JAMES Aubusson is taking no chances. The Goulburn Workers Bulldogs coach has named a 23-man squad for his side’s must-win match with the Queanbeyan Kangaroos on Sunday.
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The Bulldogs will be without with halves Michael Picker and Mitchell Cornish, both in Queensland with the Canberra Raiders, and will give a handful of players until the 11th hour to prove their fitness.
It’s shaping up to be a mammoth task for the Bulldogs, who last week came within a whisker of missing a semi-final position courtesy of a 36-10 loss to the Woden Valley Rams. Aubusson rated the Kangaroos the biggest threat to Goulburn’s premiership chances.
“They could pose the most trouble for us, more so than the Blues and Scholars,” he said. “They’re a quality team, they’re the premiers and they’re building nicely.”
Goulburn will welcome the return of their captain-coach, who sat last week’s game out due to concussion, and prop forward Marcus Wikaira. A puzzling side plot is the indecision within the Goulburn camp. Aubusson is either genuinely undecided about who will wear the number six and seven jumpers or is keeping his cards to close to his chest.
The former Sydney Roosters rake said he remained unsure about just who would play in the halves, at hooker and fullback.
“We’re still playing around a bit at the moment,” he said.
“I guess I’m looking to see which combinations are the best way of not disrupting the team.”
Aubusson is a chance to move from hooker to halfback, while regular fullback Luke Gray may shift from the number one strip to a pivot role. There’s plenty of versatility in the Goulburn squad. Mik Webber has played wing, centre and back-row in the last month and could even be named on the interchange bench.
Nathan Williams can fill a halves position and is a capable fullback, while Codie Medway, who faced the judiciary on Wednesday, is a second-rower with as history as a centre.
Michael Dodson is just a comfortable at lock as he is prop. Any hopes of a Bulldogs victory hinge on overwhelming Kangaroos’ playmakers Aaron Gorrell and Travis Robinson.
Robinson has been one of the standout players in the Canberra Raiders Cup this season, while Gorrell, a former dummy-half and backrower with the St George Illawarra Dragons, is returning to the form that saw him guide Queanbeyan to a breakthrough premiership last year.
