The Dragons head into the clash with the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium looking to keep their finals hopes alive.
With three losses from their last three games, two players suspended for an off field incident and a lot of criticism aimed at their halves, it’s been a week Coach McGregor would like to forget.
Friday’s game is one the Head Coach look’s at as an opportunity to seek revenge on the Bulldogs and get their season back on track.
“We’d like to get that semi-final back we lost 11-10 last year,” said McGregor.
“The games that have been played in the past have been real competitive games and this will be no different.
“We’ve got to play nice tough, grinding type of footy and they’re coming off a good loss, but they had good form prior to that.
“They’re going to be hungry, but it’s about us making sure we play at our best footy to give ourselves an even chance to win the game.”
The Red-V will be without the services of Leeson Ah Mau following his three-game suspension as well, but despite the setbacks the Dragons have faced over the past few weeks, front row forward Mike Cooper doesn’t believe they will get in the way of the team from trying to return to winning ways.
“They do have a big forward pack but ours are going pretty decently as well at the minute,” Cooper said on Dragons TV.
“We’ll focus on ourselves trying to hold the ball for as long as possible going up against those big bodies.”
The Bulldogs themselves will be looking to get that winning feeling back this Friday night against the Dragons and for Bulldogs Skipper James Graham, he is expecting the 11th placed Dragons to provide a stiff challenge despite their recent three-match losing run.
"We're expecting and preparing for the best possible Dragons team so we don't read too much into what people in the press are making out of it; it's not any of our business really," Graham said.
“We're expecting a highly motivated team, coming off the back of a loss, chasing in the eight, it's probably the worst time to play them."
THERE'S sure to be fireworks when the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs take on the St George Illawarra Dragons at ANZ Stadium.
The two clubs have produced some of the most exciting games in recent memory and it's sure to be more of the same in Round 21.
Make sure you're at ANZ Stadium for some nailed on entertaining footy!
