Wests Tigers’ hopes of playing in the NRL playoffs took a massive dent with a 16-4 defeat at the hands of Canterbury Bulldogs.
The Tigers remain four points adrift with both the sides immediately above them yet to play this weekend.
The Dogs looked dangerous in the opening exchanges and were rewarded when Kerrod Holland muscled his way over off a Michael Lichaa pass from dummy half.
The Bulldogs continued to have the better of the game but had to settle for their 6-0 lead at half-time. They soon, however, extended their lead to eight after the break through Rhyse Martin’s boot.
Holland got his second try of the game after great play involving Josh Jackson and Will Hopoate to extend Canterbury’s lead to 14.
Esan Marsters’ try with fourteen minutes to go gave Wests hope but the Bulldogs held on comfortably even adding a further two points to their lead through Martin once again.
Bulldogs: Hopoate, B Morris, J Morris, Holland, Smith, Lewis, Marshall-King, Tolman, Lichaa, Klemmer, Jackson, Martin, Elliott; Interchanges: Brown, Eastwood, Ogden, Fualalo
Tries: Holland 2; Goals: Martin 4
Tigers: Mbye, Nofoaluma, Marsters, Naiqama, Thompson, Marshall, Brooks, Packer, Farah, Matulino, Chee-Kam, Garner, Taylor; Interchanges: Twal, Sue, Eisenhuth, McQueen
Try: Marsters
Full match reports of all this weekend’s NRL games will feature in Monday’s League Express.