ONE of the Canterbury club’s greatest front-rowers, there’s one player above all others Darren Britt enjoys watching play in Bulldogs colours in 2014 - English prop James Graham.
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An Orange junior, Britt played 168 games for the Bulldogs - captain for 92 of them - between 1994 and 2001 and, after seeing Graham catapult Canterbury into Sunday’s NRL grand final against favourites South Sydney, he believes the Pommy prop has what it takes to help the blue and whites claim their first premiership since 2004.
“He’s got it all,” Britt said.
“When I was over in England my last year at St Helen’s was his first. He would have only been 17 but even then you could see he had the dedication and you could see he was going to be good, and to now see him the other night win the Dally M front-rower of the year, it’s fantastic.
“He can pass at the line, play through the line. He’ll put in 70 to 80 minutes, he’s got a great motor.”
An avid follower of the Bulldogs since finishing his career at Belmore at the end of the 2001 season, Britt was on hand to watch Canterbury beat Manly 18-17 in golden point in week two of the semi-finals and will again watch from the stands in Sunday’s grand final at ANZ Stadium.
Having won a grand final in 1995 and lost grand finals in 1994 and 1998 with Canterbury, Britt knows better than most the first Sunday in October is the toughest day of the year to predict.
“Everyone is saying the Bunnies are going to win, but you just don’t know in grand finals,” Britt said, a premiership winner in 1995 thanks to a 17-4 win over Manly.
Canterbury came from sixth to win the title that year.
The Bulldogs finished the 2014 regular season in seventh spot.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play in a couple and in 94 we went into the game as red-hot favourites and got towelled up, then in 95 we came back as underdogs and won. You just don’t know what’s going to happen on the day,” Britt continued.
“If Souths play like they did last week [in beating the Roosters 32-22] they’ll be tough to beat, but Canterbury seem to enjoy the spoiling tactics and if they get that right it might worry Souths.”
The former Australian prop said the key would be matching the likes of Sam and George Burgess through the middle.
If the Bulldogs can do that, then Tim Lafai is Canterbury’s go-to man out wide.
“I really like the look of him,” Britt added.
“And Sam Perrett, he’s been going great at fullback and was my man-of-the-match against Manly.”