Canterbury Bulldogs 13-10 St George-Illawarra Dragons
Saints season more or less over, as Dogs survive a scrappy second half
12.49pm BST
Ay, ay, ay.
Well, the Bulldogs gave the Dragons every chance to come back in that game – Dessie would feel like his side got out of jail then; there were patches in that second half that were just borderline woeful from the Dogs.
12.42pm BST
No! It drifts over the sideline, and that’s it – the Dogs are home!
12.41pm BST
79 min: Frizzell straightens and gets some good metres. The Dragons probe down the Dogs’ right edge, but they’re running out of metres. Aitken throws one.. will it stick?
12.41pm BST
78 min: Marshall chips for Nightingale again – he’s probing and prying with the aerial route over the Dogs’ defensive line, but the defence does enough.
Bulldogs have been pinned for a knock on.
12.39pm BST
76 min: Crucial six for the Dragons, as they pick up a penalty, with the Dogs’ markers not level.
Marshall kicks early in the tackle count – he chips brilliantly for Widdop, but he’s brilliantly tackled by Hopoate.
12.37pm BST
75 min: Dogs go for the grubber, and Quinlan is forced to force it dead. Line dropout, and it’s Klemmer receiving about 30m out.
Kasiano about 3m short, before Reynolds puts a grubber right into the hands of Widdop. Great interception from the skipper.
12.35pm BST
73 min: Meanwhile, at the other end, some fine work from Morrises as they combine to throw Nightingale into touch.
A well-placed kick saw the St George player isolated, and he’s been lifted and carried, and dumped over the line!
12.34pm BST
72 min: Marshall looks to put Quinlan through, but the youngster can’t hold it. Are these the chances the Dragons need to take to prove they’re a top-eight side?
Harsh for the fullback, he was under pressure. But it’s these half-chances that could be the difference.
12.32pm BST
69 min: Another great carry from Frizzell, as Widdop look to target Perrett with the kick.
Perfectly waited, the winger takes it just in the field of play and is then bundled in-goal.
12.30pm BST
67 min: Good field position this, and Josh Reynolds has thrown an absolute shocker!
He’s looked for a killer cutout pass, and that one’s just floated aimless from his hands, about 3m forward!
12.27pm BST
65 min: A bit static this set from the Dragons, but Frizell gets some valuable go-forward.
Marshall’s kicking has gone missing in this vital period of the game, he’s not landed the killer punch in about the last four sets.
12.25pm BST
63 min: Strong defence and the Dogs only make it to 20m after four carries. Mbye with an important kick to save their blushes, good metres saved there.
Benji kicks straight down the throat of Morris (Brett) and the Dogs start in a much better position, from around their 20m for this set.
12.23pm BST
62 min: Okay, now we’ve got a game on. Rein drives his side forward from dummy-half. It’s a great kick to put Hopoate under pressure. There’s about three Dragons storming in on him, and the fullback has copped a hefty knee from Milne for his troubles.
He’s surrounded by four red Vs but he hangs onto it. Great courage; didn’t his side need that.
12.21pm BST
59 min: Lovely stuff from Benji Marshall. He drops it on the toe and picks out Aitken brilliantly. The Dogs defence comes up, and it’s cool as you like.
No mistake from Widdop with the conversion, he adds the two.
12.19pm BST
58 min: Gee, crikey. Would you believe the Dogs have thrown another forward pass?
Now they’ve given away a scrum penalty – is this really a top-four side? Dessie must be frothing.
12.17pm BST
56 min: Marshall fires passes both right and left. A nice second-man pass almost puts Milne through a hole, before Widdop tries the grubber again.
No love, that time. It ricochets and falls for the Dogs.
12.15pm BST
55 min: Canterbury making easy metres here. Too many kicks picking out the Dogs back three, and Perrett, Morris and Morris are just winding up.
Sloppy play from the Dogs though, and they’ve been pinned for another forward pass. Dessie won’t like the look of this.
12.14pm BST
52 min: Safe six from the Dogs, before the Dragons return the favour.
This is looking better from Canterbury this time as Reynolds probes. The kicker gets caught with it on the 5th so it’s a wobbly old attempted bomb as the fullback Morris fills in with the boot. No danger, Dragons.
12.11pm BST
49 min: Ouch. A swinging arm across the chops for Jackson, and he wobbles to his feet to play the ball. Ref Cecchin blows it up, and there’s a break in play as the forward receives some attention.
Dragons now with the ball, Benji tries the grubber and Hopoate scrambles to regather just a metre or so into the field of play.
12.08pm BST
47 min: Dragons bring it out from about 10m out on the restart.
Some solid metres before some razzle-dazzle from St George, terrific hands from Quinlan and Milne, but did they force one two many of those balls? Morrises combine well and drive the youngster into touch – danger averted.
12.06pm BST
45 min: Costly stuff, as Widdop kicks behind a high defensive line. Mann races through to score comfortably. What’s that – his eighth try in eight games? Laughing.
Here’s a lifeline for the Dragons. A rotten kick from Widdop though, and he fails to add the extras.
12.04pm BST
42 min: Perrett looks to scamper down the Dragons’ left flank. But the visitors survive the lofted kick.
Deary me, that’s not the start McGregor would have wanted. Kasiano shows great speed to close down Rein, who’s pass drifts forward.
12.01pm BST
40 min: Aand we’re back underway, Dogs receive just outside their own stripe and launch some one-out runners. Some good metres from dummy half by Mbye, before a regulation kick.
A close up of McGregor up in the box, and you wouldn’t say he looks like a man who’s been chewing wasps; but there’s definitely some vinegar on those lips.
11.49am BST
Well, how bout that.
At risk of inviting partisan comments, did you see this scoreline as a fair reflection of that first forty?
11.45am BST
And here’s salt in your wounds – just as the half-time hooter sounds, Reynolds slots a cheeky droppie from about 40m out.
It only, only just has the legs, but a great strike and poor old McGregor sees his boys in the shed with the unluckiest of scores.
11.43am BST
39 min: Oh no, oh no – Quinlan charges at the line, and with the try beckoning, he spills it!
Great covering tackle, and possibly a hand in there, but the moment’s ruined. Poor old Dragons.
11.40am BST
38 min: Nightingale almost runs out of space, he turns back inside as Morris (Brett) slaps at the footy. It’s deemed a knock-on and it’s six more for the Dragons, bunkering down about 15m out.
11.39am BST
37 min: James Graham leads his chargers on with that distinctive orange mop.
A bizarre mix up as Reynolds gets stripped one-on-one after a miscommunication with one of his forward runners.
11.38am BST
35 min: Here’s a slice of bad luck for the hosts, as Eastwood limps off. Is it a hamstring?
He’s been one of their best already tonight, so that’s a bad blow. Now it’s Curtis Rona down with what looks like a knee problem. Let’s hope he can run that off.
11.36am BST
33 min: Sorry to leave you hanging there, just went to find a good title picture.
No dice for the Dragons, as it ends with a bombed kick collected by Morris. He marks in-goal and then launches a 60m counter-attack with half the Dragons defenders offside from the 20m restart.
11.33am BST
30 min: Who’d be a footy coach. Paul McGregor must be pulling his hair out (oh wait) – his side have largely dominated early proceedings, but find themselves two converted tries down. Spewing.
A forward pass from Graham though, and the Dragons get a look at a good six.
11.31am BST
28 min: Well, absolutely nothing you can do about that. The Dogs move it 90m in that set to put it on the chest of Kasiano from about 3m out. One-v-one with Widdop, and as good as he is, the Dragons skipper could do absolutely nothing bout that. Steamrolled.
Another successful kick from Mbye, from more or less in front once more.
11.28am BST
25 min: Kasiano enters the fray, and starts with a BANG. De Belin climbs gingerly to his feet.
Quinlan looks to beat the line, but Marshall’s kick is snapped up Perrett, who launches a terrific 30-40m run, starting the Dogs’ new set brilliantly.
11.26am BST
23 min: An absolutely lovely passage from the Dogs! Eastwood winds up and carries a few players like a sherpa, bounding up Everest. Moses Mbye with great athleticism as he combines with several Morrises, the latter of which picks out Reynolds backing up inside.
Mbye adds the extras from right in front; and having been largely second-best, the Dogs lead!
11.23am BST
20 min: Dragons with the scrum feed after Reynolds finds the touchline. Mitch Rein enters the fray with a lovely little man-bun/top-knot. You wonder how they feel about that, the old men of rugby league, in this, retro-round.
Eastwood again charging up the guts. Did I read he leads the comp for metres? Or just the Dogs. Either way, he really can get the legs going. And has he created something here?
11.20am BST
18 min: Well, wouldn’t that be the way – Dragons spent the best part of twenty minutes besieging the hosts’ line, and now it’s Mann scrambling on his own tryline.
Great cross-field ball from Reynolds and Mann has no choice but to bat dead. A line dropout for the Dragons, and Eastwood works his way right to the stripe.
11.17am BST
16 min: Dragons probe right, Dragons probe left, but as they slide wide, they’ve given Mann no room to move. Great scrambling defence from the Dogs and they bundle the lightning winger over the touchline. Relief for the hosts!
11.16am BST
14 min: Brett Morris does better that time, but he’s forced in-goal as he defuses another Marshall bomb.
Dogs with the line dropout once more, and the Dragons really look to besiege the line. Joel Thompson really charges for the line – and is that a trip from Reynolds?
11.14am BST
13 min: The Dragons starting to really apply some pressure, but Morris (Josh) just sees Marshall’s kick over the dead-ball line. Millimetres in that as well.
Now it’s Russell Packer (no jokes tonight, I promise) who shows the greater urgency – pouncing on a dropped carry from Hopoate. Dragons attack on the last, once more.
11.12am BST
11 min: We go upstairs again, as Perrett and Mann race for another well-targeted kick – it was Widdop who put it on the boot, quick thinking there, but it goes the way of the Dogs.
Gee, they’ve had a few let-offs already. Fingertips in that one, but Perrett just gets first downward pressure on the loose ball.
11.10am BST
10 min: Another strong kick, and the Dragons have forced a line drop out. They’ve done very well from the boot so far.
Some concern as Frizell receives treatment. This will be a real body blow if they lose the talented youngster this early on.
11.08am BST
8 min: Scrum to Dragons, as Widdop looks to lead his chargers. Marshall with a good kick to the corner, but Hopoate brushes the first chaser and gets a good 10-20m.
Eastwood with a bit of bash-and-barge, before Morris (Josh) tries to put one on the toe. It hits a defender and whistleman Cecchin says not played at.
11.06am BST
6 min: Well, so much for coming out of the kennels firing, it’s the Dragons with the bust, as Kurt Mann scampers 40-50m down the touchline. Scrambling tackle from Mbye, and Mann gets six more as his ball inside is touched, but then turned over.
They don’t make the Dogs pay, and Reynolds almost pulls off a 40-2o.
11.04am BST
4 min: Penalty to the Dogs, the Dragons defence holding on too long in the tackle. Klemmer looks to punch up the guts. Mbye looks to combine with Hopoate, but St George’s right edge defence look to have plenty of numbers. They hold firm – nothing to see here, officer.
11.02am BST
Referee Matt Cecchin goes to the bunker, but nothing controversial about that – Brett Morris clasps at absolute thin air, it goes through his arms and Nightingale seeks to gather and ground; but brother Josh comes to the rescue, and prevents a clean grounding! What a massive let off early on for the Dogs!
11.00am BST
3 min: Simple sets so far, nothing fancy. A good kick by Reynolds as the Dogs look to build some early pressure. Dragons do well bringing out, once again. As Marshall goes to the air.
It seems innocuous, but wait a second, it’s a horror blunder from Brett Morris – has Nightingale scored?! We head upstairs..
10.58am BST
1 min: And we’re underway! Dragons receive the kick off and begin to make their way out from their own 20m line.
Here are the teams, by the way:
10.54am BST
It is of course white ribbon night, and for those that wonder whether some of these clubs are just paying lip-service to ‘do-goodery’ type of things, check this out from the Bulldogs.
This is tremendous news! @NRL_Bulldogs are leading the way in preventing violence against women! #GoBulldogs! https://t.co/y6asuz36hP
10.46am BST
Orright. Hope this finds you all well, from wherever you’re following the coverage.
Any league fans fighting gales on the Orkneys, or slogging through the heat of the Sahara to follow this one, drop us a line – either on the email above or via twitter @rrjparkin – it’s always lovely to hear from our international devotees.
10.39am BST
Well, it’s Billy Thorpe’s favourite night for footy, and it’s a must-win for the visitors as 11th placed St George-Illawarra scrap to keep their finals hopes alive.
They face a tough outing as 5th place Canterbury look to snarl their way back to their best after, let’s face it, an absolute spanking last weekend in Townsville.
3.30am BST
Richard will be here shortly but in the meantime, not check out Gideon Haigh’s thorough examination of the state of the administrative ranks in the NRL and Australia’s other major sporting codes.
Related: Griffith Review essay: See how they run - sports governance in Australia | Gideon Haigh
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