Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 32 – 14 New Zealand Warriors

The Bulldogs closed out Super Saturday with a commanding win in the wet over the New Zealand Warriors in a victory that saves the side from sudden death football in September.

A penalty at the two minute mark put the Warriors ahead, but it was the only point they led the match, with Canterbury-Bankstown dominating in their line speed, middle defence and one per cent efforts.

After last week’s losses, a win was vital for both the Dogs and the Wahs, and Sydney’s relentless rain added another layer of difficulty, turning the NRL Indigenous Round clash into a test of execution and grit for the 25,377 fans that braved the weather.

Both teams made last minute positional changes with Canterbury’s Cameron Ciraldo pushing Reed Mahoney to the bench and Bailey Hayward coming in to to start as hooker.

The Warriors also included James Fisher Harris as prop and moved Te Maire Martin to halfback. Tanah Boyd dropped to NSW Cup and Freddy Lussick started at hooker over Samuel Healey.

Matt Burton showcased his trademark kicking game in the top four contest, throwing off the Warriors defence with early bombs. After a slow and staggered start to the game Burton lit up Accor after producing an astonishing 40/20 kick in dire conditions, making it one of the longest in NRL history.

Overall, Burton had a total 379 kicking metres, and was complimented by Lachlan Galvin’s short kicking game, the six and seven showing they are combining nicely in the halves.

The rain proved to be a hurdle in itself with the first six points produced via penalty goals, and Canterbury holding a 4-2 lead after 15 minutes. Viliame Kikau broke the deadlock to cross the try line in the 21st minute, igniting the spark to the Bulldogs’ slick attack.

The Warriors’ night then began to unravel through a string of head knocks. Martin was ruled out before halftime and after a shuffle to the backline Leka Halisima and Kurt Capewell were also taken off with HIA’s during the game – although both were able to return.

They were hoping it was going to rain this week so they could come out and prove a point.

Despite a brave goal line defence throughout numerous repeat sets, the Warriors couldn’t hold out. Wingers Jethro Rinakama and Enari Tuala both crossed the line before the break for a 20-2 halftime lead.

The second half had both teams go for a try-for-try exchange with Stephen Crichton striking first for the Dogs and Healey hitting back for the Warriors, before Tuala grabbed his second of the night. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck intercepted late to close the gap, but the Bulldogs finished victorious at 32–14.

In the post-match press conference, Ciraldo nodded to the speculations his boys could not turn up in the rain.

“I think on Monday, they were hoping it was going to rain this week so they could come out and prove a point,” he said. “I think you could see that in the way they performed today.”

The Bulldogs dominated the middle with the consistent performances of Max King and Samuel Hughes, giving the halves space to create points on the edges. They finished with just 12 missed tackles, an 84 per cent completion rate, 46 tackle breaks and 94 per cent tackle efficiency.

Crichton, roaming in attack, was immense, securing 16 of the 32 points and reinforcing why he’s the reigning Dally M Captain of the Year.

Despite the result, Warriors coach Andrew Webster assured the Wahs are still premiership contenders.

“Tonight, won’t define us,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of football to play at the back end of this year.”

It is now time to reset as both sides look to their Friday night footy fixtures. The Warriors must beat the Dragons to keep their top four hopes alive, while the Bulldogs face a desperate Roosters outfit chasing a spot in the finals.

Main image simon-sees/Flickr/Wikimedia, Canva montage.