Kurri Kurri snuck away with a confidence-boosting 22-18 win over the Macquarie Scorpions last week, but this week come up against the third-placed Central at the hostile Passmore Oval.

While the Bulldogs have shown good form in the early part of the season, coach Shaun Collingwood said Kurri have been victims of their own penalty count, and of refereeing decision that he has not altogether agreed with.

“We have been getting penalised a bit,” he said.

“We gave away a few for high shots and I didn’t think there was much in them.”

Kurri has also fallen victim to its own complacency, with gaps in its defence appearing in the latter stages of the match.

But Collingwood has confidence in the performance of his forward pack, maintaining they have been the key to the success of the outside backs.

“We seem to have been dominant in our forwards, but then scoring our points out wide,” Collingwood said.

Central’s history against Kurri Kurri was deemed irrelevant by Collingwood due to the unfamiliar line-up that they bring to the competition.

“It’s pretty much irrelevant how we went against them last year because they have such a different team,” he said.

They are a very new club with a few really quality players in their team.

“If we complete our sets we should be right.”

Collingwood was also mindful that Passmore Oval was not the friendliest place to play a competition front-runner, and said that he remembered the feeling of hostility he felt playing there years ago.

In other Tooheys Cup first grade action this weekend South Newcastle will host Cessnock, Nelson Bay will be at home against Wyong, Raymond Terrace will play Lakes United at home and Macquarie Scorpions will be at home against Western Suburbs.