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Canterbury are beginning to find consistency to keep their title tilt alive after moving inside the top four with a gritty four-point win over Sydney Roosters.
It's often said that the sign of a good team is knowing how to win even when not at their best, and the Bulldogs proved on Thursday night that even when not at their ruthless best, they can grind out results against lower-placed sides.
For the first time this season, the Bulldogs' back line was at full strength with the Morris brothers unleashed as Josh returned to the centres to play alongside his twin, Brett. After their industrious and aggressive forwards wore down the Roosters, the Morris brothers put them to the sword. A combination seen all too infrequently for the Bulldogs' liking showed glimpses of just how devastating they can be, combining for four line breaks and two tries.
The man singled out by Des Hasler as the player to spark the Roosters revival – Mitchell Pearce – fulfilled that prophecy after just eight minutes. A cross-field bomb from the halfback brought out the best in Daniel Tupou as the former NSW representative leapt over two markers to catch the high ball before planting it over the line in one swift motion.
The Roosters were tenacious from the start, took a firm grip on territory and by the first quarter of the match had held 65 per cent of the ball. Pearce was again the architect as the Roosters threatened to run riot, releasing Latrell Mitchell in the middle of the park for the fullback to outpace Bulldogs fullback Will Hopoate to the line for a try that was successfully converted to make it 12-0.
But just as a surprise result began to seem possible, Canterbury hit back. Curtis Rona's match had previously been spent defending before he sliced through for their first try with ease. It seemed unfathomable that the Tricolours could go into the break level after 30 minutes of complete dominance but Brett Morris and Moses Mbye ensured the contest would remain in the balance. The Bulldogs winger scored in the corner to finish a set play before Mbye converted from the sideline to draw level.
Pearce was a man out to make a statement and Hopoate was the first to feel that when on the receiving end of a towering hit, before the former NSW halfback produced a try-saving tackle on Brett Morris. However, Canterbury alleviated the pressure mounting on them when Josh Jackson barged his way over for a try and a conversion by Mbye gave them a slender 18-14 lead.
Nervous it may have been, but the Bulldogs soon wrestled their way into some breathing space when Brett Morris capitalised on an overlap to grab his second try of the evening. Mbye was invoking the great Canterbury kickers, enjoying a perfect evening with the boot, and another sideline conversion gave them a 10-point buffer.
The Roosters had only themselves to blame for not reducing that when Shaun Kenny-Dowall inexplicably passed forward for Blake Ferguson under little pressure en-route to the try-line. Tupou's second try with four minutes remaining gave hope of a fightback, reducing the deficit to four, but it proved too little, too late.
