Canterbury came, but never truly conquered, with a little bit of everything along the way.
As expected, Bulldogs defeated their storied but struggling Parramatta rivals. But it hardly played out the way any observer would have anticipated based on the formlines or the first five minutes.
Which was what the Eels deserved and the game too considering it included, among plenty else, a penalty for impersonating a referee.
Josh Addo-Carr is apparently a banker in the eyes of Canterbury fans, who held him up as a cult hero just six months ago. Nothing too out of the ordinary there. Marauding Bulldogs fans drowning out Eels supporters at CommBank Stadium, not so predictable.
For long stretches, Canterbury’s attack grew disjointed without Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau. For Parramatta at least, there was stark defensive improvement on the 88 points leaked in their first two games – an unwanted club record for rookie coach Jason Ryles.
Thankfully so too because when Jack Williams produced a textbook example of how not to tackle in the fifth minute, and Bulldogs prop Daniel Suluka-Fifita shrugged through feeble goal-line defence for the opening try, expectations were ugly and then some.
Bulldogs centre Bronson Xerri celebrates his try with teammate Marcelo Montoya.Credit: Getty Images
After the early embarrassment, Williams and the Eels added sorely needed starch to their efforts. They could have easily pinched the first win of Ryles’ NRL head coaChing career, and would have deserved it too given their second-half fight.
Addo-Carr, in his Eels debut and first game since a positive roadside drug test for cocaine ended his Bulldogs career, was jeered with every involvement. Never was Canterbury’s dominance of the 24,059-crowd clearer than when they were bagging their former winger.
Signed by Ryles to add pace and personality to his rebuilding squad, Addo-Carr brought both when he dived over out wide early in the second half – earning cheers from the blue and golds and another round of boos from the rest.
Dylan Brown was at least spared last week’s ire from Parramatta fans, though Newcastle’s $13 million marquee signing rarely found involvement to warrant any either.
Bulldogs forward Josh Curran took his own influence on the contest to rarely seen areas, calling Parramatta’s Matt Doorey offside in defence.
Given he was standing right next to referee Wyatt Raymond at the time, his chirping was duly penalised for impersonating the whistleblower against the spirit of the game.
Parramatta couldn’t convert that chance into points, but it wasn’t for lack of trying or enterprise as Zac Lomax produced a late, and reasonably fruitful chip and chase in the course of a kick return.
In and around the unexpected, things went largely as planned in rugby league’s way. Will Penisini and Bronson Xerri both scored first-half tries dummying and surging against backpedalling defences.
Blake Wilson produced a perfect touchdown of his own when the Bulldogs right-edge clicked into gear, the winger’s part-time training as a pilot clear in his pinpoint landing inside the corner post.
Parramatta’s surge in the second half was gutsy, but undone by handling errors and a lack of cohesion. Their second-half ascendancy showed everywhere on the scoreboard.
The absence of skipper Mitch Moses was all too clear to see, with Addo-Carr’s 46th-minute try the last of the afternoon. Canterbury had rattled up points across the first two rounds just as often as the Eels conceded them.
To keep their old rivals at bay on a dreary afternoon, the Bulldogs reverted to the defensive grind they built their own revival on last year. As to be expected, it was enough for a 3-0 start to the season, while Parramatta are now 0-3. With a little bit of everything along the way.
