CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 30 PARRAMATTA EELS 12
TOM SMITH, Accor Stadium, Monday
LACHLAN GALVIN marked his Bulldogs bow with the match-sealing try after Canterbury shook off the sin-binning of Viliame Kikau to overcome the Eels in front of a mammoth crowd.
The controversial Tigers recruit came on for hooker Reed Mahoney in the 57th minute when his new side led by just two, and helped the ladder leaders steam home for a thumping win.
After the depleted Dogs fell 44-8 to the Dolphins a fortnight ago, Cameron Ciraldo welcomed back Origin stars Stephen Crichton, Max King and Kurt Mann, plus injured duo Jacob Kiraz and Daniel Suluka-Fifita alongside Galvin — and normal service resumed.
An enormous crowd of 59,878 packed Sydney’s Olympic Stadium on the King’s Birthday public holiday — the second biggest regular-season crowd in history, after Canterbury broke that record in April against South Sydney.
The outstanding Matt Burton snaffled an intercept to open the scoring before Zac Lomax returned serve to send Mitchell Moses racing the length of the field.
Marcelo Montoya restored the Dogs’ lead but Kikau’s late hit on Moses following a kick left them a man down.
And Junior Paulo’s offload to Dylan Walker made them pay and levelled the scores at the break.
But Crichton’s penalty goal, Kikau’s try and Harry Hayes’ runaway score put Canterbury well on top before Galvin finished the job.
BULLDOGS: 1 Connor Tracey, 2 Jacob Kiraz, 3 Bronson Xerri, 4 Stephen Crichton, 5 Marcelo Montoya, 6 Matt Burton, 7 Toby Sexton, 8 Max King, 9 Reed Mahoney, 10 Daniel Suluka-Fifita, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Josh Curran, 14 Bailey Hayward. Subs (all used): 13 Kurt Mann, 15 Harry Hayes, 16 Lipoi Hopoi, 23 Lachlan Galvin
Tries: Burton (8), Montoya (20), Kikau (61), Hayes (69), Galvin (74); Goals: Crichton 5/6; Sin bin: Kikau (36) — dangerous tackle
EELS: 1 Isaiah Iongi, 2 Zac Lomax, 3 Will Penisini, 4 Sean Russell, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Dylan Brown, 7 Mitchell Moses, 8 Jack Williams, 9 Ryley Smith, 10 Junior Paulo, 11 Kelma Tuilagi, 12 Kitione Kautoga, 13 J’maine Hopgood. Subs (all used): 14 Dylan Walker, 17 Jordan Samrani, 18 Joash Papalii, 19 Matt Doorey
Tries: Moses (12), Walker (36); Goals: Lomax 2/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-6, 6-6, 12-6, 12-12; 14-12, 18-12, 24-12, 30-12
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Matt Burton; Eels: Junior Paulo
Penalty count: 6-3; Half-time: 12-12; Referee: Gerard Sutton; Attendance: 59,878