How Canterbury plan to cover for injuries to Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau

The Canterbury Bulldogs are well aware that in the National Rugby League (NRL), creative players like Viliame Kikau and Matt Burton are few and far between. Consequently, the Bulldogs are confident they have solutions to mitigate the impact of these two key offensive players being sidelined.

Both Burton and Kikau sustained knee injuries in Sunday's victory over the Titans. Burton is expected to be out for two to four weeks, while Kikau will require three to six weeks of recovery. This means that in the upcoming match against arch-rivals Parramatta Eels on Sunday, Cameron Ciraldo's team will field Bailey Hayward in the halves and Sitili Tupouniua on the left edge.

However, the coaching staff will not ask these two new players to imitate the injured stars' style of play, but rather support them in leveraging their own strengths to fill the void. As lock forward Jaeman Salmon stated, "Whoever comes in, they're not trying to mimic or be them. They just have to play their game and do what they're good at. We have full confidence in them."

Salmon emphasized that the team will not ask any player to take on tasks beyond their capabilities. "No one has to do more than they usually do. We have a game plan that we need to execute properly. No one has to overplay their hand." He specifically pointed out that the team won't expect Hayward to play like Burton, but rather trusts that he will utilize his own attributes to contribute to the team. "He's a great talker, a great communicator. We have full confidence in the systems we have and the job he has to do."

Hayward played in the halves during his junior years, but has almost exclusively played as a lock since making his NRL debut last year. While Tupouniua has accumulated significant first-grade experience during his time with the Sydney Roosters, backs with Kikau's powerful offensive arsenal are rare worldwide. Kikau's offensive capabilities were already evident early this season, contributing three try assists in the first two games, including twice initiating the same sweeping play on the left edge to set up Marcelo Montoya for a try.

Both of those plays relied on the space created by Burton, who is also the team's primary in-play kicker. In the season opener against the St. George Illawarra Dragons, Burton took 18 of the team's 19 general play kicks. Now, that responsibility will largely fall to halfback Toby Sexton. Sexton excellently controlled the team's tempo after Burton left the field in the last game against the Titans.

The 24-year-old, while not as flashy as some other organizing halves, was instrumental in helping the Bulldogs secure a finals berth last year after moving into the hooker position. He has continued his good form in the first two weeks of this season and will shoulder greater offensive responsibility against the Eels and in the games to come. Salmon commented, "He's a great organizer, a great talker on the field, he directs us around, and his voice is calm on the field."

Salmon added, "He's started the year really well, along with a few other boys. If we can keep that going, it's going to be good for us." With Sexton's direction, Hayward's ability to break the line, and Tupouniua's strength as a hole runner, the Bulldogs are expected to adopt a direct, hard-nosed attacking approach against the Eels.

However, the absence of Burton and Kikau will reduce the Bulldogs' margin for error. These two players possess extraordinary skills and can create opportunities in adversity or turn around poor offensive situations in an instant. Therefore, during their absence, the team's systems must function effectively. The Bulldogs have lost some talent, so they must compensate with a more disciplined and deliberate approach, and defeat opponents through attrition rather than a few heavy blows.

For a team known for its effort, this may still bring victory this weekend, especially considering the Eels' poor start to the season. But considering this is a derby between Canterbury and Parramatta, there is little room for complacency when these two old rivals meet at Stadium Australia. Salmon stated, "I love the competitiveness. It will go down to the wire. Both teams are going to be fatigued at some stage of the game, so we've got to work hard, because we know they're going to bring their best. We'll be ready for it."