THEY'VE gone from preparing for a major semi-final to facing a sudden-death qualifier a week later, but the changes to the structure of the Ferguson Cup finals series could also bring with it a bonus for the the Bathurst Bulldogs.
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It could allowed teenage talent Annie Craig to be even more of a weapon in Bulldogs' bid to make the grand final.
Having finished the regular season as minor premiers Bulldogs were set to face Dubbo Kangaroos in a major semi-final this Saturday, but the COVID-19 situation which led to Dubbo being thrust into lockdown on Wednesday saw the draw changed.
It's now a sudden-death one versus four, two versus three format which will be played next weekend, with Bulldogs to line up against Forbes while the Roos battle Orange Emus.
The change is not ideal, but it will give star halfback Craig more time to recover from an injury complaint.
And a fit and firing Craig - as has been proved time and time again this season - is a major weapon for Bulldogs.
"Annie was having a bit of trouble with her knee, so this week off will be good for her. It's not too serious, but a week off would definitely give her a bit more confidence on it," Bulldogs captain Mardi Watts said.
"She has been so good for us, I still can't believe that she's only 16. She plays with a lot of maturity and she knows the game well. If you didn't know she was 16 you'd definitely think she was older and had been playing rep footy for years."
Bulldogs will be hot favourites for the qualifier given their three meetings with Forbes during the regular season resulted in commanding wins - 56-0, 50-0 and 70-5.
However, the experienced Watts knows better than to underestimate a rival in a finals situation.
"They do have some handy players and they play with a lot of guts as well. Last time when we played them they were short, we had a full bench, I think we had 23 and they only had nine, but they played at the same level the whole game, they didn't give up," Watts said.
"So they're definitely not going to be an easy game.
"It is a bit unfortunate we lose our second chance .... but it doesn't really matter who we play, we're aiming for the same outcome hopefully."
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