NRL round 10: Canterbury Bulldogs bounce back after horrific start to St George Illawarra Dragons clash
The Canterbury Bulldogs were facing the prospect of another nightmare defeat after a moment of magic granted the Dragons a try in record time.
NRL
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The Canterbury Bulldogs completed a stunning comeback during an enthralling first half against the St George Illawarra Dragons at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.
Having only recorded one win during the first nine weeks of the NRL premiership, the Bulldogs would have been eager to close the gap between themselves and the rest of the competition.
The struggling club is also without a head coach after Dean Pay walked out on Tuesday.
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Despite a chaotic week off the field, Canterbury would have taken some confidence into Sunday’s match knowing they had embarrassed the Dragons during their previous encounter in round four, securing a comprehensive 22-2 victory in early June.
But the round ten fixture started horrifically for the wooden spoon favourites, a moment of magic from Dragons centre Zac Lomax granting the hosts a try in the opening sixty seconds.
After Dragons playmaker Corey Norman bombed the footy at the conclusion of their first set, Lomax lunged to superbly claim the catch at full speed, his classy pass back inside to Matthew Dufty completing the try.
“This is an unbelievable take,” Balmain Tigers great Steve Roach cried on Fox League commentary.
“What an opening for this St George Illawarra side. Look at that for a take!
“What a start for the Dragons.”
Warren Smith agreed: “That is an outrageous catch.
“On the sprint at a high ball like that, pouring down the field at full speed.”
It was the fastest opening try of the NRL season to date, and the Bulldogs were down 6-0 before they had even gotten their hands on the ball.
That take from Zac Lomax......WOW! #NRLDragonsBulldogs
— Peter Psaltis (@peterp79) July 18, 2020
Great start from the doggies. Fml #NRLDragonsBulldogs
— matthew dunn (@mattydunn11) July 18, 2020
The game isn’t a minute old, and the Dragons have already scored a try. Could be a long afternoon. Pray for me. https://t.co/xmeFlVJTRZ
— Ryan O'Connell (@RyanOak) July 18, 2020
When the Dragons dived over again five minutes later, many Canterbury supporters accepted another heavy defeat was on the cards in Wollongong.
But nobody could have predicted the thundering resurgence that followed. The Bulldogs scored three consecutive tries before the interval to take a 20-10 lead into halftime.
Canterbury’s backline was slick and their forwards were equally fierce, completely dominating their hapless opponents during the explosive 20-minute period.
In the opening 40 minutes, the Bulldogs boasted a 91 per cent completion rate, while errors plagued the Dragons, who only managed 69 per cent.
Originally published as NRL round 10: Canterbury Bulldogs bounce back after horrific start to St George Illawarra Dragons clash