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The Bulldogs had so many injuries heading into this game they could have lined up outside the stadium and finished the queue at the famous Chicko’s down the road. Viliame Kikau, Josh Addo-Carr, Luke Thompson, Max King, Ryan Sutton, Jacob Kiraz et al.
Unlike the Dragons, they found a way to win.
“It says a lot about the club,” coach Cameron Ciraldo said. “It’s what we stand for and what our standards are no matter who is playing. If you pull on a Bulldogs jersey, there’s expectations and standards there we want you to live up to.
“The last few weeks, it’s been tough. After losing three games in a row, it was a tough week.
We never spoke about who wasn’t playing, it was more about who was playing. It says a lot about the club and what the club is built on.”
Ciraldo was forced to ask the NRL for an exemption for Harrison Edwards, who is outside the club’s top 30. He started at prop. Teenage whiz kid Karl Oloapu made his debut off the bench, and he and Matt Burton might stay in the halves for years to come.
But on this day it was Jake Averillo who shone brightest, scoring two sparkling long-range tries from 80 metres out, both times burning St George Illawarra No.1 Tyrell Sloan.
Even when Corey Waddell went to the sin-bin in the second half for a professional foul on Zac Lomax and the Dragons immediately trimmed the margin to two, they kept fumbling and the Bulldogs kept fighting.
Alas, they also play without fear as Josh Reynolds, who had a run-in with referee Grant Atkins at half-time after being penalised for an incident with Sloan on the ground, kicked for Averillo three metres out from his own line on one set.
“We’re not going to play like every other team, we play differently,” Ciraldo said. “We’ve got different strengths than other teams and we’re going to have to play a different way, take more risk and move the ball around. I think you saw signs of that tonight. ‘Grub’ [Reynolds] played what he saw and we trust that.”
On the Atkins-Reynolds incident, skipper Reed Mahoney said: “We might have to have his mouth taped when he plays. He’s the ultimate competitor and he wears his heart on his sleeve. I wouldn’t [trade] him for anyone else.”
Unlike the Dragons, they found a way to win.
“It says a lot about the club,” coach Cameron Ciraldo said. “It’s what we stand for and what our standards are no matter who is playing. If you pull on a Bulldogs jersey, there’s expectations and standards there we want you to live up to.
“The last few weeks, it’s been tough. After losing three games in a row, it was a tough week.
We never spoke about who wasn’t playing, it was more about who was playing. It says a lot about the club and what the club is built on.”
Ciraldo was forced to ask the NRL for an exemption for Harrison Edwards, who is outside the club’s top 30. He started at prop. Teenage whiz kid Karl Oloapu made his debut off the bench, and he and Matt Burton might stay in the halves for years to come.
But on this day it was Jake Averillo who shone brightest, scoring two sparkling long-range tries from 80 metres out, both times burning St George Illawarra No.1 Tyrell Sloan.
Even when Corey Waddell went to the sin-bin in the second half for a professional foul on Zac Lomax and the Dragons immediately trimmed the margin to two, they kept fumbling and the Bulldogs kept fighting.
Alas, they also play without fear as Josh Reynolds, who had a run-in with referee Grant Atkins at half-time after being penalised for an incident with Sloan on the ground, kicked for Averillo three metres out from his own line on one set.
“We’re not going to play like every other team, we play differently,” Ciraldo said. “We’ve got different strengths than other teams and we’re going to have to play a different way, take more risk and move the ball around. I think you saw signs of that tonight. ‘Grub’ [Reynolds] played what he saw and we trust that.”
On the Atkins-Reynolds incident, skipper Reed Mahoney said: “We might have to have his mouth taped when he plays. He’s the ultimate competitor and he wears his heart on his sleeve. I wouldn’t [trade] him for anyone else.”
