Wentworthville Magpies ISPNSW vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, 3pm, Sunday June 26 at Ringrose Park

1. Honeti Tuha

2. Scott Schulte

3. Jake Butler-Fleming

4. Tyrell Fuimaono

5. Bureta Faraimo

6. Dylan Izzard

7. Cameron King

8. Joseph Ualesi

9. Sam Gorman

10. Rory O’Brien

11. Matt Woods

12. James Hasson

13. Cody Nelson (c)

Interchange:

14. Jack Morris

15. Yileen Gordon

16. Jamie Stowers

17. Alex Twal

18. Tui Oloapu

 

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Wenty are per program today and will be kicking off towards the club house.

 

Good driving tackle from Ualesi on the second play of the game. The Bulldogs bring u the last tackle smack bang on halfway and direct a bomb towards Bureta Faraimo. He takes it cleanly before he is assailed by several defenders that flirt with driving him past the horizontal. Ualesi provides a good carry to take us over halfway before there is a small shift to the left edge but the Dogs slide well. The bomb goes up on the last and an energetic chase from Sam Gorman traps the Canterbury custodian as soon as he secures possession.

 

The Dogs get the first penalty of the game and opt to take a quick tap which catches Wenty a bit out of place. Good metres up the middle as a result but the line holds. The visitors are on a roll on as a result though and ride the momentum into Wenty’s redzone where they bomb Scott Schulte on the last. Schulte back pedals into position and tries to jump and contest the ball but he is out-leaped by his opposite number who then barrels over into the corner to score. Too easy there.

 

Try scored by the Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Bulldogs lead 6-0

5min gone

 

Really good set after points for the Dogs as they rumble into Wenty’s half. The kick isn’t particularly great as they roll it along the ground but it is a net win in territory for sure. Wenty reply fairly well as they hammeru p the middle with Ualesi and O’Brien before the kick from Izzard traps the Dogs 10m off their line.

 

Better set of defence follows from Wenty as the Dogs are pinned to their 40m line. Honeti Tuha flies across the park to take a good kick on the full and Wenty start to get on top in the grind. Both teams trade sets as the Dogs get increasingly pinned in their half and Tuha gets a chance to make a really nice kick return. He beats the initial chasers and pinches a good 25m there. All the impetus in the set goes flying out the window a couple of tackles later though as a loose pass from Cameron King lands between Tyrell Fuimaono and Scott Schulte and forces the lanky winger to go back and retrieve the ball before he is bundled into touch.

 

The Dogs quickly turn the flow of the game around when the punch through our ruck with their halfback. He shows and goes and then looks right but Wenty recovers to pull down the runner but are then pinged for holding down. The Dogs get a full set on Wenty’s goal line and despite a couple of good first up tackles the intensity dips for fractionally long enough to let the Dogs bump their way over under the posts. James Hasson is left strewn on the ground after the mess of the try is cleaned up, might be concussion or something decidedly serious as he is rolled into the recovery position.

 

Try scored by the Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Bulldogs lead 12-0

14min gone.

 

Hasson is clearly not in a good way now as several minutes have passed with him staying in the recovery position. The stretcher is out there along with a good 4 or 5 trainers. Eventually he is stretchered off. Hopefully it is all just precautionary.

 

Nice play from the Bulldogs in the kick off set. Good movement down their right edge which involves a fairly ridiculous flick pass to create a line break down the sideline. Wenty scramble to shut it down ans Faraimo races back to make the tackle but the Dogs earn a repeat set when a couple of tackles later Faramo gets bundled back in-goals after defusing the attacking bomb.

 

The pressure of the repeat set proves to be too much for Wenty as they quickly concede the third try of the game. This one is scored down our right edge as the Dogs simply barge through on the back of a short ball. Ominous signs here.

 

Try scored by the Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Bulldogs lead 18-0

19min gone

 

Urgh, easy metres for the Dogs again as our left edge is once more caught short from a basic shift. The Dogs put in a poor kick to finish the set to give Wenty a minor reprieve and from there Wenty get their first penalty of the game when Ualesi looks to take a hit up as the defence is called offside.

 

Ualesi and O’Brien look to drive Wenty into the redzone of the Dogs but they fail to come away with anything as they play down the shortside on the right with Cody Nelson trying to roll the ball in goals. The Dogs complete a simple set in return as both teams settle back into the grind.

 

Wenty are desperately unlucky to not get a six-again call when the Dogs play at a kick from Dylan Izzard but quickly get the ball back when the Dogs are pinged for a sloppy forward pass. The interchange forwards are starting to filter through for the Magpies as Alex Twal and Jack Morris join Buddy Gordon on the pitch.

 

The home team earns a penalty on the back of a nice run by Cody Nelson. Twal centres the ball before we go down our right to Tuha but the Dogs hold him out. Sam Gorman goes close on the following tackle as he darts back to the sticks but an errant offload leads to an error from Wenty and another chance goes by squandered.

 

Oof, the Dogs narrowly miss a 40/20 as the kick rolls into touch at the 21m mark. That was close.

 

Wenty reply with a good set that is undone with a poor kick from Izzard. Fuimaono tries to contest the shallow bomb but loses it forwards. Don’t think there was anything on even if he caught it, to be honest.

 

The Dogs get a penalty for a slow ruck and as with nearly all their earlier tries, they go on to convert the extra set into points as Craig Garvey slices through up the middle and outpaces Tuha to the goal line.

 

Try scored by the Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Bulldogs lead 24-0

31min gone

 

Shut those damn gates. The Dogs go in again with some razzle dazzle footy down our right edge. A really nice shift with some subtle passing options sucks in the interior defenders and we are left short down the right edge. The Dogs race down that sideline and pass back to support with a long looping pass, that to be fair looks quite a few metres forwards, and from there cross for their fifth try of the game. Wenty are completely over run here.

 

Try scored by the Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Bulldogs lead 30-0

35min gone

 

Wenty finally get their hands on the ball as the Dogs complete a non-scoring set but it comes at a price as Dylan Izzard goes down with a hamstring injury. They  do well to put themselves in position for an attacking bomb but the ref rules that Faraimo attacked the defender in the air rather than competing for the ball and a penalty ensues.

 

Wenty make it two sets on the trot that they hold the Dogs out for and even pick up a penalty on the way as Tuha is taken high from a kick return. Small window to score some points in this half now.

 

Twal makes a good charge but somehow doesn’t draw a penalty as he is held down for an age. Gordon centres the ball before we go left to Tyrell Fuimaono who steps and weaves back to his inside as he looks to have gone over! Hang on, the ref rules knock on! Wait again, now it is a penalty to Wenty for a support player getting held back. No sin bin or penalty tries comes though and amazingly a second professional foul comes on the next play as they Dogs slow the play down in front of the posts. No sin bin again and from the tap restart the Dogs score a game sealing 12-point turn around as Reimis Smith takes the intercept as Sam Gorman looks to exploit an overlap down our left edge. Rubbish officiating without a doubt there as the Dogs should never had had the opportunity to take the intercept. Tuha gave an honest chase on Smith but he had too much ground to make up.

 

Try scored by the Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Canterbury lead 36-0

 

Half Time

Canterbury Bulldogs 36 LEAD Wentworthville Magpies 0

 

Second Half

 

Wenty will receive the ball in the second half.

 

Twal and Gordon take the opening runs for the Magpies. Nelson gets in behind the markers on the third before Gordon comes back for his second run of the set. He slips an offload away but Tuha can’t keep hold of it as the ball is turned over 5m into the Dogs’ half.

 

Good hit and stick there by Twal and what follows is some magic by Faraimo! The Dogs stab a kick in behind our line on our goal line which sees the slimmed down Faraimo swing back to pick it up. He fends away from the first defender and steps back towards his posts before straightening and bursting through the line of the Dogs! He shifts into top gear and gets past halfway before the Dogs chase starts to bear down on him. Tyrone Phillips I think it is that comes at him. Faraimo fends him away the first time and realigns his running line to a diagonal down the right. Phillips comes again and gets a piece of Bureta but by now he has done enough to get to the line and he crashes over and gets the ball down! One of the indiviudal tries of the season!

 

Try scored by Faraimo. Conversion successful by King.

Wenty trail 6-36

45min gone.

 

The Magpies put together a huge set after points as they drive the ball into the Dogs’ redzone from the kickoff set but they can’t turn the pressure into a repeat set or points as King’s grubber is taken on the full on the goal line.

 

Territory and momentum is well and truly with the Eels as Tuha gets another strong kick return to his name. Twal continues his strong personal game with a good run and offload to Sam Gorman. The play gets the Dogs on the backfoot and from there the Eels spin it to their right edge where Fuimaono gets the ball away to Schulte who dives over in the corner to score.

 

Try scored by Schulte. Conversion successful by King.

Wenty trail 12-36

50min gone.

 

Quick shift from the Magpies from the kickoff but Gordon holds onto the ball instead of passing so a chance at a linebreak is missed. Good play none the less. Massive metres follow though as the Dogs are caught on the backfoot. Set play on the last as Izzard turns it back to Tuha behind the ruck. Honeti tries to kick ahead but it is taken in the line again but at the least the Dogs will have to grind it out from their 5m mark.

 

A strong defensive set follows from the home team and Tuha chalks up another kick return. Wenty keep it simple as their backs come infield to take some darts up the middle and King finally converts the pressure into a line drop out on the last with a pin point kick towards Schulte that lets the rangy winger make the defensive play.

 

Twal takes the run from the drop out, another good carry for the young bookend. Jamie Stowers gets his first carry of the game on the second and it is a useful one as plows forwards and earns a penalty for a slow ruck. The Magpies tap and go with a crash line up the middle before swinging down their left on the second tackle as Jake Bulter-Fleming gets a lovely ball to go over untouched down the left! Signs of life here for the Magpies.

 

Try scored by Butler-Fleming. Conversion successful by King.

Wenty trail 18-36

57min gone

 

O’Brien is back on. Good carry. Twal goes net. Gordon third. Simple but effective stuff. Fuimaono gets a run down the right short side and then we bomb on the last towards Faraimo’s wing but the winger is correctly penalised for attacking the defender there. That could be very costly as Wenty race the clock here.

 

A second penalty follows as Craig Garvey makes a half break down our left edge and we are pinged for slowing the ruck down but they in turn are penalised for a basic obstruction. O’Brien and Twal continue their great work in the backend of the game. We then go left to Izzard who is wrapped up. Things break down a bit on the next tackle as Izzard and King play hot potato but on the next play Gordon steams to the line and offloads to Twal who looks to have dived over and scored but NO! No try, Wenty want to quick play the ball here but the ref blows a penalty for them instead. Where is the advantage?

 

The Magpies get the ball back and look to have potentially gone over from an inside ball between King to Tuha but the ref decides the pass was forwards! A couple of devastating calls in a brief passage of time there.

 

The home team get what feels like a rare penalty when Cameron King is taken in the air while he defuses an attacking kick. Another rubbish no call comes when Cody Nelson catches the markers offside but instead loses the ball when they take him from the illegal position.  Wenty certainly did themselves no favours in the first half with their play but the main official has been decidedly ordinary.

 

The Dogs turn the ball back over immediately as a play down their left edge unravels badly due to a poor pass.

 

Some nice work up the middle now as Faraimo comes infield and inter-plays the ball with his forwards and then Joseph Ualesi flies onto the ball as he carries defenders over the line and slams the ball down! Tremendous run from the big unit! Is there enough time left for a miracle?

 

Try scored by Ualesi. Conversion successful by King.

Wenty trail 24-36

69min gone

 

Jamie Stowers gets the first carry. We go two passes wide to Fuimaono on the second tackle. Jack Morris is taken in a high shot but no call comes, what else though? Sam Gorman has a nice dart up the middle but our kick option is ordinary as Nelson tries to roll it in behind from midfield. The poor end to the set quickly comes back to haunt the Magpies as Tyrone Phillips makes a bust down our left edge and steps past Tuha to race 60m and score and close out the game. Spirited comeback from the Magpies but they clearly gave up too big an advantage in the first half.

 

Try scored by the Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Canterbury lead 42-24

73min gone

 

Long kickoff from Wenty. A concession of defeat perhaps?

 

The Dogs play out a simple set and get to their kick which Tuha cleans up on the full. Schulte and Butler-Fleming take carries early in this set before Nelson takes a run. Morris runs a nice line down the right but it well tackled by the sliding defence and Wenty put up an ineffective bomb on the last.

 

A line drop is forced against Wenty in the following set as the Dogs push downfield and kick in behind to give the home team no choice but to bat it dead.

 

Schulte gets the opportunity to lay on a nice hit from the short drop out and Wenty take the Dogs to their last tackle and then secure the ball as Cameron King takes the grubber kick in the front line. Morris gets another handy carry and this time offloads to Tyrell in support who takes a further 15m away from the Dogs but the Magpies push one pass too many on the next play as O’Brien’s offload goes astray.

 

The Dogs go over again as they ruck the ball up to our red zone and Chase Stanley beats Fuimaono on a simple overs angle. Nothing fancy there but Tyrell just didn’t have the pace or positioning to stop the try.

 

Try scored by the Bulldogs. Conversion unsuccessful.

Bulldogs lead 46-24

 

Full Time

Canterbury Bulldogs 46 DEF Wentworthville Magpies 24