Bulldogs star Stephen Crichton avoids suspension for dangerous contact charge

Bulldogs boss Phil Gould got the jump on the NRL match review committee, revealing the punishments handed down to Stephen Crichton and Jacob Preston after the pair were put on report.

Canterbury skipper Stephen Crichton will be free to take on the Titans next Sunday after escaping a ban for dangerous contact against St George Illawarra.

Crichton was put on report for leading with the knees in the 16th minute of Saturday’s win against the Dragons as he tried to spot Christian Tuipulotu from scoring in the left hand corner.

Crichton’s actions led to a penalty try and the star centre was placed on report at the time.

There have been calls to whack Crichton with a suspension over the dangerous incident.

Stephen Crichton has escaped with a fine for this incident.

But Bulldogs general manager revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that the Match Review Committee only hit the 24-year old with a grade one dangerous contact charge and a $1,800 fine.

Teammate Jacob Preston also escaped a suspension for taking out Dragons centre Valentine Holmes with a heavy hit off the ball.

Like Crichton, Preston was charged with grade one dangerous contact, drawing a $1,000 fine.

Charges round 1 @NRL_Bulldogs

Stephen Crichton
Grade 1 dangerous contact
$1800

Jacob Preston
Grade 1 dangerous contact
$1000

— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) March 8, 2025

MATCH REPORT: BULLDOGS SMASH DRAGONS

Las Vegas has hosted some of the biggest fights in the world over the years, but they could be in for something uniquely special if Peter V’landys decides to book in the Bulldogs and Dragons for a fiery round one showdown next season.

This was a good old-fashioned slugfest between two fierce rivals who have waited months for the opportunity to bash anyone other than a teammate, and it was the Bulldogs who outlasted the Red V with a 28-20 win in front of a heaving crowd in Kogarah.

“It’s great, footy’s back. Both teams obviously had a very long pre-season and were looking to belt some blokes,” Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney said as he walked off at half-time.

It was always going to be hard to top the spiteful clash at the same venue last year that saw Kyle Flanagan cop a four-match for biting Stephen Crichton, although the Bulldogs skipper was involved in a controversial incident in the first half which will be looked at by the match review committee.

Stephen Crichton failed to finish the game due to cramps. Picture: Getty Images

KUNG FU CRICHTON

The superstar centre was placed on report midway through the first half when he led with his knees in an act that dislodged the ball as Christian Tuipulotu tried to slam it down.The Bunker had one look at it and awarded a penalty try, although there was no malice in it and it’s unlikely he will be hit with anything worse than a grade one charge, with Crichton (cramps) unable to finish the game.

“I didn’t look at it too many times because I was just trying to see how they scored,” Cameron Ciraldo said.

“He was going across to save the try and I think his knee hit the ball so I don’t think there’s too much to worry about.”

That was the only concern for the Bulldogs who made the finals for the first time in eight years in 2024 and look to be even stronger with new recruit Sitili Tupouniua crossing twice in the second half.

It took a while for the Bulldogs to get going, but once they did, the Dragons couldn’t match their intensity and ability to shift the ball, with Viliame Kikau setting up Connor Tracey with a lovely offload to silence the crowd.

HORRIBLE NEWS

There are fears Dragons prop Ryan Couchman has torn his ACL and could miss the rest of the season, with scans to confirm whether the young talent will return in 2025.

Horrible news with Dragons suspecting an ACL injury for Ryan Couchman.

Mechanism quite textbook - non-contact + direction change off right knee. Initially stayed on then knee gave way on him again. Scans to come but usually confirm what the medical staff know. Feel for him. pic.twitter.com/WFvV9VuK0K

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 8, 2025

“It looks like he’s done his ACL, so it’s not real good,” Shane Flanagan said.

“He’s a young kid at the start of his NRL career and he’s such a competitor. It’s not a great thing.”

It’s horrible news for the local junior who was in for a big year, with the Dragons now set to go hard for veteran prop David Klemmer who could reportedly join the club as early as next week.

Ryan Couchman of the Dragons suffered an ACL injury. Picture: Getty Images

St George Illawarra desperately need middles with Francis Molo seeking an immediate release and Emre Guler placed on report for a hip drop on Jacob Preston, with Klemmer the perfect guy to provide some veteran leadership.

Shane Flanagan won’t be thrilled with his side’s start to the season which saw Clint Gutherson work hard from the back, with the halves kept quiet and unable to back up their flashy trial form.

There was one moment of magic for the hosts when Jacob Liddle raced 65 metres off a quick tap and turned the defence inside out to bring them within 12, before Tuipulotu grabbed his third to set up a grandstand finish.

But a missed conversion and some sloppy errors ended the comeback, with the Dragons frustrating their fans by not playing enterprising footy until the game was out of reach.

Toby Sexton jumps onto Sitili Tupouniua to celebrate a try. Picture: Getty Images

FORMER ROOSTER DOUBLES UP FOR BULLDOGS

What St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan would have done to have the luxury of starting someone like Sitili Tupouniua off his interchange bench.

Because if Tupouniua was wearing the Red-V he would be the Dragons best middle on their roster. But at cross-town rivals Canterbury he started off the bench in his Bulldogs debut. And he walked away as the best player on the field despite missing the opening 24 minutes.

The former Roosters turned the game with two second half try-scoring efforts in six minutes.

“It means a lot to start a new chapter,” Tupouniua said. “They’ve made me feel at home. I’ve been training hard. The boys put me in a good position to score.

“Last few years have been tough with injuries. I finally got to get a solid pre-season in.”

Having played a large chunk of his career on the edge, it was in the middle where he caused havoc for the St George Illawarra defence in front of 16,211 people.

Christian Tuipulotu of the Dragons celebrates after scoring a try. Picture: Getty Images

“Everyone is scared of him with the way he is carrying the ball,” former Australian back-rower Luke Lewis said on ABC Sport shortly after Tupouniua’s second try.

The Dragons were leading 6-4 when Tupouniua came onto the field. By the time he left the Bulldogs were up by 18 with 20 minutes remaining in the game.

While Tupouniua starred it was a different story for the Dragons. Flanagan’s already highly exposed forward pack was dealt a crushing blow with bench forward Ryan Couchman limping from the field in the first half.

Flanagan could be forced to hand a debut to giant young 19-year-old prop Loko Pasifiki Tonga should Blake Lawrie remain unavailable as the Dragons middle rotation is already significant stress early in the season.

New recruit Emre Guler was placed on report for a hip drop tackle on Jacob Preston which also puts his spot in doubt to play South Sydney next Saturday.

It could lead to St George Illawarra stepping up their chase for Tigers veteran David Klemmer to help fill a desperate void given Francis Molo remains AWOL.