Bulldogs survive another NRL bunker blunder to stun Sharks

This is John Morris’ first year in charge but the Mr Nice Guy image was well and truly thrown out the window at ANZ Stadium following his side’s upset loss to struggling Canterbury.

As far as coaching sprays goes, this was up there with the absolute best of them.

While Dean Pay delivered his own ‘up yours’ to Canterbury’s many critics after a shock 14-12 victory over Cronulla, Pay’s outburst was well and truly upstaged by the smash-up John Morris delivered his senior leadership group.

For years Cronulla’s senior players have been seen as the Sharks’ backbone.

But after watching Cronulla fumble and bumble to an embarrassing defeat against the NRL’s bottom team, Morris could not contain his disappointment.

The post-match drama overshadowed some refereeing howlers that went against both teams, although Pay went as far as questioning his team’s position on the NRL ladder had something to do with the lack of 50/50 calls that go the Bulldogs way.

In his 250th NRL game, Bulldogs prop Aiden Tolman also capped off an inspirational performance with a match-clinching effort play that even Morris conceded typified “what we are lacking at the moment”.

Aiden Tolman celebrates victory in his 250th NRL game. Picture: Brett Costello

MORRIS LASHES ‘COCKY’ CRONULLA

This is Morris’ first year in charge but the Mr Nice Guy image was well and truly thrown out the window at ANZ Stadium.

Not only did he label it “one of the worst performances I have seen from this club”, but he also singled out his senior players.

He didn’t name names but you only had to watch the performances of Shaun Johnson, Matt Moylan and to a degree Chad Townsend to know where Morris’ focus was.

Johnson not only missed all three attempts at conversion which ultimately proved the difference but he also came up with some really costly schoolboy-like running the ball on the last.

Sharks players look on after a Bulldogs try. Picture: Brett Costello

Moylan also came up some really poor executional plays and he just isn’t playing consistently enough given the immense talent he is.

Morris noted the team also made 16 errors.

“That is just not good enough,” Morris said.

“So far outside the standards of what we set for ourselves. “Unfortunately for our leaders I think we have got some of our experiences guys that just aren’t stepping up at the moment.

“Our young boys are doing a tremendous job and they have done a tremendous job all year.

“But we are not getting it from our experienced men at the moment and we have to fix that real quick.”

PAY CRACK AT CRITICS

It was only the Bulldogs’ fourth win of the season but the effort they have been consistently putting in is why Pay was so happy for his players.

Pay had has had to read about his own uncertain future since he pretty much walked into the job but what he really takes offence to is the constant chatter his players don’t want to be at the club.

“I think there has been some comments out there that they don’t want to play here and all the rest of it,” Pay said.

“Well, for me, watching that team play there today, they wanted to play for that jumper. And they wanted to play for their teammates. And this club. That is what they wanted to do. And they are turning up and doing it every week.

“We might not get it right every week and we are going to have our ups and downs because they are young but we are building, we are going in the right direction.”

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak celebrates a try for the Bulldogs. Picture: Getty Images

What made the victory even more impressive was that Kieran Foran went off after just 26 minutes with a hamstring injury.

Foran had set up the Bulldogs’ only two tries before leaving the field.

Pay said it was only a minor strain and he should be fit for the next game against Newcastle after the bye.

In his absence young Jack Cogger really took control while the effort of Tolman was tremendous.

Cronulla very nearly stole the win late when Jack Williams swooped on a loose ball and almost raced the length of the field only to be pulled up short after a desperate chase from Reimis Smith and Marcelo Montoya.

Tolman then came up with another wonderful effort right at the end when he cleaned up a Townsend kick in goal.

“The boys really busted their boiler for him today and I thought his game went to another level,” Pay said of Tolman.

Aiden Tolman was superb again for the Bulldogs. Picture: AAP

REF CONTROVERSY

Lucky the Bulldogs won because they fair dinkum would have had a reason to blow up.

There was a clear knock-on in the lead up to Johnson’s first try when the ball was stripped from Briton Nikora but the incident escaped the bunker’s attention.

“I am not going to whinge about those sort of calls but gee, we don’t get them,” Pay said.

“We just don’t get them.

“And I don’t know if that is because of where we are sitting, I am not sure. But the 50-50s we don’t get.”

Morris was also adamant the Sharks should have got a penalty when Williams was held down for too long by Smith in the dying minutes almost in front of the posts that could have pushed the match into golden point.