Dogs sound air raid alert ahead of Bunnies blockbuster

Bulldogs wingers Jacob Kiraz and Jethro Rinakama will be preparing themselves for a South Sydney aerial assault this week as the two clubs jostle to find out who can stay in NRL finals contention. 

Last week Sam Walker and Daly Cherry-Evans sent 10 bombs from their combined 22 kicks to either Bulldogs edge as the Roosters kept tightening the screws in their 20-18 win. 

Rabbitohs playmakers Ashton Ward and Jamie Humphreys suffered injuries in the win over the Eels but Cody Walker and Jayden Sullivan are sure to step up. 

Interchange utility Kurt Mann, who spent the majority of his time at Storm in the centres and on the wing for the Dragons before moving to the middle with Knights and now Bulldogs, knows the pressure accurate kickers can unleash. 

“They (Kiraz-Rinakama) have been practising hard. It probably wasn’t their night against the Roosters,” Mann said. 

“But I’ve been in that position before and it’s not easy... you can’t be too hard on them. 

“Jethro is a young kid and the way he’s carried himself means he’s probably been one of our best players over the past four weeks. 

“We probably as a team could have done more to help him. Look it’s not a big deal as he’s picked himself right up again.” 

The Bulldogs have won six of their past eight games to climb from 14th on the ladder to ninth and well within striking distance of a third straight finals appearance.

With clashes against the Rabbitohs, Dragons, Panthers and Broncos to come, Mann is acutely aware every game is like a mini-final.

“There’s no secret to it. The reality is we need a big month of footy over the next four weeks," he said.

“Every game is going to have a finals-like intensity for us. We’re on the cusp of the eight and I know we’ve got a pretty hard run home.

"We’ve got to get some results in these next four weeks. 

“The refs are letting the game flow a bit more now and it’s gone back similar to last year, where it’s in a good spot. 

“It probably works a little more in our favour as we’re a smaller, more mobile pack. So when the game is more free-flowing we sort of get our advantage at the back end there. 

“When we get our footy on, we’re capable of beating anyone."