NRL Round 5 2022: Panthers defeat Bulldogs 32-12, Matt Dufty blasted for shocker
Canterbury Bulldogs fullback Matt Dufty produced arguably the worst game of his NRL career — and the critics certainly didn’t miss.
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A third change of halfback in five rounds has not changed the fortunes for Trent Barrett and his Bulldogs, as Penrith continued a dominant run of humiliation over Canterbury on Sunday evening.
The Panthers prevailed 32-12 to make it 132 points to 16 in their last four encounters against the blue and whites, three of which were coached by Barrett.
Far from Kyle Flanagan’s fault, it was other Bulldogs who went missing, namely Matt Dufty.
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“Matt Dufty at fullback, he’s had one run, two metres gained and two errors. Unacceptable,” Fox League’s Corey Parker launched into the 26-year-old former Dragon at half-time, and it did not get much better.
In contrast, the under-pressure Flanagan put a week in the headlines behind him to provide some direction inside the opposition 20 with “nice touches” as described by Mick Ennis and held his own in defence.
The Bulldogs were at least able to post some points at CommBank Stadium after Melbourne’s 44-nil demolition last Sunday.
Yet Penrith’s fifth straight win to start 2022 only served to increase the pressure on an already heavily scrutinised Barrett, with the Canterbury mentor publicly defending selection during the week.
“Most glaring thing was our own errors coming out of our own half, I think we had eight,” Barrett said post-match after the Bulldogs’ fourth straight loss.
Penrith became the first team since Melbourne in 2012-13 to start with five consecutive wins.
150th FOR KOROISAU
A rugby league journey that had captured two premierships reached 150 NRL matches for Api Koroisau on Sunday.
From South Sydney in 2014 to Penrith the next year, followed by 77 matches for Manly, Koroisau was back at Penrith in 2020 and claimed his second premiership ring in October.
With fullback Dylan Edwards, Koroisau was one of the standouts for the Panthers, providing reliable service from that dummy half position for which an Origin return may be calling, and putting last year’s COVID breach behind him.
Edwards ran 212 metres to couple a first half try with coach Ivan Cleary finding it hard to argue that the fullback is in career best form.
“Coming through the grades, when he’s in good form, he’s basically one of our best three or four players every week, and that’s been the case this year,” Cleary said.
DUFTY SHOCK ADDS TO PRESSURE
Dufty and Paul Vaughan entered Sunday night among 11 Bulldogs off-contract.
A new deal may have been close for the No.1 but Sunday’s performance by Dufty did him no favours whatsoever.
Numerous errors and lapses from Dufty, whether it was not pushing up in support, dropping bombs or spilling a kick off after the Dogs had scored their second try to give them hope; nothing he seemed to touch was effective.
Ennis again summed it up describing it as a “horrible night.”
Gun backrower Viliame Kikau got his first glimpse of the team he will join in 2023 along with Parramatta hooker Reed Mahoney, and on current form, the big Fijian will be leaving finals football for a long battle ahead.
BURTON NOT MISSED WITH TAGO
In one play Izack Tago showed without doubt that Penrith have found a like-for-like replacement for Burton.
With footwork, a dummy, finished with a one hand flick, 20-year-old Tago sprinted 70 metres from an early Penrith shift to put Edwards over the stripe, cloning Burton of 2021, when he claimed one of the Dally M centre positions.
Burton, 22, has so far been unable to transfer the attacking flair that saw him score 17 tries and set up 12 in the Panthers’ premiership, yet to score or set up one in a Canterbury jumper.
He was one of three from Penrith’s premiership side lining up for the Dogs including winger Brent Naden and try-scorer Tevita Pangai Junior.
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