SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 18 CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 24
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Accor Stadium, Sunday
CANTERBURY consolidated top spot in the NRL – after lightning forced a half-hour delay to their win over South Sydney.
The Bulldogs led 0-18 when play was stopped eight minutes before half-time following strikes in the area.
Those three tries, all converted by Toby Sexton, came in the first 16 minutes, through Sexton, Marcelo Montoya and Connor Tracey.
Sexton scored from a Jacob Kiraz pass on the last tackle, Montoya was on the end of a good move and Tracey finished off a break by Blake Wilson.
After the delay, Alex Johnston hit back for the Rabbitohs to make it 4-18 at half-time as Wilson fumbled a kick.
Tallis Duncan’s well-worked try and Jamie Humphreys’ sole conversion (crucial in the final reckoning) briefly narrowed the gap to eight but Montoya’s second followed almost immediately after.
Jack Wighton and Tyrone Munro scores – the first while Jake Turpin was in the bin for a dangerous tackle – in the final ten minutes gave Canterbury a fright but a final Sexton goal helped them over the line.
RABBITOHS: 1 Jye Gray, 2 Alex Johnston, 3 Jack Wighton, 4 Isaiah Tass, 5 Tyrone Munro, 6 Jayden Sullivan, 7 Jamie Humphreys, 8 Jai Arrow, 9 Siliva Havili, 10 Keaon Koloamatangi, 11 Euan Aitken, 12 Tallis Duncan, 13 Lachlan Hubner. Subs (all used): 14 Davvy Moale, 16 Liam Le Blanc, 17 Tevita Tatola, 18 Ryan Gray
Tries: Johnston (39), Duncan (57), Wighton (72), Munro (79); Goals: Humphreys 1/4
BULLDOGS: 1 Connor Tracey, 2 Blake Wilson, 3 Bronson Xerri, 4 Jacob Kiraz, 5 Marcelo Montoya, 6 Lachlan Galvin, 7 Toby Sexton, 8 Josh Curran, 9 Reed Mahoney, 10 Daniel Suluka-Fifita, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Jacob Preston, 13 Bailey Hayward. Subs (all used): 14 Jake Turpin, 15 Harry Hayes, 17 Kurtis Morrin, 19 Blake Taaffe
Tries: Sexton (7), Montoya (13, 61), Tracey (16); Goals: Sexton 4/5; Sin bin: Turpin (62) – dangerous tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 4-18; 10-18, 10-22, 14-22, 14-24, 18-24
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rabbitohs: Tallis Duncan; Bulldogs: Marcelo Montoya
Penalty count: 11-4; Half-time: 4-18; Referee: Adam Gee; Attendance: 23,871