maitland Pickers, has the Bulldogs in a share of the competition lead with Coalfields rivals the Cessnock Goannas and the Noel Dent coached Macquarie Scorpions.
Bulldogs player-coach George Ndaira said this was helping the Bulldogs lay the platform for a successful 2012 season.
“Two from two is a good start, especially when you look at the last few years and how many wins you need to make the semis,” Ndaira said.
“It also takes a little bit of pressure off and allows us to concentrate on our own game and not worry about anybody else.”
Ndaira said ball control was the one thing the Bulldogs needed to improve upon for Sunday’s third round match against South Newcastle at St John Oval.
“We made it very hard for ourselves at different stages last week, especially the first 30 minutes,” he said.
“If we can fix that up it will put us in a much better position.”
Ndaira said the Bulldogs would take an unchanged line up into the encounter but he was unsure whether Mercury Shield man-of-the-match Sam Anderson would be available this weekend.
Anderson played with his former teammates last weekend after being released from the Newcastle Knights NSW Cup squad for the week on the back of Willie Mason’s signing with the club.
The Knights NSW Cup team have the bye this weekend. The Bulldogs kick off at 3pm against South Newcastle at Townson Oval on Sunday.