‘Every chance’: Cam Smith says Bulldogs could upset understrength Panthers

NRL legend Cameron Smith says the last-placed Bulldogs could pull off an upset on Friday night when they meet the Panthers in Penrith.

Cam Smith says this weekend is better than any other to be facing the Panthers. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

NRL legend Cam Smith says the last-placed Bulldogs are “every chance” to upset an understrength Panthers outfit on Friday night.

The Panthers have lost six players – more than any other side – to State of Origin duty ahead of game one on June 8.

Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Isaah Yeo, Brian To’o, Liam Martin and Stephen Crichton come out of the side, forcing coach Ivan Cleary to make major adjustments to the 17 that defeated North Queensland last week.

Debutant Kurt Falls will start at five-eighth in the most significant change; he’ll partner Cleary’s understudy Sean O’Sullivan in the halves.

The Panthers didn’t lose a game last season until the Origin period and then dropped two in a row to sides that finished the season outside of the top eight.

Smith said the Bulldogs, who have won only twice this year, were facing the reigning champions at a good time.

“I give them every chance, I really do,” Smith told SEN.

“If you’re ever a chance of beating Penrith, it’s this week, with in particular Cleary, Luai and Yeo out.”

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The Bulldogs have won only two of their last 10 meetings with the Panthers. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

But Smith said an upset was far from a foregone conclusion given Penrith’s depth and strong record at home – the Panthers have lost in Penrith just once since July 2019.

“They’re so hard to beat there,” Smith said.

“The one thing that makes Penrith so strong is that from player one all the way down to 30, they’re all well trained, they’ve got great skill and they know their system.

“I’m not saying the Bulldogs are going to win, I’m saying that if there’s ever an opportunity to beat this side, it’s now.”

Smith laid out a plan for the Bulldogs ahead of their third game under interim coach Mick Potter.

“You need to be a little bit unorthodox,” he said.

“And you’ve got to be prepared to start well and continue that energy and play with some physicality.

“If you don’t, the good sides like Penrith, they will dominate you, they will grind you into the ground.”

Cam Smith expects Sean O’Sullivan to lead the Panthers around the park without Nathan Cleary on deck. Picture; Jason McCawley/Getty Images

Smith said O’Sullivan proved in the opening rounds of the season that he was capable of steering the ship in Cleary’s absence.

Cleary underwent shoulder surgery in the off-season and missed the first three weeks of 2022 as he completed his recovery.

Signed from the Warriors this season, O’Sullivan stepped up to the plate and was particularly instrumental in the Panthers’ round 1 demolition of the Sea Eagles.

Smith tipped O’Sullivan to play a big role on Friday night.

“We’ve seen him produce great performances in the first couple of rounds,” Smith said.

“A lot of people were saying it might be the time where Penrith might struggle, in those first few rounds when Nathan Cleary wasn’t there, but they didn’t lose and he (O’Sullivan) played really strongly.”