Wounded Bulldogs bite Tigers

Canterbury have recorded a stunning 25-24 extra time victory over the Wests Tigers, in front of 20,212 fans at ANZ Stadium tonight.

Two teams that were shuffled just before the game kicked off, highlighted by Brett Morris being ruled out late after a mishap in the warm up. It showed through the opening half, as both sides were guilty of coughing up too much possession. Around the lost ball, there were a few moments of magic in the first half.

Kyle Lovett who has impressed in his few first grade opportunities thus far, opened the scoring five minutes into the game, rushing onto a short pass to catch the defenders out. The Tigers solely held possession in the opening five minutes and the Lovett try confirmed their domination and had a hint of controversy about it.

The Bulldogs hit back, with Tony Williams and Sam Kasiano making big in-roads, bending back the defensive line. Williams turned playmaker in the absence of Reynolds, somehow keeping his arm of the ground to send Curtis Rona over the try-line to level proceedings. There wasn't much to write home about for the rest of the half, as it devolved into a penalty-a-thon. 

After the scrappy first stanza, Tigers exploded into action in the opening twenty minutes of the second. It started albeit from a slice of luck, as Luke Brooks charged down a Greg Eastwood kick, landing in his hands as the halfback streaked away from several would-be defenders to put the Tigers back in the lead.

Brooks highlighted the understanding Tedesco have, when the former sliced through drew the fullback and sent Tedesco in the biggest lead of the game thus far. They weren't done though, as Brooks noticed the fullback on his inside in the 57th minute, as he grubbered through for him to give them an eighteen point lead.

An error straight from the kick-off from Keith Galloway opened the door ajar, as Sam Kasiano went close but was held up in a marvelous effort. Bulldogs weren't to be denied though, as Michael Lichaa exploited some space in the defensive line and a weak tackle from Brendan Santi to dive over.

Bulldogs smashed that ajar door open in the last ten, as Curtis Rona once again profited from the skilled big man on his inside, Sam Kasiano put him in for the brace. Rona would be the provided for the leveling try though, as he wriggled an arm free to give Josh Morris the pass and space to stand up Tedesco and making it 24-all.

Neither team could get a good enough field goal effort off during normal time, so it was onto golden point. Each took another shot each from their main halves (Brooks and Hodkinson respectively) who missed but young half Moses Mbyes snuck his effort in the 94th minute just inside the upright and gave the Bulldogs an unlikely victory. 

WESTS TIGERS (24)
Tries: Kyle Lovett, Luke Brooks, James Tedesco (2)
Field Goals: Luke Brooks (0/2)
Conversions: Mitchell Moses (4/4)
Penalty Goals:

CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS (25)
Tries: Curtis Rona (2), Michael Lichaa, Josh Morris
Field Goals: Trent Hodkinson (0/1), Moses Mbye (1/1)
Conversions: Trent Hodkinson (4/4)
Penalty Goals:

Welcome to ANZ Stadium, for the clash of the west.. Canterbury vs Wests, Bulldogs are 2 from 3, Wests lost their first game last week against the defending premiers. This is also for the Save Our Sons Cup, a great charity initiative.

1: Here we go, to use a phrase from Andrew Voss, "let's have some fun"

3: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Corey Thompson makes an unforced error.
Uh oh, early chance for the Tigers after Thompson dropped his first touch.

4: SIX MORE! Tigers applying all the pressure here.

4: More control again from Brooks, rolling it in. Six more coming for the Tigers to defend.

5: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Kyle Lovett. Kick to come.
The Dogs finally cracked, Lovett takes the short pass and muscled over Perrett for the try.

6: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Mitchell Moses successful.
Moses converts.

13: A wicked bounce from a Hodkinson kick, forces Tedesco to be tackled in-goal. Six more coming.

14: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Josh Morris makes an unforced error.
Morris tried to flick it out of his hands quickly, drops it.

15: PENALTY Bulldogs, here they come onto attack.

16: VIDEO REFEREE: Checking if the arm touched the ground before the pass was thrown..

16: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Curtis Rona. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! A magnificent pass from Tony Williams found Rona who walked it in.

17: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
A tough first effort for Hodkinson, he nails it.

18: PENALTY Bulldogs, hand on the football..

20: PENALTY Bulldogs, another piggyback for the Berries.

21: Another PENALTY Bulldogs, 4-0 count now. Tigers need to defend their line.

22: Josh Morris tries to take on his man, slips and slides over the sideline.

23: PENALTY Tigers, their first of the evening.

24: Make it two, Sydney buses and all that. Bulldogs were caught offside.

25: VIDEO REFEREE: James Tedesco might have a try, checking obstruction.

25: RED LIGHTS..NO TRY! Tigers blockers took out defenders.

29: PENALTY Tigers, don't work him bellows the ref.

34: PENALTY Bulldogs, taking the player in the air.

35: PENALTY Tigers, hand on the ball.. ref loving the pea this half.

36: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Mitchell Moses makes an unforced error.
Moses smashed and lost it.

38: PENALTY Tigers, more attack coming...

40: HALFTIME :: Locked up at 6-all in a penalty-a-thon.

41: We're back, and underway here!

44: PENALTY TIgers, hand on the ball..

45: PENALTY Bulldogs, taking out the kicker. Chris Lawrence is ON REPORT.

47: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Luke Brooks. Kick to come.
That was fortunate! Eastwood was forced to kick, hit it into Brooks who streaked away with the ball!

48: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Mitchell Moses successful.
Moses makes it 2/2 tonight.

49: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by James Tedesco. Kick to come.
Tigers are just slicing through, Brooks went through again, kicked for Tedesco who scored!

51: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Mitchell Moses successful.
Perfect thus is Moses and he parts the sticks there.

51: PENALTY TIGERS, Dogs are losing their head here..

57: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by James Tedesco. Kick to come.
Another well worked play there! Brooks could see Tedesco coming on his inside, kicked it through for him and Tedesco got there before the defenders.

58: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Mitchell Moses successful.
Besides the uprights, Moses sticks it through again.

58: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Keith Galloway makes an unforced error.
Galloway drops it off the kick-off.

58: VIDEO REFEREE: Kasiano claiming one, referee doesn't agree..

58: RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Kasiano was held up. Play it.

59: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Michael Lichaa. Kick to come.
Easy does it! Lichaa goes himself, ducks under a Santi tackle and plants it down.

60: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Hodkinson converts. Still game on.

61: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Sam Kasiano makes an unforced error.
Just as they got back into it, Kasiano loses it.

62: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Lamar Liolevave makes an unforced error.
A great name can't save a bad pass, Liolevave drops it.

63: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Curtis Rona makes an unforced error.
A big up and under from Mbye is knocked on by Rona.

64: PENALTY Tigers, second effort.

65: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Martin Taupau makes an unforced error.
Some good charges forward from the Tigers, undone by a Taupau knock on.

67: PENALTY Bulldogs, caught offside.

68: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Curtis Rona. Kick to come.
Another lovely pass from a big man, Kasiano this time, sends Rona in.

69: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Hodkinson doesn't miss, six the difference now.

70: PENALTY Bulldogs, Lovett was caught up too long on the last.

71: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Tony Williams makes an unforced error.
Dropped on first by T-Rex, not ideal.

74: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Aiden Tolman makes an unforced error.
Galloway gets lucky there, throws a risky pass and it was knocked down by a Bulldog.

75: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL WESTS TIGERS
Field goal attempt by Luke Brooks unsuccessful.
Brooks tries an early set field goal, and shanked it.

76: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Josh Morris. Kick to come.
Great work from Rona, who offloaded as he was falling and Tedesco had no chance.

77: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
He kicks it, we're level.

80: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Robbie Farah makes an unforced error.
Farah knocks on. FULLTIME!

80: Golden Point it is. Bulldogs to kick-off!

82: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Field goal attempt by Trent Hodkinson unsuccessful.
Hodkinson with a shank.

83: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL WESTS TIGERS
Field goal attempt by Luke Brooks unsuccessful.
Brooks hits his own player.. no good.

84: SUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Field goal attempt by Moses Mbye successful.
Mbye with the worst field goal ever, but it went over! BULLDOGS WIN.