CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 32 NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 14
TOM SMITH, Accor Stadium, Saturday
CANTERBURY captain Stephen Crichton led the Bulldogs to a comfortable win over the Warriors in the rain at Homebush.
Crichton scored a try, assisted another and kicked six goals, while new halves pairing Lachlan Galvin and Matt Burton pulled the strings with aplomb and ex-Knight Enari Tuala scored his first double as a Bulldog.
For New Zealand, Chanel Harris-Tavita and James Fisher-Harris returned from calf injuries, but Te Maire Martin failed a head-injury assessment.
The result keeps the Doggies in the hunt for the minor premiership alongside Melbourne and Canberra, and means the Aucklanders will finish the weekend outside the top four for the first time since round six, leapfrogged by Penrith.
A ruck infringement gave Adam Pompey the opening two points, before Jackson Ford’s high shot and Taine Tuaupiki’s errant drop-out gave Crichton two penalty-goals of his own.
In heavy rain, Viliame Kikau crawled over for the first try before Bronson Xerri sent Jethro Rinakama sliding through.
Crichton threw a beautiful cut-put to hand Tuala his first just before half-time, then the skipper went himself soon after the restart.
Samuel Healey grubbered to himself from dummy-half to finally post a try for the visitors.
But a Fisher-Harris shove from the restart gifted Crichton another penalty then Tuala crossed again, making Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s late intercept mere consolation.
BULLDOGS: 1 Jacob Kiraz, 2 Jethro Rinakama, 3 Bronson Xerri, 4 Stephen Crichton, 5 Enari Tuala, 6 Matt Burton, 7 Lachlan Galvin, 8 Max King, 17 Bailey Hayward, 10 Samuel Hughes, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Jacob Preston, 13 Jaeman Salmon. Subs (all used): 9 Reed Mahoney, 14 Kurt Mann, 15 Harry Hayes, 16 Josh Curran
Tries: Kikau (22), Rinakama (32), Tuala (39, 68), Crichton (50); Goals: Crichton 6/7, Burton 0/1
WARRIORS: 1 Taine Tuaupiki, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 14 Te Maire Martin, 10 Jackson Ford, 18 Freddy Lussick, 23 James Fisher-Harris, 8 Marata Niukore, 12 Kurt Capewell, 13 Erin Clark. Subs (all used): 9 Samuel Healey, 11 Leka Halasima, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith
Tries: Healey (55), Tuivasa-Sheck (78); Goals: Pompey 3/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 2-2, 4-2, 8-2, 14-2, 20-2; 24-2, 24-8, 26-8, 32-8, 32-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Stephen Crichton; Warriors: Erin Clark
Penalty count: 7-8; Half-time: 20-2; Referee: Adam Gee; Attendance: 25,377