NRL 2024: Canterbury backrower Viliame Kikau says Bulldogs won’t be the club to milk obstruction penalties

The NRL’s zealous policing of the obstruction rule could see more players take a dive but Viliame Kikau has declared the Bulldogs won’t be the kind of side to milk penalties.

Viliame Kikau believes some rivals could be milking obstruction penalties but has declared Canterbury will not be the kind of club that takes a dive to get the upper hand over an opponent.

The obstruction rule is back in the spotlight after the NRL conceded the Bunker should not have penalised Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves for running through the line and blocking Dylan Edwards, who was 20 metres away from the play, from getting to Joey Manu.

The Bunker has been zealously policing obstructions leading to suggestions players are being incentivised to take a dive when coming into contact with a lead runner.

“I think it’s an each to their own kind of thing. We are not trying to introduce that in our club here. We are trying to build a hard working team and not play for milking penalties,” Kikau said.

“I just try and get out of the way, it can be a bit hard running those lines especially when you have to do your best to get out of the way … from taking (out) players from teams that are milking probably.

“It’s the rule, it’s there. You can only control it and try to make sure tries aren’t taken off us.”

Viliame Kikau has said the Bulldogs won’t milk penalties. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The Bulldogs will be without Jacob Preston for at least a month after the back rower broke his jaw in a collision with South Sydney forward Shaquai Mitchell from the kick-off, another part of the game that is becoming a sore point.

In January the NRL announced that short kick-offs and dropouts will not be penalised if they fail to travel 10 metres in the hope of reducing concussions. But the short-kick off has not been widely adopted.

Bulldogs utility Kurt Mann said heavy collisions on the back of a kick-off are a tackling technique problem and won’t be eradicated by rule changes.

“I don’t think there is too much benefit at the start of the game, footy is a contact sport it always has been,” Mann said.

“That’s what people come to watch, the big collisions, it’s part of the game. I think it’s more of a tackle technique that’s get people in trouble. It’s more of a personal issue than an NRL issue.”

Kurt Mann doesn’t think rule changes are needed surrounding heavy collisions from kick-offs. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

While the obstruction rule and heavy collisions have been a hot button topic, the Bulldogs are focusing all their energy this week on the club’s 2004 title victory against Friday’s opponent, the Roosters.

Coach Cameron Ciraldo organised for the playing group to watch the grand final after Monday’s training session at Belmore.

The entire squad from the 2004 grand final, the last the Bulldogs won a title, will be in the stands at Accor Stadium on Friday night, including Willie Mason Mason and Mark O’Meley, who are coaches in club’s junior pathways.

“We’ve talked about it this morning in our meeting, it’s one of the things that is going to be talked about this week,” Kikau said.

“It’s very special for those players that played in the 2004 grand final. We want to go out this weekend and play our hearts out for them, and play for a win.”

“Big Ogre (O’Meley) is around, big Mase … you can hear his voice in the corridor every afternoon. It’s good to have them around.

The Bulldogs last won a premiership in 2004. Picture: Craig Wilson

“We’ll watch that and base our preparations this week on that game.”

During his time at Penrith, Ciraldo was the mastermind behind the ‘Top Gun’ theme that players used to draw inspiration on their path to back-to-back titles in 2022.

Mann is hoping this week’s grand final theme will spark Canterbury’s season to life.

“I was just a little baby then, but it will be good to sit around with everyone and get a grasp of what their season was like,” Mann said.

“If you have to draw inspiration from other places you’re in the wrong business. It’s up to us, for what we want to build here. If you can’t get yourself up for playing the Roosters, you’re in the wrong sport.”

Flyer Josh Addo-Carr will miss the clash due to the 11-day concussion stand down after a category one head knock after colliding with Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell.

Blake Wilson was 18th man in Good Friday’s loss to South Sydney and is expected to be called -up on the wing against the Roosters.

Ciraldo is likely to turn to Josh Curran as Preston’s replacement on the edge but also has options in Jaeman Salmon and Kitione Kautoga, who trained with the NRL side on Monday.