Roosters coach Trent Robinson is expecting a fired-up Bulldogs pack when the sides kick off Round 2 of the Telstra Premiership on Thursday night.
The Roosters will head into the much-anticipated fixture full of confidence after a first-up win on the Gold Coast fuelled by a scorching first half that saw them lead 28-0 at the break.
As good as they were in the first 40 minutes, their second half left a lot to be desired and Robinson knows they will need to rectify their sloppiness if they want to match it with a Canterbury side that can play like a runaway train when handed momentum.
Thursday's match will feature a glut of international stars and while the Roosters have the edge out wide, Robinson knows the match will be won through the middle.
"I expect them to lift anyway, but it's always a good battle against the Dogs. We've had many over the years, and there's been a long history of battles with the Dogs," the coach said on Wednesday afternoon.
"They're happy to play second phase and change angles… and they're a high energy team. They'll bring some high energy at different points of the game that are going to test sides, and we've got to make sure we're ready for that.
"They've built this team for many, many years – they've had these players in these positions for many years – so the combinations are high. We've got to make sure that we're ready to play."
The Bulldogs were blown off the park in the opening10 minutes of their Round 1 loss, with the Storm opening up a 12-0 lead before the city express had time to leave Belmore station.
They managed to work their way back into the contest, but a torrential downpour proved too much of an obstacle for them to overcome.
Much has been made about Canterbury's attack, but there were signs that they had improved from last year's stuttering finish to the season.
"It probably wasn't the perfect conditions for any style on that Friday night. It was a bit of a howler there as far as the wind and the rain [were concerned]," Robinson said.
"There was a different style from them and we've got to make sure we're ready because they've got a lot of experienced guys and they've got lots of forwards who have played lots of games.
"Their outside backs have played a lot of games so they've got a lot of international experience there. We've got to make sure we don't give them that advantage to get started tomorrow night."
