NRL semifinal live updates: Canterbury

Reed Mahoney has been returned to the starting line up today.

Just how important is it for him to play well tonight, bound as he is for the Cowboys?

He's been on the interchange for the last five games of the season, playing minimal minutes despite many experts saying he's the best dummy half in the Bulldogs squad.

Of course, he's been moved on to deal along with Toby Sexton to make room for Lachie Galvin.

His defence has been one of the key things the Bulldogs have missed since his demotion so his inclusion is so important from that perspective.

Is it important enough to get the Bulldogs over the line?

We'll soon find out...

Earlier in the season, the Bulldogs looked in stunning form.

Then, the wheels began to rust up and, if not fall off, start to get a little bit wobbly.

The Bulldogs have won only two of their past seven games.

It's not hard to point the finger at what changed in the Bulldogs squad that led to this gradual drop off — he's playing with the number six jersey on in the Bulldogs halves.

But now it's time for the Bulldogs to try and step up against a team that have beaten them in eight of their last nine meetings.

Cameron Ciraldo has a new spine combo for this must win game, Lachlan Galvin and Toby Sexton partnering each other in the halves for just the third time.

Regular five-eighth Matt Burton has to move to centre.

There was always going to be a risk in disrupting the best spine in the league midseason, but now, no matter how good Galvin ends up being, he is at risk of being associated this with destabilisation of what looked like a superb chance of a Bulldogs premiership.

Puts a lot of pressure on this game.

Hello Simon, as a Broncos fan thinking of next week, I'm hoping for a Bulldog win today.

- Mike

Hi Mike.

It's a big crowd this evening in Sydney.

It's going to be a big crowd next week as well as Brisbane hosts the winner of this clash.

Will the Broncos fancy one or the other? Hard to know.

But the Panthers have now won 13-straight matches in the finals.

It's such an ominous run of form that you get a sense that if they do go out, every team that's still left will sleep a little easier.

Who are we kidding? Nathan Cleary is almost always the key for the Panthers.

His game management is second to none, but it's his ability to pull out the killer play at the same time that's so important.

This is what he was able to do in that war in Western Sydney Stadium earlier this season.

Clutch.

If it's tight tonight, look to the man with the number seven on his back.

The Panthers are in the hunt to become five-time back-to-back premiers, and the first team to do so from outside the top four.

It didn't look like that would be the case earlier in the season.

The Panthers were on track to become the first side since the 1953 Western Suburbs Magpies to go from premiers to wooden-spooners in the space of 12 months.

Instead, it was a defeat to the Knights in round 12 that helped to turn their season around.

Read more here

Bulldogs

A very late change for the Bulldogs, with Reed Mahoney starting at hooker and Bailey Hayward going to the bench.

Sitili Tupouniua will also start the game at prop with Josh Curran sliding to the bench.

The Bulldogs are still without Stephen Crichton, a massive blow for the Bulldogs chances.

The former Panther's premiership winner was officially ruled out after failing a fitness test yesterday.

He left AAMI Park in a moon boot last week after the defeat to Melbourne, but he had been named in the reserves.

Matt Burton will move to centre, with Lachlan Galvin taking over at five-eighth and Toby Sexton at halfback.

Bronson Xerri is back in the centres.

Panthers

A late change for the Panthers too, hooker Mitch Kenny comes into the starting side.

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He is returning from a hamstring injury.

Prop Moses Leota will make his 200th NRL appearance.

Hello league fans and welcome to the ABC Sport blog of this massive semifinal clash between two giants of Sydney football.

Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs take on the four-time reigning premiers, Penrith Panthers in front of a crowd expected to top 80,000 at the Sydney Olympic stadium at Homebush.

The sun is shining. The crowd is rabid (in a good way).

It's all set up for a fantastic afternoon's entertainment.

My name is Simon Smale and I am here to talk you through all the action as it happens and am looking forward to it immensely.

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