CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 13 MANLY SEA EAGLES 12
TOM SMITH, Accor Stadium, Saturday

STEPHEN CRICHTON’S golden-point field-goal clinched a dramatic victory for Canterbury over Manly.

Coach Cameron Ciraldo shifted Crichton to stand-off and regular five-eighth Matt Burton into the centres, and the experiment didn’t always work. 

But with the game on the line, the cool-headed skipper stepped up for the second time this year, following his golden one-pointer in the season opener against the Dragons in Las Vegas. 

Wearing their ‘dark mode’ uniform, which swaps their traditional white-and-blue kit for ominous black-and-blue, the Bulldogs made a gloomy start as the Sea Eagles crossed twice in the opening 20 minutes. 

Crichton eventually got Canterbury on the board before the break and they looked like winning the arm wrestle when halves partner Lachlan Galvin burst through on the hour mark. 

Lehi Hopoate’s second try levelled things late, but Jamal Fogarty’s missed conversion – then wayward drop-goal attempts – sent the game into extra time. 

Fogarty will rue his kicking, given Manly outscored Canterbury three tries to two. 

Eagles skipper Tom Trbojevic made a productive return from a two-month hamstring lay-off, but his team lost front-rower Kobe Hetherington to a head-injury assessment early in the first half then hooker Brandon Wakeham to a calf issue minutes after the restart. 

Star back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu appeared bothered by his shoulder, but rammed home his claim for a State of Origin recall. 

The Dogs scraped past the Eels before their round 15 bye to keep their finals hopes alive, giving Crichton time to rest his troublesome shoulder and Kurt Mann the chance to return from a nasty ear laceration. 

Manly also had last weekend off, after a thumping win over the Rabbitohs that continued their rich vein of form under new coach Kieran Foran. 

The inclusion of ‘Tommy Turbo’ gave the Silvertails a huge boost, replacing Clayton Faulalo (hamstring) at fullback. 

Centre Tolutau Koula was these clubs’ only Origin representative in Queensland’s win over New South Wales on Wednesday, and he took his place in Foran’s line-up. 

On the end of a searing Jason Saab line break, Koula put Hopoate into the left corner for the first points. 

And Manly were cruising when Reuben Garrick caught the Dogs’ defence napping from dummy-half in the 20th minute. 

But after Josh Curran came within inches of Canterbury’s reply, Crichton pounced on a Galvin grubber to close the gap. 

After an attritional start to the second half, Galvin sidestepped Ben Trbojevic to put the Doggies in front. 

But a brilliant Koula catch-and-pass released Hopoate again and squared the scoreline 12-all with ten minutes left. 

From five metres in from touch, Fogarty drove his conversion attempt into the near upright. 

Harry Hayes produced a try-saver on Garrick, then Tom Trbojevic returned the favour on Jethro Rinakama. 

In between, Fogarty and Crichton narrowly missed gettable drop-goals in a chaotic finish to the 80 minutes. 

Golden point was equally wild, until a Nathan Brown error handed Crichton the chance to become the hero from 30 metres out. 

GAMESTAR: Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton’s shift to stand-off didn’t always click, but he stepped up with a try, two conversions and the match-winning field-goal. 

GAMEBREAKER: Gifted field position by a Nathan Brown error, Crichton stepped up to boot the decisive point three minutes into golden-point extra time. 

MATCHFACTS

BULLDOGS
1 Connor Tracey
2 Jacob Kiraz
4 Stephen Crichton
5 Enari Tuala
19 Jethro Rinakama
6 Matt Burton
7 Lachlan Galvin
8 Max King
14 Bailey Hayward
10 Leo Thompson
11 Sitili Tupouniua
12 Jaeman Salmon
13 Harry Hayes
Subs
3 Bronson Xerri (not used)
9 Kurt Mann
16 Jack Underhill
17 Josh Curran
22 Alex Conti (not used)
23 Alekolasimi Jones

Tries: Crichton (34), Galvin (61)
Goals: Crichton 2/2
Field-goals: Crichton (83)

SEA EAGLES
1 Tom Trbojevic
2 Jason Saab
3 Tolutau Koula
4 Reuben Garrick
5 Lehi Hopoate
6 Luke Brooks
7 Jamal Fogarty
8 Taniela Paseka
9 Brandon Wakeham
10 Kobe Hetherington
11 Haumole Olakau’atu
12 Ben Trbojevic
13 Jake Trbojevic
Subs
14 Jake Simpkin
15 Nathan Brown
16 Ethan Bullemor
17 Simione Laiafi
18 Josh Feledy (not used)
19 Joey Walsh (not used)

Tries: Hopoate (7, 68), Garrick (20)
Goals: Garrick 0/1, Fogarty 0/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-8, 6-8; 12-8, 12-12; 13-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Stephen Crichton; Sea Eagles: Haumole Olakau’atu

Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 6-8
Referee: Adam Gee
Attendance: 18,243