CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 42 MANLY SEA EAGLES 4
TOM SMITH, Allianz Stadium, Sunday
SAMUEL HUGHES, Jacob Kiraz and Bronson Xerri all hit the scoreboard twice as Canterbury steamrolled Manly late to stay in the hunt for the minor premiership.
The Bulldogs spluttered to a 12-4 half-time lead before slamming on five tries in the final 26 minutes to show why they’re a premiership threat in 2025.
The Dogs commemorated the 30th anniversary of their grand final victory over the Sea Eagles at this venue by donning a remake of their 1995 kit.
And they thrilled another big crowd of blue and white, who’ll go home dreaming about collecting another piece of silverware come the end of this season.
In another slice of history, Canterbury notched their 1000th win since joining the competition in 1935 – just the third club to achieve that feat, following the Roosters and Rabbitohs.
New halves pairing Matt Burton and Lachlan Galvin looked the goods, while fullback Connor Tracey tallied a dizzying 308 running metres.
Xerri made a fruitful return from a groin complaint, despite copping a boot to the nose from team-mate Viliame Kikau in the first half, and rookie prop Hughes – in just his fourth outing of the campaign – grabbed the first double of his young career.
Compounding a horror afternoon for the Sea Eagles, destructive back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu – in his first game back from a six-week shoulder injury – left the field early after re-aggravating the same arm.
Manly have had the wood over the Dogs in recent years, winning eleven of the twelve meetings before this one including last year’s elimination final. But they had no answer to this late onslaught.
Both these top-eight teams steamed into this Sunday afternoon clash on the back of thrilling two-point victories in round 20.
New halfback Galvin put Jethro Rinakama in for the match-winner against the Dragons, keeping Canterbury’s minor premiership hopes alive.
Then Manly repelled Melbourne on their own turf later that night – the Eagles’ third straight win to cling to a top-eight berth – but this heavy defeat leaves them outside the play-off places.
Prolific winger Jason Saab began his 100th first-grade appearance by spilling a towering Burton bomb into Hughes’ path for the opener.
Lightning-fast hands by Galvin, Tracey and Stephen Crichton gifted Kiraz his first, although Saab leapt into the right corner to keep Manly in touch at the break.
Lehi Hopoate produced a stunning try-saver on Tracey but it wasn’t long until the floodgates opened.
Kiraz’s second went through the same chain of hands as his first, before Xerri – labouring with an apparent broken nose – struck twice in six minutes.
First Kikau punched holes in the Eagles’ under-siege goal-line defence which the speedy centre exploited, then Xerri did it all himself down the left edge.
After Tracey nearly ran the length of the field off a Daly Cherry-Evans bomb, Enari Tuala notched his first try in Canterbury colours.
Then with four minutes on the clock, Hughes snaffled a loose Burton bomb and Stephen Crichton completed a perfect record of seven goals from as many attempts to make it the Dogs’ biggest-ever win over the Eagles.
GAMESTAR: Coming back from a groin complaint and copping a broken nose in the first half, Bronson Xerri bounced back to score a second-half double that sparked the Dogs’ late charge.
GAMEBREAKER: Samuel Hughes’ second try – the result of a signature Matt Burton bomb – secured Canterbury’s largest-ever winning margin over Manly.
MATCHFACTS
BULLDOGS
1 Connor Tracey
2 Jacob Kiraz
3 Bronson Xerri
4 Stephen Crichton
5 Enari Tuala
6 Matt Burton
7 Lachlan Galvin
8 Max King
9 Reed Mahoney
10 Samuel Hughes
11 Viliame Kikau
12 Jacob Preston
13 Jaeman Salmon
Subs (all used)
14 Kurt Mann
15 Harry Hayes
16 Josh Curran
17 Bailey Hayward
Tries: Hughes (14, 76), Kiraz (30, 55), Xerri (59, 65), Tuala (73)
Goals: Crichton 7/7
SEA EAGLES
1 Lehi Hopoate
2 Jason Saab
3 Tolutau Koula
4 Tom Trbojevic
5 Reuben Garrick
6 Luke Brooks
7 Daly Cherry-Evans
8 Matthew Lodge
9 Jazz Tevaga
10 Siosiua Taukeiaho
11 Haumole Olakau’atu
12 Ben Trbojevic
13 Jake Trbojevic
Subs (all used)
15 Corey Waddell
16 Ethan Bullemor
17 Toafofoa Sipley
22 Gordan Chan Kum Tong
Tries: Saab (38)
Goals: Garrick 0/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-4; 18-4, 24-4, 30-4, 36-4, 42-4
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Bronson Xerri; Sea Eagles: Lehi Hopoate
Penalty count: 4-5
Half-time: 12-4
Referee: Ashley Klein
Attendance: 25,801